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

Please vote in the June 11 primary; important seats are at stake!

This year’s primary is special!

Every 4 years, all 10 seats on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors are up for election – one Chairman at-large, and one for each of 9 county magisterial districts. There are no term limits.

This year, half the current Supervisors are retiring after years of service. These seats are seeing competitive primaries for the first time in decades! It’s an unprecedented turn over!

These 10 elected officials on the Board of Supervisors annually set homeowner property tax rates in Fairfax County. They establish the annual budget that allocates our property taxes to fund county-administered services – in the upcoming FY 2020 it is a $4.4 Billion budget of YOUR tax dollars – to fund public schools, police and fire services, health & human services, libraries, parks & recreation, transit, environmental sustainability, affordable housing, and much more. The Board also approves land use & development policies & plans – and more!

Linked here is a fantastic flier about the candidates and when/how to vote, from the Fairfax Democratic Committee.

You can also view links to candidates’ websites here:
https://fairfaxdemocrats.org/2019/04/23/2019-democratic-primary-information-for-voters/

Quickly, though, the competitive seats are:

  1. Board of Supervisors Chairman (4 candidates);
  2. Hunter Mill District Supervisor (5 candidates);
  3. Commonwealth’s Attorney (2 candidates);
  4. Precincts with a Senate Primary in Hunter Mill:
    1. 240 Colvin: Barbara Favola vs Nicole Merlene for SD31;
    2. 235 Frying Pan and 237 McNair: Jennifer Boysko vs Sharafat Hussain for SD33.

Please share with your friends and make your voting plans! Polls are open from 6am-7pm on June 11—check your voting location here. And, there are early absentee voting options before then. So no excuses!

Every vote really matters!

#GOTV #BlueWaveStartsLocally #LocalBlueWave #BlueWaveFairfax

Hunter Mill Unity Event June 12, June Meeting Postponed to June 19

The Hunter Mill Democrats’ monthly meeting, normally scheduled for Wednesday, June 12, is being postponed to the following Wednesday, June 19 in the cafeteria at Lake Anne Elementary School at 7:30pm. We will be meeting to approve new members and discuss candidate donations. Your participation is important as we decide as a committee how to begin disbursing the funds we have been raising since last year. Hunter Mill has a proud tradition of supporting Democratic candidates, so please plan to attend to make your voice heard!

On June 12 at the North County Governmental Center, Hunter Mill Democrats will instead have a Unity event  with our 2019 candidates, prevailing candidates, nominees and elected officials from 7:30 -9:00 PM. This event will bring us back to our shared Democratic cause as we work towards a blue victory in November. Be sure to join us for this celebration and let’s get to work to elect Democrats!

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

April 29 Hunter Mill District Supervisor Democratic Candidate Forum

Join the Hunter Mill District Democrats for their Hunter Mill District Democratic Committee Candidate Forum on April 29th from 7–9 PM at CenterStage at RCC Hunters Woods. This forum will allow Hunter Mill District residents to hear from their Democratic candidates for the Hunter Mill District Board Supervisor. This seat, currently held by Cathy Hudgins, is being vacated. Our Democratic candidates will be on the ballot for the June 11th primary and the prevailing candidate will be on the general election ballot on November 5th.

Check out https://huntermill.fairfaxdemocrats.org/bosforum/ and the HMDDC Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/597568030758259/. The event is free, but tickets for attendance may be reserved here. We also encourage members to submit questions for the candidates beforehand here.

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.

More from The Blue View

Unpacking the sausage of Fairfax County elections

By Brad Swanson:

You should not look too closely into the making of laws or sausages, runs the saying attributed (incorrectly) to Germany’s “Iron Chancellor”, Otto von Bismarck. But what would he have thought about the convoluted process of making Democratic Party candidates for Fairfax County elected offices?

Overall, there will be more than 50 offices on Fairfax County ballots on November 5, 2019. Whew! And before you have elections you have candidate selection –or, in the case of non-partisan offices, endorsement.   And this is a process of legislative, not to mention sausage-packing, complexity.

To keep the machinery moving, Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) helpfully keeps a  list of candidates and ongoing selections, updated frequently. Click here  to access.

To start, here are the offices to be elected on Nov.  5:

9 State Senators
17 House of Delegates Members
9 Board of Supervisors Members
1 Chairperson, Board of Supervisors
1 Commonwealth’s Attorney
1 Sheriff
9 District School Board Members
3 At-Large School Board Members
3 Soil & Water Conservation District Directors

Total: 53

More from The Blue View

Money in politics emerging as top issue in Virginia 2019 elections

By Abby Fox:

The heated topic of money in politics in Virginia drew a star-studded list of speakers and a large, boisterous audience to a forum on Nov. 28th at the Mason District Government Center.

State legislators, candidates and activists took turns detailing the corrosive effects of corporate money on politics throughout the Commonwealth, calling out Dominion Energy, the NRA, the Koch industrial family, tobacco giant Altria, and private prison company GEO Group, among others.

The speakers agreed that the topic is sure to play an important role in elections in Nov. 2019 in which all 40 state senators and 100 state delegates will be chosen.

Event sponsors included: People Demanding Action, the End Corporate Rule Issue Organizing Team of People Demanding Action, Progressive Democrats of America-Virginia, Our Revolution Northern Virginia, Our Revolution Arlington, American Promise – Virginia, Our Revolution Alexandria, Activate Virginia, and Loudoun Progressives.

(Photo: Yasmine Taeb says she will take a leave of absence for six months to wage an electoral battle for Virginia state senate)

Much more from The Blue View