After months of polarized campaigning, Abigail Spanberger and Winsome Earle-Sears clash in their only 2025 Va. governor’s debate at Norfolk State. The tone of political speech — and the Jay Jones scandal — took center stage. #VAGov virginiamercury.com/2025/10/09/s...

🧨 GOP gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears failed to disclose a $12,000 “gift” and multiple donor-funded trips on her ethics forms. The omissions are part of a years-long pattern now raising questions about her transparency and trust in government virginiamercury.com/2025/10/08/f...

Virginia’s joint cannabis commission heard starkly different visions for launching retail sales — from fixing medical labeling gaps to tackling illicit products and preventing corporate capture. virginiamercury.com/2025/10/07/v...

Rematch in Virginia’s #HD71: Anderson vs. Batten again after 2023’s 667‐vote margin. New lines mix Williamsburg, James City & booming New Kent. Key battleground on housing, tourism, traffic & wages — where turnout & money may decide it. #VAleg virginiamercury.com/2025/10/06/g...

🚨Virginia AG race rocked by scandal: Democrat Jay Jones admits sending 2022 texts fantasizing about shooting ex-House Speaker Todd Gilbert and apologizes for his “grave mistake.” Republicans — from Trump to Youngkin — call for him to drop out. virginiamercury.com/2025/10/05/b...

The ACLU of Virginia has filed a class-action lawsuit accusing ICE of unlawfully jailing immigrant minors who’ve already won legal protections. The suit says kids with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status are being “warehoused” in VA detention centers. virginiamercury.com/2025/10/02/a...

🚨New Emerson poll: Abigail Spanberger 52%, Winsome Earle-Sears 42% in Virginia governor’s race. The Democrat surges with independents, men & voters under 50 — groups that fueled her double-digit lead. Top issue for voters: the economy.  virginiamercury.com/2025/10/02/s...

NEW: LG nominee John Reid was a registered foreign agent during his 2011–14 Qorvis years, filing under FARA when considered for a Fiji contract. He says it was PR-only and he never worked on Saudi or Fiji; Qorvis says it complies fully with DOJ rules. virginiamercury.com/2025/10/02/r...

🚨 A spokesman for the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs blames “radical liberals in Congress” for any shutdown fallout, warning some services could pause while core health care & benefits continue.

Big money, tiny margins define the rematch in #HD41 in Southwest Virginia. Incumbent Chris Obenshain won by just 183 votes in 2023 — now Democrat Lily Franklin is back with more funds, fresh momentum, and a promise of change. #valeg virginiamercury.com/2025/09/29/b...

Dinwiddie deputies have arrested a suspect accused of sending a politically motivated death threat to Del. Kim Taylor, R-Petersburg. Taylor’s campaign says she is safe and “remains focused on serving her constituents.” Full story: virginiamercury.com/briefs/dinwi...

🚨Va. GOP Sen. Bryce Reeves is running for U.S. Senate in 2026, challenging Democrat Mark Warner.  Reeves cites his Army + law enforcement background; Dems call him a “perennial candidate” tied to Trump. virginiamercury.com/2025/09/24/g...

Voters in Stafford have filed suit to remove Democrat Stacey Carroll from the ballot, alleging she doesn’t reside in House District 64. Carroll pushes back, calling the charges “false and insulting,” especially for military families who relocate. virginiamercury.com/2025/09/24/s...

Sen. Hashmi responds to former Sen. Joe Morrissey’s endorsement of her Republican opponent ⬇️

🚨Virginia twist: Former state Sen. Joe Morrissey, long a maverick Dem, is backing GOP LG nominee John Reid over Ghazala Hashmi. Morrissey says Hashmi is “strictly partisan” & touts Reid’s “common sense” — but he’s still with Spanberger & Jones on the ticket. virginiamercury.com/2025/09/23/m...

NEW: GOP-leaning House of Delegates districts are outpacing Democratic ones in Virginia’s first week of early voting. Of the 20 districts with the highest turnout, 11 are strongly or lean Republican, 5 strongly Democratic, 4 are competitive. #VALeg virginiamercury.com/2025/09/23/g...

🚨 Republicans rip Spanberger after she vows to repeal Youngkin’s immigration order. Youngkin calls it a “sanctuary state” move, Earle-Sears says Spanberger “puts criminals over Virginians.“ virginiamercury.com/2025/08/27/r...

NEW: Spanberger vows to rescind Gov. Youngkin’s Feb executive order that forces VA law enforcement to help carry out immigration crackdowns. She calls it a misuse of local resources and a threat to community trust #VAGov virginiamercury.com/2025/08/27/s...

Va.’s cannabis market is still in limbo: legal to possess, illegal to buy. A new bipartisan commission met for the 2nd time Wed., weighing taxation, equity & small biz rules ahead of a 2026 retail launch. Spanberger backs legalization — Youngkin vetoed it. virginiamercury.com/2025/08/21/j...

NEW: Spanberger’s lead shrinks: Roanoke poll shows her up 46–39% on Earle-Sears, with LG & AG races neck-and-neck. #VAGov virginiamercury.com/2025/08/19/n...

Dozens rallied outside Richmond City Hall Monday, denouncing recent ICE detentions in Virginia and urging the city to ban local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Advocates say most detainees had no criminal record. virginiamercury.com/2025/08/11/p...

Tired of voting every year? Virginia lawmakers are too. 🗳️ A new legislative panel is weighing a switch to even-year elections to boost turnout. #VALeg virginiamercury.com/2025/07/31/i...

NEW: @jennmcclellanva.bsky.social is challenging Gov. Youngkin’s claim that 2,500 immigrants detained in VA were “violent offenders.” “I don’t believe it,” she said after visiting Chesterfield court, where ICE raids continue. 
 virginiamercury.com/2025/07/29/i...

NEW: AG Miyares says 2,500 immigrants arrested by Va. task force may have violated immigration law — but offers no evidence they were violent criminals, as Youngkin claimed virginiamercury.com/2025/07/23/m...

New legal filings in federal lawsuit challenge Virginia’s ban on voting for people with felony convictions. ACLU and allies say the policy violates the 1870 Readmission Act — and could impact 300K+ Virginians. Trial set for Oct. 2025.  virginiamercury.com/2025/07/21/l...

📊 New VCU poll: Democrat Abigail Spanberger leads GOP Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears 49–37 in Va. 2025 governor’s race. Voters cite cost of living, reproductive rights & immigration as top concerns. Youngkin approval dips; Trump remains unpopular. #VAGov virginiamercury.com/2025/07/16/s...

NEW: Students, faculty & lawmakers are pushing back after the Trump administration launched a civil rights probe into GMU, accusing it of race-based hiring. Critics call it a political attack on one of the nation’s most diverse public universities. virginiamercury.com/2025/07/16/s...

NEW: After hitting his 25% red tape reduction goal early, Gov. Youngkin is turning to AI to push further. Virginia is launching the nation’s first generative AI pilot to streamline state regulations — scanning rules for contradictions, bloat & complexity. virginiamercury.com/2025/07/11/y...

🚨 Virginia could receive up to $16.4M from a new $720M opioid settlement with 8 drugmakers accused of flooding communities with addictive pills. Total VA opioid settlements now top $1.1B. virginiamercury.com/2025/07/10/v...

NEW: Virginia’s new cannabis commission had its first joint session today. 🌿💨 They’re rolling out a plan to revive legal weed retail by 2026 — if the next governor doesn’t snuff it out. #VALeg virginiamercury.com/2025/07/09/j...

With six months left in office, Gov. Youngkin says Virginia has already cut 25% of state regulatory requirements — slashing 89k rules and saving Virginians $1.2B a year. “We’re going for 35,” he said Tuesday at a sweltering Richmond warehouse. #VAGov virginiamercury.com/2025/07/08/y...

NEW: Gov. Youngkin doubles down on ICE courthouse raids in Virginia, saying undocumented immigrants “should be arrested” — even after traffic court sweeps detained people with no criminal record. “It’s common sense,” he tells me.  virginiamercury.com/2025/07/02/t...

🚨 For the first time, all 3 Virginia GOP statewide candidates appeared together at a Unity Rally in Vienna — Earle-Sears, Miyares & Reid — as Gov. Youngkin, who once urged Reid to drop out, now backs the full ticket. virginiamercury.com/2025/07/01/a...

NEW: Sen. Tim Kaine has filed amendments to blunt what he calls the GOP’s “Hurt People, Kill Jobs, and Spike the Debt to Reward the Rich Act.” He aims to protect Medicaid, SNAP, clean energy, and VA projects like Richmond’s water plant. virginiamercury.com/2025/06/30/k...

NEW: ICE arrests at a Chesterfield courthouse during routine check-ins spark outrage across Virginia. Advocates call it a desecration of “hallowed ground,” but Gov. Youngkin is defending the operation as lawful and necessary. virginiamercury.com/2025/06/27/h...

NEW: The Democratic Attorneys General Association just dropped $1 million into Jay Jones’ #VAAG campaign. The move is part of a coordinated national push to flip the Virginia attorney general’s office from Republican Jason Miyares. virginiamercury.com/2025/06/26/n...

Happening now: A small crowd has gathered at the Chesterfield County courthouse to protest yesterday’s deportations of immigrants by ICE

NEW: Starting July 1, Virginia will cut voter list prices by 90% — dropping statewide data from $6,000 to $600. The goal is to level the playing field for campaigns & boost election transparency ahead of the 2025 elections. virginiamercury.com/2025/06/24/v...

In his reelection bid, VA AG Jason Miyares doubles down on a tough-on-crime, law‑and‑order message — backing Trump’s use of Marines in LA, touting sharp drops in violent crime and opioid deaths, and highlighting record settlements. My interview ⬇️ virginiamercury.com/2025/06/13/m...

NEW: Va. AG Jason Miyares breaks ranks with Trump over the pardon of ex‑Culpeper Sheriff Scott Jenkins — convicted in a “cash‑for‑badges” bribery scheme. “Given what I know, I would not have pardoned him,” Miyares tells me. virginiamercury.com/2025/06/11/m...

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears faces growing scrutiny over her conservative record on abortion and LGBTQ+ rights — a contrast to the path Glenn Youngkin took in 2021, @NBCNews reports www.nbcnews.com/politics/ele...

NEW: Gov. Youngkin has set a special election for Sept. 9 to fill the seat of the late Rep. Gerry Connolly. Candidates have until July 11 to file. So far, at least four Democrats have signaled their intent to run in the deep-blue #VA11. virginiamercury.com/2025/06/03/y...

NEW: A WWII-era boiler at a Virginia paper mill in Covington is behind more climate pollution than any other in the U.S., a new report finds. But most of it isn’t counted due to an EPA loophole that excludes wood-burning emissions. virginiamercury.com/2025/06/03/d...

NEW: Richmond’s first water test clears after citywide boil advisory, but tap water remains off-limits in affected neighborhoods until a second round confirms safety. Officials mum on maintenance delays that may have triggered the latest crisis. #RVA virginiamercury.com/2025/05/29/b...

Consumer confidence in Virginia just hit its second-lowest point on record, per new Roanoke College poll. Despite rising wages, anxiety over tariffs and the economy is dragging sentiment down fast. virginiamercury.com/2025/05/28/c...

NEW: Richmond issues new boil water advisory just months after January’s massive water crisis. A treatment plant issue Tuesday caused pressure drops across major neighborhoods. Officials urge residents to conserve water and boil before using. #RVA virginiamercury.com/2025/05/27/n...

NEW: Virginia GOP drama continues: John Curran is back — launching a write-in campaign for lieutenant governor after claiming a staffer stole his signatures. RPV Chair Mark Peake: “He is 100% not a Republican candidate.” virginiamercury.com/2025/05/12/j...

NEW: The ACLU is asking a federal judge in Virginia to block enforcement of Trump-era executive orders they say are fueling classroom censorship in military-run schools. The motion cites banned books, canceled events & First Amendment violations. virginiamercury.com/2025/05/09/a...

NEW: Laura Hughes has been ousted as Virginia Beach GOP chair in a late-night 11-4 vote by #VA2 leaders. She calls it a “political hit job,” but party leaders say it was “performance-based” amid missing records & precinct chaos. virginiamercury.com/2025/05/08/v...

NEW: Va. Democrats just hit a milestone: For the first time in recent memory, they’re running candidates in all 100 House districts — including red territory like the Eastern Shore. Chef Rocco DeBellis is one of them, challenging Del. Rob Bloxom in HD-100. virginiamercury.com/2025/05/07/d...