Virginia

Key takeaways from Virginia’s attorney general race

Published

2 months ago

November 5, 2025

Key takeaways from Virginia’s attorney general race

Virginia election officials are still counting ballots, but so far, Jason Miyares has about 120,000 more votes than his Republican ticket-mate Winsome Earle-Sears.

While Miyares, the Republican incumbent attorney general, still lost his race by nearly 6 points, it shows at least some voters split their tickets. Miyares’ opponent, Democrat Jay Jones, overcame the scandal that became the focal point of the race, after old text messages from Jones surfaced that suggested a former Republican House speaker should get “two bullets to the head” and the lawmaker’s children should die in his wife’s arms.

NBC News exit polls showed 40% of voters felt those texts were disqualifying — but in the end, it didn’t seem to matter.

That same data shows that most of that 40% voted for Miyares.

But still, experts said Wednesday they feel that we’re witnessing a new age in Virginia politics, in which most voters are willing to excuse otherwise inexcusable behavior — as long as the bad actor is on your side of the aisle.

Jones earned nearly 170,000 fewer votes than Democratic Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger, which could suggest the text message scandal had some effect but not enough to cost him the race, which he still won handily by nearly 6 points.

“We will use tonight as a springboard to reject the politics of divisiveness and division and we will build a brighter future for every single Virginian,” Jones said on Election Night.

This race was the most expensive attorney general’s race in American history, and ad spending really took off once the text message scandal emerged.

Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington feels that party allegiance is too strong, and given the current environment, he thinks just about any Democrat could have won a statewide race this year.

“The last decade has been marked by a significant decline in what is acceptable behavior. We now have a very low bar in terms of anything that may be disqualifying,” Farnsworth said.

Outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin suggested Wednesday the text message scandal isn’t going to disappear.

“The next administration is going to have to figure out how to deal with that, because they have law enforcement that they’re going to need to make sure feel good about doing the job,” Youngkin said.

But Jeremy Mayer, a political science professor at George Mason University, doesn’t believe this issue will matter much moving forward.

“With Donald Trump and his admission of sexual assault in the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape, I think we learned we’re in a different world,” Mayer said. “A lot of Republicans in that moment said, ‘Oh, he’s going to lose!’ and the speaker of the House withdrew his support and Trump won. And that tells you something about polarization, and Jay Jones rode that same horse of polarization to victory last night.”

When asked if he thinks the electorate spoke loudly enough Tuesday night or if he thinks the incoming administration will need to address the text messages, Mayer responded: “Did Donald Trump have to deal with the ‘Access Hollywood’ video after he was elected? He was washed clean in the water of the election, and that’s what happened to Jay Jones.”

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Virginia

Virginia state trooper injured in Beltway crash following pursuit

Published

2 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Virginia state trooper injured in Beltway crash following pursuit

article

ALEXANDRIA, VA. – A Virginia State Police trooper was injured in a crash during a pursuit on Interstate 495 Sunday afternoon, according to the Virginia State Police.

At 3:47 p.m., a trooper attempted to stop a Honda Accord for reckless driving on Interstate 495 westbound. The vehicle refused to stop, leading to a pursuit, a press release says.

The pursuit ended when the suspect’s vehicle exited at Van Dorn Street. The trooper terminated the pursuit to avoid a collision with another vehicle, resulting in the police vehicle going off the road and striking a tree.

Trooper’s condition and ongoing investigation

What we know:

The trooper involved in the crash suffered minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital, according to the release. The injuries are not considered life-threatening.

The incident is still under investigation by Virginia State Police to determine the exact circumstances and any potential charges against the driver of the Honda Accord.

What we don’t know:

The identity of the driver of the Honda Accord and whether they have been apprehended remains unknown at this time.

The Source: Information from a Virginia State Police press release.

Crime and Public SafetyNewsVirginia

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Virginia

Flu cases surging in northern Virginia, health officials say

Published

14 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Flu cases surging in northern Virginia, health officials say

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. – Get the flu shot, wash your hands and stay home if you’re sick — that’s the message coming from Virginia’s Health Department as data shows flu cases soaring in northern Virginia.

Flu-related emergency room visits have tripled in just the last couple of weeks.

Pharmacies including this one are also reportedly seeing more patients coming in for the flu, with more severe symptoms.

By the numbers:

According to new data, 30% of Virginia residents received flu shots this year, despite doctors saying it’s one of the best ways to protect against the illness.

“I’m seeing an increase in the number of people who are coming here for medication and severity as well,” said Janice Granmayeh, who works at a pharmacy in McLean. “Peak season in our area is usually January, February, March.”

The Virginia Department of Health says flu diagnoses at emergency room visits tripled the last two weeks of December.

“I’m a firm believer in the vaccine. I’ve been vaccinated. All I can say is do your best to stay healthy,” Manassas resident Michael Spratley told FOX 5.

We’re told flu cases across all of Virginia are increasing based on two reporting periods — one ending Dec. 13 and another ending being Dec. 27.

During this second reporting period, there were 1,800 reported flu cases compared to just shy of 100 COVID cases.

What they’re saying:

Health officials say while a spike in flu during the holidays is normal, it’s the extreme spike that’s raising concerns.

“The first thing is vaccination. Vaccination is still very effective even with the news,” said Dr. David Rose with the Alexandria Health Department.

It’s not too late to get the flu shot and doctors and pharmacists are encouraging people to do so.

NewsHealth

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Virginia

Five takeaways from Virginia basketball’s road win at NC State

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Five takeaways from Virginia basketball’s road win at NC State

Save for the first several minutes of the second half, the No. 21 Virginia Cavaliers dominated NC State on Saturday afternoon to pick up their first ACC win of the year, 76-61. Sam Lewis led all scorers with 23 points, 20 of which came in the first half as he alone matched NC State’s first-half output.

A 40-20 halftime lead gave the Cavaliers the cushion they needed to handle a big NC State run to begin the second half. The ’Hoos allowed the lead to slip to just nine points, but they responded with a run of their own that restored the lead to 22 points. The Wolfpack were unable to respond again, and the Cavaliers cruised to victory down the stretch.

From the first ACC win of the year, here are five takeaways:

This was a much-needed win for Virginia.

The Cavaliers were on the road again for their second straight game to begin ACC play. After an underwhelming performance in Blacksburg on Wednesday resulted in a triple overtime loss, getting a win in Raleigh was a must. Doing so in a largely dominant fashion was the cherry on top.

The Cavaliers jumped out to a 20-point halftime lead and looked to be headed for a comfortable win. The Wolfpack responded with a 15-4 run to begin the second half, far from what Ryan Odom would have liked to see from his team. However, the ‘Hoos promptly responded with a 20-6 run that restored the 20-point lead.

Thijs De Ridder was the catalyst in that stretch, scoring a few tough buckets in the paint and drilling a three-pointer. The Belgian big man totaled 12 points and six rebounds in the second half.

Sam Lewis bounced back from a poor shooting performance vs. Virginia Tech.

For the first time all season, Ryan Odom started Devin Tillis over Sam Lewis against the Hokies on Wednesday. Neither player shot the ball well – Tillis went 3-of-12 from the floor, Lewis was 0-for-5 – and the Cavaliers suffered a triple overtime loss to their rival.

Odom went back to the lineup he’s used most of the year, starting Lewis against NC State. The move paid off as Lewis caught fire in the first half, scoring 20 points to match NC State’s team total in the first half. The Toledo transfer scored the first six points of the game and 12 of Virginia’s first 15 points. He drilled 4-of-5 from three in the first half alone.

Lewis finished the game with 23 points on 8-of-12 from the field and 5-of-9 from three.

Quick ball movement remains the key to UVA’s offensive success.

Duh, every basketball coach at every level will tell you that. But the quick ball movement Virginia operated with extensively in the first half proved as much, causing the NC State defense major problems. The ‘Hoos were getting open looks from the outside, both by whipping the ball around the perimeter and from kicking it out on drives into the paint. NC State couldn’t keep up.

The offense went a little stagnant to start the second half, and the Wolfpack took advantage, cutting Virginia’s lead to nine points. When the Cavaliers got back to quick passing and stopped getting stuck with one guy dribbling too much, they went on a big run of their own, regained their 20-plus point lead, and allowed the home crowd to leave early to beat the traffic.

Virginia’s defense was stout.

The 61 points scored by NC State in this game were the fewest scored by the Wolfpack this season. The Cavaliers held them to just 20 points and three assists in the first half, while the Wolfpack turned it over seven times.

Will Wade’s group found more success in the second half, scoring 41 points after the break, but it was still far from enough. The Wolfpack offense would have benefited from more of the quick ball movement that the Virginia offense utilized so effectively. Instead, UVA held NC State to only seven assists in the game and a lowly 36.0% from the field and 25.0% from three-point range.

Virginia returns home without needing to hit the panic button.

The Cavaliers sorely missed Jacari White in the loss against Virginia Tech on Wednesday, but his absence was far less noticeable against NC State. Virginia shot 50.0% from the field and 39.4% from three while recording 14 assists. For comparison, against the Hokies, Virginia shot 36.0% from the field and 22.2% from three and notched only 15 assists in the triple overtime affair.

The Cavaliers certainly would like to get White back as soon as possible, but Saturday afternoon’s performance proved it isn’t time to panic about this team’s ability to shoot well against ACC opponents without the spark White has provided off the bench.

Virginia can now return home with renewed confidence for a pair of tough games against California and Stanford ahead of a big road game at No. 16 Louisville. Notably, Cal defeated then-No. 18 UCLA earlier in the year, while Stanford knocked off Louisville on Friday in Palo Alto.

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