Remembering January 6

January 6, 2021 is a day that is burned in the memory of every democracy-loving American. The images of that day are burned into our memories, and we will never forget that even after a violent mob sought to overthrow the Constitutional order, most Republicans came back into the chamber and voted against certifying the legitimate results of a free and fair election.

Before the 2021 election here in Virginia, Republicans were already setting the stage to claim fraud if they lost. When they won, not a single one of them raised questions about “election integrity” or “voter fraud.” In the meantime, Republicans in Fairfax County are trying to recall every Democratic elected official they can using campaigns of lies and deception. It is clear that allegations of voter fraud have never been in good faith, but are part of a war on democracy, the end goal of which is the complete de-legitimization of Democratic voters. Some have even written that “voter fraud” effectively just means “Democrats voting.”

If the promise of the United States of America means anything, it means the right to vote. We cannot forget that the Republican Party is now actively against democracy unless they are winning, and party leaders will call their supporters to violence to overturn elections they lose. That means it is left to us, the aptly named Democratic party, to promote democracy and the right to vote.

As we remember the horrible events of this day last year, we must recommit ourselves to the activism that led us to expand voting rights here in Virginia, and do everything in our power to preserve those hard-fought gains.

Check out FCDC Chair Bryan Graham’s statement on January 6 for more reflections on remembering this day.

Early Voting Has Begun!

You can help Democrats get out the vote by voting early and removing your door from the ones volunteers must knock before election day.

Where and When to Vote:

North County Governmental Center, 1801 Cameron Glen Dr, Reston

From now – October 30th
Monday – Friday: 12:00pm – 7:00pm
Saturdays, October 23rd and October 30th: 9:00am-5:00pm
Sunday, October 24th: 1:00pm – 5:00pm

Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax

From now – October 30th
Monday – Friday: 8:00am – 4:30pm
Saturdays, October 23rd and October 30th: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday, October 24th: 1:00pm – 5:00pm

The Coordinated Campaign needs help NOW to get out the Democratic vote by knocking doors and calling voters.

To sign up to canvass, use one of these links:
Reston / Herndon: https://www.mobilize.us/virginiaturnoutproject/event/410404/
Reston: https://www.mobilize.us/virginiaturnoutproject/event/409498/
Vienna: https://www.mobilize.us/virginiaturnoutproject/event/410428/

Join the DPVA Northern Virginia phone bank by using this link: https://www.mobilize.us/virginiaturnoutproject/event/403445/

Hunter Mill Democrats need help to staff the Democratic visibility tables at the North County Governmental Center Early Voting site and at the polls on Election Day. If interested, please contact hmdprecinctoperations@gmail.com

Candidate Petition Signing Event!

DATE: Saturday, January 30

TIME: ​​Noon – 2:00pm

LOCATION:​ North County Health Services parking lot
1850 Cameron Glen, Reston,
Across from the North County Governmental Center (police station)

The Hunter Mill District Democratic Committee (HMDDC) recognizes the difficulty Democratic campaigns may be having collecting petition signatures in the pandemic environment.  We want to help.

On Saturday, January 30, HMDDC will be staging a multi-campaign, drive-up event to facilitate signature gathering. All statewide campaigns have been invited to participate. House campaigns for announced candidates serving the Hunter Mill District have also been invited to participate. Confirmed campaigns include:

Governor 

  • Justin Fairfax
  • Jennifer Carroll Foy
  • Terry McAuliffe
  • Jennifer McClellan

Lieutenant Governor

  • ​​Hala Ayala
  • Elizabeth Guzman
  • Mark H. Levine
  • Andria McClellan
  • Sean Perryman
  • Sam Rasoul
  • Xavier Warren

Attorney General

  • Mark Herring
  • Jay Jones

House of Delegates

  • ​​Jennifer Adeli
  • Ibraheem Samirah

We are very aware of pandemic restrictions on outdoor gatherings. Therefore, we are going to set up three areas well-spaced apart where campaigns can be staged to collect signatures from people arriving in their vehicles.

Participants must arrive by car, must stay in their car, and are required to be masked. No walk-ups.

Participants wishing to sign a petition for a House of Delegates candidate must live in that District. You should know in which House District you reside, or at least the candidate’s name.

Participants wishing to sign a petition for a statewide candidate do not have to live the Hunter Mill District. To expedite the process, you should know in which Congressional District you reside.

Participants can sign petitions for more than one candidate in a race!

No registration is required.

Hunter Mill 2021 Virtual Straw Poll Results

On January 7, 2021, the Hunter Mill District Democratic Committee held the first-in-the-Commonwealth straw poll for statewide candidates.

HMDDC had three primary goals for this event: 1) raise money for the committee, 2) present statewide candidates to HMDDC members and volunteers, and 3) get an early look at how the candidates lined up against each other. By most accounts, we achieved all three goals.

The event was open to all, and the individual campaigns were encouraged to bring supporters to participate. Participation did require pre-registration and the purchase of a “ticket.” Over 250 tickets were sold, which exceeded the Committee’s expectations, as did the total amount raised ($6,100+), which included contributions in excess of the ticket price.

It is important to note that this straw poll was not a scientific poll of the candidates’ support across the Commonwealth. Roughly 60% of the ticket purchasers were from Northern Virginia. Fewer than 20% of purchasers were HMDDC members. Participants skewed heavy to the campaigns that recruited them to attend. And voting was done using the Zoom Webinar polling feature which may not be as secure as in-person paper ballots.

In the end, attendees came away excited at the prospects for 2021 in Virginia. Democrats have a strong field of competitive candidates in every statewide race.

Below are the results.

Governor

Three of the announced gubernatorial candidates spoke to attendees. Justin Fairfax and Terry McAuliffe did not attend.

  • Jennifer Caroll Foy: 36%
  • Jennifer McClellan: 36%
  • Lee Carter: 14%
  • Terry McAuliffe: 11%
  • Justin Fairfax: 2%
  • None of the above/No preference: 2%
Lieutenant Governor

Only one of the announced Lt. Governor candidates (Paul Goldman) did not attend the event. Due to technical and timing issues, Elizabeth Guzman did not have the chance to speak until after the poll had been conducted. In an effort to achieve a more equitable result, another poll was taken after Del. Guzman spoke. In the interest of transparency, the results of both polls are shown below. While the need for two polls came about by accident, seeing both numbers may provide some interesting insight. Notably, both polls reflected consistent number 1, 2, and 3, rankings.

First Poll (Before Del. Guzman spoke)

  • Sam Rasoul: 46%
  • Sean Perryman: 24%
  • Elizabeth Guzman: 8%
  • Mark Levine: 7%
  • Hala Ayala: 5%
  • Andria McClellan: 5%
  • Xavier Warren: 3%
  • None of the above/No preference: 2%
  • Paul Goldman: 0%

Second Poll (After Del. Guzman spoke)

  • Sam Rasoul: 45%
  • Sean Perryman: 22%
  • Elizabeth Guzman: 17%
  • Hala Ayala: 6%
  • Andria McClellan: 4%
  • Mark Levine: 3%
  • None of the above/No preference: 1%
  • Xavier Warren: 0%
  • Paul Goldman: 0%
Attorney General

Both announced Attorney General candidates spoke to attendees.

  • Mark Herring: 64%
  • Jay Jones: 30%
  • None of the above/No preference: 6%

Virtual Straw Poll Fundraiser—Statewide Candidates

StrawPollLogo

January 7, 2021 – 7:00 pm

Come Show Support for Your Preferred Candidates!

Please join the Hunter Mill District Democrats for their Virtual Straw Poll Fundraiser on the evening of Thursday, January 7, 2021. All current or expected candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General have been invited to participate. This event will be an excellent opportunity for these candidates to get a sense of their early support in NoVa.

Each candidate will be given an opportunity to make a statement regarding their candidacy. Because of our limited time and the number of candidates, there will be no Q&A. Once all candidates for a particular race have concluded their remarks, participants will be asked to vote virtually for their preferred candidate in that race.

This event is a low-dollar fundraiser. You will need to register in advance, and a non-transferable link will be sent to participants approximately 24 hours prior to the event.

REGISTER HERE

Biden Wins the Presidency!

Congratulations to all Americans on Joe Biden’s victory! We also managed to send our Democratic representatives and Senator back to Washington. Under some of the most difficult circumstances in the history of American elections, you all volunteered and worked tirelessly to turn out and inform voters in record numbers. This victory belongs to every American, but in particular to every Democrat who has put their time and energy into building a blue wave that has sustained over years. We have put so much on the line, even risking our very lives in the face of a global pandemic to fight for what we believe in.

Take some time to relish this incredible victory. Take some time to savor the possibilities for repairing our damaged democracy over the next four years. And rest up so that next year you are ready to fight to keep Virginia’s legislature and statewide offices in Democratic hands.

Here’s to you, Hunter Mill Democrats!

Vienna Local Elections [UPDATED]

The Town of Vienna elections currently scheduled for May 5 may be postponed. Governor Northam announced on April 8, 2020 his recommendation to postpone, among other things, the Town of Vienna elections, and proposed November 3 as the new date. The General Assembly must vote on this plan before the elections are officially postponed. We will endeavor to keep Hunter Mill Democrats updated about this process as it changes.

The election will be to elect a new mayor and three members of the Vienna Town Council. Two Hunter Mill Democrats are running: Howard Springsteen for mayor and Roy Baldwin for councilman.

The Virginia Department of Elections encourages voters to protect their health during the COVID-19 outbreak. Voting absentee by mail in the Vienna Town Elections is strongly encouraged. Voters may choose reason “2A My disability or illness” for Absentee voting.

Important Dates [the below dates pertain to the May 5 elections and are subject to change depending on whether and to what date the elections are postponed]:

  • April 13: Voter Registration Deadline (In Person/By Mail) 5:00 p.m.; online: 11:59 p.m.
  • April 28: Deadline to apply to receive an Absentee Ballot by mail, fax and online: 5:00 p.m.
  • May 2: Deadline for In Person Absentee Voting, 5:00 p.m.
  • May 5: Absentee Ballot return deadline, 7:00 p.m.

Fairfax County Board of Election Info: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/absentee

Vienna Election Info: https://www.viennava.gov/index.aspx?NID=851

Watch Candidate Forums:

The Northeast Vienna Citizen’s Association and Vienna Business Council recently held a 2020 Mayoral and Council Candidate Forum was hosted by NEVCA and VBA. The forums may be viewed on the Town of Vienna’s YouTube channel:

The forums will be broadcast over the air :

  • On TVCN (Cox 27, Verizon 38) at:
    • 10am Mondays
    • 7pm Wednesdays
    • 2PM Saturdays

Hunter Mill Democrats Endorse Melanie Meren for School Board

On Wednesday, May 8, Hunter Mill Democrats gathered at Lake Anne Elementary School and voted to endorse a candidate for the Hunter Mill District seat on the Fairfax County School Board. After the votes were cast and tallied, Hunter Mill Democrats voted to endorse Melanie Meren. The Fairfax County Democratic Committee is expected to ratify the Hunter Mill Democrats’ endorsement as well as other districts’ school board endorsements through a vote on Tuesday, May 21at at Lake Braddock Secondary School. Meren will appear on the November 5, 2019 General Election ballot in Hunter Mill District. Thank you to Andy Sigle for running in this race, and thank you to outgoing School Board Member Pat Hynes for your many years of service to Hunter Mill, and to our students and teachers across Fairfax County!

Get Involved and Help Democrats Keep HD86

Our hard work has continued to pay off, as we succeeded in electing Jennifer Boysko to the Virginia Senate in January 2019. This means that Senator Boysko’s former seat in the House of Delegates, District 86 (or HD86, for short), must be filled, and the special election to fill that seat will take place on February 19, 2019. The Democratic candidate for this seat is Ibraheem Samirah, a local dentist. More info on his biography is available here: https://samirah4delegate.com/biography/

The election will be open to registered voters who live in the Hunter Mill Precincts of: Floris, Fox Mill, and Stuart

Polls will be open from 6am-7pm on February 19, 2019. If you live in Floris, Fox Mill, or Stuart precincts, you will vote at your usual polling location on that day.

A delay affecting In-Person Absentee (Early) Voting for the HD86 Feb 19th Special Election has been resolved, and voting is now open as of January 30, 2019.  Please check the VA Board of Elections website (https://www.elections.virginia.gov) or call 703-222-0776 for further information on in-person absentee (early) voting in this special election.

  • Location: Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax, VA 22035
    • Dates/Times: Monday 1/28/19–Friday 02/15/19 from 8am–4:30pm; Thursday hours are extended to 7pm. Saturday 2/16/19 hours are from 9am–5pm
  • Location: Herndon Fortnightly Library, 786 Center Street, Herndon VA 20170
    • Date/Time: ONLY on Saturday 2/16/19, 9am–5pm

Volunteer for Ibraheem Samirah for State Delegate

Once again, most voters do not expect elections in mid-February, so volunteering to make voters aware of an upcoming election will be critical to success. Everyone is strongly encouraged to knock doors, make calls, or write postcards to let voters know about this election:

Sign up for canvassing and phone banking shifts here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKpTnOWkzjrr930CiJlcGPgBnYGRVSvD_1zRJHn17XDpHw4A/viewform

Remote Phone Banking is also available.

For more information on canvassing and phone banking, contact: Austin Hall, Field Organizer austin@samirah4virginia.com / 703-200-0395

Post Card Writing for Ibraheem Samirah will take place at the following dates and times, and these are listed on HMDDC’s calendar:

  • Wednesday, 01/30 & 02/06 at Herndon Panera, 460 Elden St from 3:00pm-5:00pm
  • Thursday, 01/31 & 02/07 at Herndon Panera, 460 Elden St from 6:30pm-8:00pm
  • Friday, 02/01 & 02/08 at Fox Mill Starbucks, 2523 John Milton Dr, Herndon from 10am-12noon

To Learn more about Ibraheem Samirah’s campaign for House District 86, visit: https://samirah4delegate.com/

For more information how how you can help in Hunter Mill, or if you have any questions, please contact HMDDC Vice Chair for Precinct Operations, Joanne Collins at collinsjoanne@yahoo.com / 585-703-1121.

Next Hunter Mill Democrats Meeting, Wednesday October 10, 2018

The October meeting of the Hunter Mill Democrats will take place on Wednesday, October 10 at 7:30pm at Louise Archer Elementary School, 324 Nutley St. NW, Vienna, VA 22180. This will be the last Hunter Mill meeting before election day, so come and learn what you can do to help build the Blue Wave!

All are welcome to arrive at 7pm to meet one another and members of the executive board before the meeting begins at 7:30pm.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, October 10!