Virginia
Election 2024: Polls show DC, Maryland, Virginia leaning left
VP Kamala Harris delivers ‘closing argument’ speech at the Ellipse
Kamala Harris fired back on Tuesday, declaring that Donald Trump’s divisive tactics and fear-mongering are “not who we are,” as she delivered her closing campaign message from the very spot where the former president incited the Capitol insurrection in 2021.
WASHINGTON – With just one week left until the election, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are making their final bids to voters who will be heading to the polls on Nov. 5.
Harris is held a rally at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. Tuesday night, where she made her “closing argument,” urging the nation to “turn the page” toward a new era and away from Trump.
Trump, meanwhile, delivered remarks to the press at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach Tuesday morning before heading to Pennsylvania for a “Building America’s Future” community roundtable in Drexel Hill and an evening rally in Allentown. He held his own closing argument rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
The two candidates remain locked in a razor-thin race. Harris continues to have an edge in national polls, according to 270toWin. Their average of 14 recent national polls shows Harris with a narrow 0.9% lead over Trump (48.1% to 47.2%).
Polls also show Trump just slightly ahead in some swing states that could decide the election. All the polls are extremely close and within the margin of error.
While there are some close races here in the DMV, many are leaning left — something that’s not new for us. Here’s a look at polling data in some of the key races in our area.
D.C. polling
D.C. has always skewed heavily blue. The District has consistently voted Democratic in every presidential election since gaining its three electoral votes through the ratification of the 23rd Amendment in 1961. No Republican has ever won an electoral vote.
In the 2020 election, Joe Biden received about 17 votes for each one vote for Donald Trump, according to 270toWin and in the 2024 primaries, Biden overwhelmingly saw more support from Democrats than Trump saw from Republicans.
Nikki Haley won the Republican primary in the District with 63% of the vote compared to Trump’s 33%, showing that even D.C.’s conservatives may be turning away from the MAGA ideology.
Early voting got underway in D.C. Monday so there’s not much data on which way ballots are being cast but the bellwether indicates that the District will once again swing solidly Democratic and that all three electoral votes will go to Harris.
Presidential predictor Allan Lichtman stands by call that Harris will win 2024 election
Expert historian and American University professor Allan Lichtman has called the winner of nearly every presidential election since the 1980s and made his final prediction saying Vice President Kamala Harris will win the 2024 election back in September. Today On The Hill, he says he stands by the decision. Here’s why.
Maryland polling
Maryland is clearly leaning Democratic as well. The latest aggregate poll data from RealClearPolitics puts Harris above Trump by nearly 30 percentage points in the state, 62.2% to 33%.
A Washington Post-University of Maryland Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement survey conducted between Oct. 17-22 showed similar results, with Harris polling at 61% while Trump was at 33%.
According to NBC’s early voting dashboard, more than 1 million early voting ballots have been cast in Maryland, 60% of those by registered Democrats, 25% by registered Republicans and 10% by independents.
The same Post-UMD poll showed Democratic leanings in another key Maryland race: Alsobrooks vs. Hogan.
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan are facing off for the state’s open Senate seat.
It’s a race that has garnered national attention as it could be key in determining which political party will lead the U.S. Senate for the next four years.
The survey shows Alsobrooks maintaining a clear lead over Hogan by 12% (52% to 40%). The unusually competitive race has already drawn in at least $84.6 million dollars in combined contributions, according to a Washington Post report from October.
Alsobrooks holds steady lead over Hogan in Maryland Senate race
The Washington Post and University of Maryland just released a poll that has Prince George’s County executive Angela Alsobooks in the lead for the Maryland Senate race over former Governor Larry Hogan. Washington Post reporter Erin Cox joins On The Hill to talk about the Senate race and what to expect in the last week of campaigning.
Virginia polling
Virginia is the biggest toss-up in the DMV. While it’s not a battleground state, it is a swing state, frequently alternating between Democratic and Republican control.
With 13 electoral college votes, it’s still a key state in any presidential election.
For more than three decades, starting with Nixon, Virginia went to the Republican candidate. But that flipped in 2008 with the election of Barack Obama and it has held Democratic since then.
Right now, RealClearPolitics puts Harris ahead of Trump in the Commonwealth, 49.8% to 44%. RCP averaged five polls conducted from early September to October.
According to a Washington Post-Schar School poll, Harris holds a six-point edge over Trump among likely voters in Virginia.
An ActiVote poll shows a wider margin between the two candidates with Harris leading former Trump by 8.2%. The poll was among 400 likely voters, has an average expected error of 4.9%.
Early voting data from NBC also shows strong Democratic turnout in Virginia. More than 1.6 million ballots have been cast in the state – 52% by Democrats, 38% by Republicans and 10% by independents.
There are several key congressional races in Virginia as well.
Sen. Tim Kaine talks VA politics amid re-election campaign
Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine is running for re-election. He’s On The Hill to talk about his race, what he’s focusing on, his perspective on the upcoming presidential debate and the Virginia governor’s race as Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears ahs entered the race, challenging Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger.
Democratic incumbent Tim Kaine is faceting Republican challenger Hung Cao for the senate seat. The Washington Post-Schar survey shows that Kaine has a comfortable lead over Cao, 54% to 41%.
According to the poll, nearly all Harris supporters said they would be voting for Kaine. About 9 in 10 Trump supporters said they are voting for Cao.
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has plenty of state symbols, be it the black bear as the state animal, the cardinal as the state bird or the rhododendron as the state flower, but did you know that the Mountain State also has its own official gun?
The Hall Flintlock Model 1819 was first manufactured in Harpers Ferry by John H. Hall in 1811 and was adopted by the United States Army in 1819, making it the first breech-loading rifle ever adopted by a country’s military.
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Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution -
Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution
All of this information is listed in Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, which was introduced and passed during the 2013 West Virginia Legislative session, and officially recognizes the Model 1819 as the official firearm of the State of West Virginia.
On top of being created in West Virginia, the resolution also points out that the rifle saw use during the Civil War, an event that directly led to West Virginia’s statehood.
While having an officially recognized state firearm may seem far-fetched, West Virginia is not the only state that has one. As a matter of fact, a fifth of the states in the country have officially designated a state firearm, including West Virginia’s neighbors in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
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MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
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