Tag: democratic party

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Get Tickets for the May 22 Lasagna Dinner!

46th Annual Hunter Mill Democrats Lasagna Dinner

Join us for our 46th Annual Hunter Mill District Democrats Lasagna Dinner on May 22. We are coming back from the hiatus due to the pandemic and we will be making sure to take some extra precautions as we come back to an in-person event. Our Hunter Mill District Democratic Committee is our signature event of the year and a very important fundraiser to help support our Democratic candidates. Our format will follow previous years with a reception and a dinner program. The Lasagna Dinner is an excellent opportunity to invite local democrats who might not be familiar with our committee and interact with our elected officials in a casual setting. As always, we will be awarding two awards during the ceremony: the Ed Herlihy Activist Award and the Martha Pennino Community Service Award. These awards denote exceptional service both within the Democratic Party and throughout our Hunter Mill District community. 

Buy your tickets today! Ticket prices will increase on May 11. It is crucial that we have the resources to support our candidates and voter outreach into the community. This work is especially important following the devastating losses in 2021.  Our committee will support Democratic candidates like Congressman Gerry Connolly and prepare for the important 2023 election year too. The Hunter Mill Democrats Lasagna Dinner is a volunteer lead operation and we are still looking for some volunteers. If you are interested in lending your talents or donating some food, you can sign up here. We will be adding some updates about the Lasagna Dinner over the next weeks so be on the lookout and we hope you are able to join us.

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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.

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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.
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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%
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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!

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#Fighting4Fairfax This Week and Beyond

Fighting for Fairfax, the coordinated campaign for Fairfax County, keeps a running list of upcoming volunteer events at https://www.mobilize.us/fairfaxdems, but take special note of upcoming events here in the Hunter Mill District of Fairfax County. The Hunter Mill office is located at 2942 Hunter Mill Rd, Oakton, VA.

Be sure to check back often for new additions to the list. Contact Henry Pratt at henry@fairfaxdemocrats.org or (703) 705-2039 with any questions:

  • September 19, Coordinated Day of Action In Reston, Fox Mill Shopping Center Starbucks, 2523 John Milton Dr., Herndon, VA 20171, 4:30 to 7:30pm
    • Join us September 19th as friends and neighbors gather to knock doors and talk to voters in Reston.

Save The Date for this list of future Hunter Mill #Fighting4Fairfax events:

  • Saturday 9/28, Canvass
  • Sunday 9/29, Canvass
  • Tuesday 10/8, Phone Bank
  • Wednesday 10/9, Canvass
  • Saturday 10/19, Canvass
  • Sunday 10/20, Canvass
  • Tuesday 10/29, Phone Bank
  • Wednesday 10/30, Canvass
  • Friday 11/1, Get Out the Vote!
  • Saturday 11/2, Get Out the Vote!
  • Sunday 11/3, Get Out the Vote!
  • Monday 11/4, Get Out the Vote!
  • Tuesday 11/5 (election day), Get Out the Vote!
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Join Us on Sunday in Fighting for Fairfax!

Please join us this Sunday, September 8th at 2435 Flint Hill Road in Vienna for our first canvassing shifts as part of Fighting for Fairfax, starting at 11am and/or 1pm. We will be door-knocking for School Board endorsee Melanie Meren, Hunter Mill Supervisor nominee Walter Alcorn, as well as our at-large candidates and state representatives. We cannot win in November without you! Click here to register with us to door-knock on Sunday and be part of the 2019 Blue Wave!

Click here for our Facebook event.

The Coordinated Campaign will be hosting campaign events four times a month in Hunter Mill. We hope to see you this Sunday for the first Fighting for Fairfax canvass event in Hunter Mill!

About Fighting For Fairfax :

This week, the Fairfax County Democratic Committee officially launched the Fighting for Fairfax Coordinated Campaign. The Coordinated Campaign’s mission is to pool voter outreach efforts and volunteers from campaigns across all magisterial districts, which will help us elect Democrats up and down the ballot in Fairfax County. Click here to read more about the Fighting For Fairfax Coordinated Campaign.

Fighting for Fairfax is a field operation; Jeremy Cullimore, an experienced campaign manager, will lead Fighting for Fairfax. Volunteers will target Democratic voters countywide to get out the vote.

Major elements of this campaign include:
-Campaign Director and three regional Field Organizers.
-Three full-time shared campaign offices:

  • South County
  • Fairfax Station
  • Oakton

–Regularly scheduled phone banks and canvassing shifts.
-Unified literature to support all local Democratic candidates.
-Information and data sharing to maximize efficiency.

Fighting for Fairfax is directed by a Task Force of FCDC leaders to provide logistical, operational, and political support.

About the FCDC Joint Campaign
The FCDC Joint Campaign is a mailing and literature program; the campaign consists of mail and literature distributed to hundreds of thousands of voters in the County, as follows:

1. Back to School Night literature distributed by hundreds of volunteers to inform parents about the upcoming elections and remind them that Democrats are the only party that cares about public education.
2. Young Voter Outreach mailing, already underway, encourages college-age voters to request an absentee ballot.
3. Voter Guide mailed out to thousands of voters, in 76 different versions, explaining which candidates will be on their ballots in November.
4. Absentee Chase program to inform voters of their candidates as soon as they request an absentee ballot, along with tips to make sure their vote is counted
5. Sample Ballots in multiple languages to blanket our 243 precincts and ensure that voters know which candidates are the Democrats.

The team to support the Joint Campaign includes the FCDC Vice Chairs, as well as longtime absentee ballot program leaders Rick & Burma Bochner and their team of 30 volunteers working five days a week at FCDC Headquarters.

To read the full press release click here.

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Washington Post Urges Voting Democrat in 2019 as the Way to Send a Message on Guns

The Washington Post Editorial Board this weekend acknowledged what we already know: the only way to fight gun violence in Virginia is to vote for Democrats. The editorial lays out the stark difference between Virginia voters’ views on guns and their representation in Richmond. The article uses Del. Tim Hugo as the primary example among Republicans scrambling to hide their allegiance to the gun lobby over the strong views of their constituents. The whole country can see that Virginia is better than its gun laws, and it’s high time our legislature started reflecting the views of Virginians on this issue.

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A trio of stars puts sparkle in Hunter Mill’s lasagna dinner – and enthusiasm for a win in November

By Brad Swanson:

A trio of rising Democratic stars in the state legislature fired up the audience at the Hunter Mill District Democratic Committee’s 44th annual lasagna dinner fundraiser Saturday night with a consistent message– it’s time to take back the majority in both the House and Senate.

Hala Ayala (D- 51, left), Kathy Tran (D-42, center) and Jennifer Foy (D-2, right) each delivered short but punchy presentations at the Reston Community Center exhorting diners to seize the moment to replace long-standing, but now slim, majorities in both chambers of the state assembly in state-wide elections on Nov. 5.

“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for,” said Del. Foy. “Now is the time we can play offense rather than defense.”

Del. Tran recounted some major accomplishments, spearheaded by Democrats, in the 2019 legislative session, such as Medicaid expansion. She also noted some disappointments, progressive legislation torpedoed by Republicans, but said that “all eyes are going to be on Virginia this November,” and that “we’re going to continue to fight for our values” in the effort to flip the legislature.

Del. Ayala used her own example to send a note of inspiration, having overcome financial hardship, family health issues, and rank bigotry in a successful bid to enter the state legislature.

The three speakers, all relatively young women of color, portrayed a diverse and energetic Democratic party ready to take center stage in a state turning increasingly blue.

The other major event of the evening was a tribute to Cathy Hudgins (right), who is retiring after two decades as Hunter Mill District’s representative on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Sup. Hudgins was recognized as an effective voice for social progress and justice by former colleagues including, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D- 11), a former Supervisory Board chair, who is traveling and contributed a congratulatory video.

Read the rest at The Blue View

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Parker Messick: Development in Hunter Mill is excessive

Blue View Editor’s Note: We invite all Democrats running for office in northern Virginia to submit an individual statement, maximum 500 words. This one comes from Parker Messick,  a candidate for Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Hunter Mill District. The primary election for this race will take place on June 11th.

By Parker Messick

The Hunter Mill district is a dynamic community that is home to many.

We are strengthened by the diverse cultures and ideologies that our great citizens bring to the district. Regardless of wealth or status, this community has been a beautiful place to live and work. However, over the last several years the Hunter Mill district has undergone an excessive amount of development. The increased burden on our local businesses, roads, environment, and schools goes against the intended purposes of development in our community. This burden of excessive development has been especially felt by long term residents of the district.

As a near lifelong resident of this community, I have witnessed the place I call home slowly transform into a community that only benefits a select few. The addition of expensive, high-rise apartments and buildings has made it extremely difficult for the Hunter Mill district to be a home to many. Increased development is not acceptable when it prohibits members of the district from enjoying what the community has to offer.

The paid parking at the Reston Town Center is a prime example of this prohibitive behavior. Restonians should not have to pay for parking at the Town Center. The simple act of paid parking discourages many citizens from socializing and shopping at Town Center, removing a source of community engagement and hurting local businesses in the process. The congestion present on local roadways has also impacted the citizens’ abilities to commute in a timely manner and practice safe driving practices. Our roads need to be upgraded and expanded for shortened commutes and safer travels.

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