Republican primary for Virginia governor up in the air

Published

1 year ago

April 5, 2025

Republican primary for Virginia governor up in the air

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – A Republican primary election is not out of the question for the 2025 race to be Virginia’s next governor.

Former Virginia State Senator Amanda Chase filed paperwork to run right before the deadline on Thursday, April 3.

Still, even she is unsure if she will make it into the race, saying over the phone on Friday, she can not confirm how many signatures she got.

It’s a tough place for any candidate, according to Larry Sabato, director of UVA’s Center for Politics.

“She didn’t get very more than the minimum required and the usual rule of thumb is you get more than 50% of what you need,” Sabato said.

In addition to the 10,000 total signatures each candidate needs, they also have to get 400 valid registered voters in each of Virginia’s congressional districts.

“Incumbents always know they can get those signatures,” Sabato said. “It’s the challengers who have those problem.”

Still, a GOP primary race for governor could be coming. It is a costly battle between candidates that Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger gets to avoid, having secured her party’s nomination.

“It causes a candidate to spend money they’d prefer to save for the general election. It takes time and energy. There are negative charges that can be put into general election TV ads,” Sabato said.

The Virginia Republican party has a few days to tally up all the signatures, but even if Chase skates by with enough, Sabato believes, she’s far from a favorite.

“The state party is clearly more in favor of [Winsome] Earle-Sears because she’s the incumbent Lt. Governor and she’s the choice of Governor [Glenn] Youngkin,” Sabato said.

Earle-Sears said she raised around $3.1 million in this year’s first quarter reporting period.

No other candidate has released this information yet.

Do you have a story idea? Send us your news tip here.

Source link

Click to comment

Virginia’s Spanberger Approves Workplace Heat Safety Standards

Published

4 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

Virginia’s Spanberger Approves Workplace Heat Safety Standards

Virginia will join a growing list of states with workplace heat safety standards that private-sector employers must follow under legislation approved by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D).

The bill (SB 288) tasks the state’s Safety and Health Codes Board with creating standards for indoor and outdoor workplaces no later than May 1, 2028, adding Virginia to a handful of states that have dictated heat safety protocols in the absence of a federal standard.

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration continued work on developing a national heat safety rule in 2025, but President Donald Trump’s deregulatory goals are likely to yield a more employer-friendly standard than those passed in Democratic-majority states.

Virginia employers will be required to provide water, access to shade, rest periods, acclimatization, and training for working in heat. High-heat procedures would take effect at a temperature threshold to be determined by the board in its rulemaking.

Deciding on an appropriate temperature threshold to trigger protections has been a notable challenge, both in state proposals and OSHA’s federal regulatory efforts.

California, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington state have mandated workplace heat safety standards, while Colorado has imposed a standard specific to agriculture workers.

Virginia regulators previously considered a workplace heat safety proposal but halted the rulemaking process in late 2021, with some board members citing concerns it would conflict or be redundant with the federal regulation that they thought at the time would be implemented soon.

Source link

Virginia

Bill signing aims to bolster horse racing industry in West Virginia

Published

16 hours ago

April 13, 2026

Press Room

Bill signing aims to bolster horse racing industry in West Virginia

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. (WCHS) — Gov. Patrick Morrisey signaled support for the horse racing industry in West Virginia through a bill signing Monday.

Senate Bill 1060 updates laws to include certified thoroughbred horses and raises a funding cap for restricted races from $1 million to $2 million.

The measure allows horses that have lived in West Virginia for six months to compete for larger purses. State leaders are hopeful the move will incentivize out-of-state horse owners to relocate to West Virginia.

In addition, the bill would allow licensed racing associations to transmit broadcasts of races with a portion of wagers going toward the West Virginia Thoroughbred Development Fund.

Changes will go into effect on June 7.

BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT

Currently, horse races are held in West Virginia’s panhandles, at the Mountaineer Racetrack and Resort in New Cumberland and the Hollywood Casino in Charles Town.

Source link

Virginia

Virginia Beach police investigate teen brawl at Nova Adventure Park

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Press Room

Virginia Beach police investigate teen brawl at Nova Adventure Park

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia Beach police are investigating after a large crowd of teens were fighting Saturday evening at Nova Adventure Park.

A Virginia Beach police officer was in the 2000 block of Lynnhaven Parkway at approximately 9:35 p.m. when a large group of teens started fighting. Additional officers arrived and the teenagers disbursed.

Police said at least one victim involved suffered an injury that was not life-threatening.

The incident is under active investigation.

Source link