Leading in Monmouth poll, Jennifer Wexton has plenty to smile about. (Photo by Karen Kirk)
Jennifer Wexton is leading U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock among all potential voters by 10 points, 49 to 39, with 12 percent undecided or supporting someone else in Virginia’s CD-10 race, according to a Monmouth University poll released Tuesday, June 26.
Half of the voters in CD-10 identify themselves as independents, and Virginia Democratic State Sen. Wexton leads among this group by 45% to 36%. She also has stronger support among her fellow Democrats (97% to 1% for Comstock) than Comstock has among her fellow Republicans (85% to 10% for Wexton).
Comstock’s prospects appear to be hampered by voters’ negative views of President Trump – 53% disapprove of the job he has done compared to 42% who approve in the latest Monmouth poll.
Voters also express a preference to have Democrats (42%) rather than Republicans (34%) control of Congress.
Wexton is leading among white college graduates by 50% to 41%. She also leads among black, Hispanic, and Asian voters regardless of education level by 62% to 21%.
Jennifer Wexton says it’s time for Democrats to take back the House. (Photo by Karen Kirk)
By Karen Kirk:
“With Donald Trump in the White House, Scott Pruitt heading the EPA, Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education and Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, I am very concerned about how much damage is going to be done to our country in the next couple of years and the only way we’re going to stop it is to take back the House,” said Jennifer Wexton at a breakfast Monday sponsored by Dulles Area Democrats.
And there’s a good chance that Virginia State Sen. Wexton, the Democratic candidate will defeat U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock in CD-10 this November.
According to a Monmouth University poll released Tuesday, Wexton is leading Comstock by 10 points — 49 to 39, with 12 percent undecided or supporting someone else — even though most voters said they had no opinion of Wexton. Comstock’s prospects are weighted down by voters’ negative views of President Trump – 53% disapprove of the job he has done compared to 42% who approve in the latest poll.
Wexton drew stark contrasts with her opponent on the issues.
“I have been fighting down in Richmond for gun violence prevention legislation for years,” said Wexton. “I never received a dime from the NRA nor will I. I have received failing grades from them every time. Barbara Comstock has an A rating from the NRA. Despite her relatively short tenure in Congress, she is one of the top recipients of funding from them.”
“She is terrible on the environment. She has a zero from the League of conservation voters, and I have 100%,” Wexton said. “On women’s health, the same thing. She is zero, she’s voted to defund Planned Parenthood. I am a NARAL champion and have been supported by them and have fought in Richmond to eliminate unconstitutional restrictions on a woman’s right to safe, legal abortion.”
“So there are great contrasts here and the stakes are pretty high and I need your help because she is not going to be an easy person to beat, said Wexton, who beat five other Democratic candidates by a wide margin in the Democratic Primary June 10.
Wexton answered questions from the audience at the Amphora Diner in Herndon about her chances of winning in November. She said the day she announced her candidacy, the Cook Report moved its rating for the CD-10 race from lean Republican to a toss-up, citing her entry in the race as their reason.
The Virginia CD-10 primary candidates gathered today in Sterling, Va., to pledge their support for Tuesday’s primary winner, state senator Jennifer Wexton (D-33).
The CD10 Unity event fulfilled a pledge all candidates had taken to support whoever won the primary. Moderator Zach Pruckowski, Chair of the 10th Congressional District Democratic Committee, declared all the candidates winners for living up to their promise and joining the event.
Tomorrow, June 6, four outstanding panelists from Fairfax for All will discuss the current situation and their past and current efforts to keep the county from assisting ICE in deportations. It is not over with the end of the jail detention agreement. The event will be a report from the Fairfax for All Coalition of 10 immigration groups that have been working with the county. The panelists will discuss what Democrats should know and what we should do.
When: Wednesday June 6, 7 – 9 PM
Where: Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) Headquarters
Sponsored by the State and Local Committee of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee
You may have heard that yesterday the Virginia legislature approved a budget that includes an expansion of Medicaid, making it the 33rd state in the country (including the District of Columbia) to do so since passage of the Affordable Care Act.
It is hard to overstate the impact of this victory. In Fairfax County alone, 15,000 families will be eligible for health coverage. At least 27,000 individuals could receive health care. Throughout Virginia, over 400,000 people are eligible for coverage.
Immigration has helped Virginia rise from poverty to affluence, notes Sen. Tim Kaine.
Kaine does the numbers: In 1968, only 1% of Virginians were immigrants and the state ranked 38th in income per person. Today, immigrants make up 11% and we have shot up to become the 12th richest state in terms of per capita income.
Although correlation is not necessarily causation, Kaine believes that “people from other nations have found Virginia to be a place where they can come and find opportunity” and that this “has been such a huge part of our success.”
Kaine was speaking at a press conference for Asian and Latino news outlets on May 21 at the Fairfax County Democratic Committee headquarters.
On April 28, as a part of the Hunter Mill Democrats’ Outreach efforts, Phil Haber and Shyamali Hauth worked at the Vienna First Baptist Church’s Rise Against Hunger event.
Phil put in more than four hours and Shyamali was there for more than three hours. In that time, they helped pack 33,000 meals.
Pastor Walton presented Rise Against Hunger with a check for $14,532.48 from the church.
If you’re interested in getting involved with Hunter Mill’s Outreach efforts, please contact Shyamali Hauth, HMDDC Vice hair for Outreach.
Editor’s Note: Another in our periodic surveys of local grassroots organizations, compiled by Holly Hazard. This time: Herndon-Reston Indivisible.
Herndon-Reston Indivisible’s mission is to fuel a progressive network to resist the Trump agenda while electing Democrats who support our values of transparency, inclusion, tolerance & fairness. HRI is led by a steering committee: Heidi Zollo, Carrie Bruns, Anne Alston, and Joanne Collins.
Q: Other than the 2016 election results and/or the Women’s March, what was the spark that moved you to create your organization and what has kept you engaged?
A: Heidi: Fear of living in a country governed by Trump’s values and policies. I believed that citizens had to do something to respond to Trump et al., in some way. I had an idea that Herndon and Reston election volunteers could join forces to respond against Trump and Republicans. We would organize by issues, but could respond as a group if a larger voice was needed. I pitched my idea to Carrie, and, after some brainstorming, we agreed to call ourselves Herndon-Reston Indivisible.
A: Joanne: Early on HRI began breakout Issue groups where participants took on leadership roles. Issue groups which have coalesced include: Election, Immigration, Defending American Institutions, Science & Environment, Education, Gun Violence Prevention, Economy, Healthcare, Federal Government, & Voting Rights. These groups have their own meetings monthly outside of the general meeting held each month. Each group participates in resistance activities and groups collaborate on initiatives and the whole of HRI comes together to participate in marches, letter writing, postcards, voter registrations, canvassing, phone banking, lobbying, and meeting with representatives. The HRI Issue groups partner with other local groups working on the same initiative to enhance their effectiveness. Our strongest groups are led by activists who care deeply about their issue.
Tax reform is not a zero-sum game. Since Ronald Reagan lowered taxes in the 1980s, followed by George W. Bush in the early 2000s and Donald Trump last year, middle class income has stagnated despite productivity increases, and overall economic growth has been mediocre. Instead of lose-lose, we can have win-win, bolstering both fairness and economic growth through sensible tax reform and wise investment of added revenues.
Fairness in taxation means finding the right balance between the taxpayer’s ability to pay and the benefits from government use of tax dollars. As I showed in a previous article government investment in education, research, and infrastructure could hugely benefit economic growth and good jobs.
The rich are not paying their fair share today. The chart accompanying this article the Economic Policy Institute shows the growing gap between median family incomes and the value of goods and services that a worker creates. Since 1980, the additional value added by each worker has gone more and more to bosses, not employees
Eliminating the Republican-passed tax breaks for the wealthy, and publicly investing the revenues would create better paying jobs, and help close this gap.
Democratic elected officials took turns praising Virginia’s role in turning the tide after the disastrous 2016 election and urging continued attacks on Republican majorities in the mid-term elections in November. The politicians were speaking at Sunday night’s Jefferson Obama Dinner, the main fundraising event of the year for Fairfax County Democratic Committee.
“We wake up tomorrow in the America that we make,” keynote speaker Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) told the sold-out audience in the ballroom of the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner. Moulton, a charismatic Marine veteran thought by many to be eyeing a presidential run in 2020, urged the creation of a 21st century infrastructure for America featuring universal broadband internet access, high speed rail communications and widely available technical training to prepare the workforce of tomorrow.
Moulton noted that Donald Trump’s election to the presidency in 2016 marked the worst electoral position for Democrats nationwide in a century, but Virginia’s statewide elections one year later — featuring a sweep for Democratic candidates from Gov. Ralph Northam on down to a near-capture of the House of Delegates – signaled a new offensive for Democrats.
Moulton’s theme was echoed by other state and local Democratic leaders including Sen. Tim Kaine, Reps. Gerry Connolly and Don Beyer, and Va. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax.
