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That's right, Tuesday, November 7, 2023, is a big election in Virginia. Neither Governor nor national seats are up, but the all-important state legislature is a toss-up in both houses. Democrats hold a slight majority in the upper house, and Republicans hold a slight majority in the lower house.
For example, before we made such great gains in 2021, Democrats were able to kill private transfers of firearms by requiring an on-the-spot background check. For a private transfer! Might as well register yourself in the database right there, and stand in line to have your guns tooken. I had looked this up in 2020, but had not realized until several weeks ago that in 2021, Democrats changed the law to what it is now.
Here's a look at the offices up for most locales in VA:
STATEWIDE:
- Senate of Virginia (40) (4-year term)
- House of Delegates (100) (2-year term)
- Soil and Water Directors (4-year term)
Counties:
8-year term: (The next eight years!)
- Clerk of Court
4-year terms:
- Commonwealth's Attorney
- Sheriff
- Commissioner of Revenue
- Treasurer
- County Board (Arlington County ONLY)
- Boards of Supervisors (95 counties)
- School Boards (91 counties)
City Council (3 cities)
City School Board (3 cities)
Town Council (15 Towns)
City or Town Mayor
- Town Recorder (Clerk)
I know people get tired of "everything is on the line" pep rallies, but it's nearly always true. Virginia is trending badly, but we had a remarkable respite in the election of Governor Youngkin (and others) and the liberation of the lower house in 2021. Now we have an opportunity to reclaim the upper house, which will transform Governor Youngkin's term from defense to offense.
I won't belabor the point, as we're beyond the time when analysis is useful. Just get out and vote straight R. Higher-level offices are marked D or R right on the ballot, but this is not true of all offices. Do some local research to find out who smells right on the school boards and such. Those are not "partisan" offices, but people are people, and every office matters.
Large victories do not come from outer space, but instead are built on the backs of small victories. The important statewide elections of next year can hinge on local elections of this year, and so forth.
That's worth shifting for.
Discussion (12)
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Yes, this is a significant election for us here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Things had been getting rougher for a bit with the anti-freedom and responsibility mindset gaining greater and greater purchase for a while and then going full bore crazy after the 2019 elections in which the Republican Party of Virginia left nearly 25% of all legislative races with no Big R option. While we made some headway in the 2021 election, there was nothing we could do about the mixture in the Virginia Senate until this year. If we can flip the Virginia Senate and keep the Virginia House of Delegates on the Big R side, we might be able to undo some of the fast-paced crazy-land changes of the 2020-2021 legislative sessions. May. Don't hold your breath though, but one can hope.
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Since it's non-partisan they speak using dog whistles. Do your best immitation of a dog.
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In our county, the local Republicans came out with specific endorsements for all the "non-affiliated" (school boards, etc.).
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That's a useful public service.
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If any candidate talks in favor of schools imparting more knowledge, information, or facts, you've probably got one to vote for. Most of the lefty types wouldn't agree to that even under extreme physical torture. Most of the others won't agree to it, either, unless you hang them by their thumbs. But on rare occasion, a candidate will volunteer that he or she is in favor. Those are worth having.
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