Congrats to Sen. Wexton and Thanks to Hunter Mill Volunteers!

Virginia Senator Jennifer Wexton won yesterday’s Democratic primary and will face off against Republican Barbara Comstock in November in a contest to represent Virginia’s 10th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congratulations Sen. Wexton!

And thank you to all the volunteers at Hunter Mill precincts within the 10th District who helped make sure the primary was smooth and fair. Next stop: November!

At Colvin: Jerry Poje, Charlie Breig, Phil Haber, Carol Hurlburt, Brigitte Warzana

At Fox Mill: Jean Taczak and Gail Minnick

Meet Maddy from the Coordinated Campaign

Maddy is a Field Organizer for the Hunter Mill District with the Virginia Democratic Coordinated Campaign and will be the point of contact for all volunteer events with the coordinated campaign. She graduated from James Madison University in 2017, and is excited to be back in her home turf for this campaign! She grew up in Reston so she has a spot in her heart for this region, and is incredibly excited to hit the ground running and really ramp up the grass-root efforts in this area.

The coordinated campaign is currently seeking “influencers” to recruit, train, and launch volunteers for canvassing, phone banking, and voter registration drives in the Hunter Mill district.

If you’ve done this for past campaigns, or are interested in learning more, contact Maddy at maddy.white@virginiavictory.org or call/text at (571) 299-9490.

If you are unable to lead events but would still like to volunteer, please sign up at TimKaine.com/events or by contacting Maddy directly. She is looking forward to meeting Hunter Mill volunteers and working together to Keep Virginia Blue and flip some seats with this blue wave!

Stopping the ICE Deportation Pipeline in Fairfax County

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

Free. Sign up here. Space is limited.

Medicaid Expansion, Huge Win for Virginia

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.

Thank you to every member of the Hunter Mill Democrats for your part in helping make life better for everyone in Virginia. Your work will literally save lives. Check out Fairfax County Democratic Committee Chairman Dan Lagana’s statement on this incredible victory.

Immigrants have been a big part of Virginia’s success

By Karen Kirk:

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.

Read the rest at The Blue View

Help Register Voters at Viva Vienna!

Come join the Hunter Mill Democrats’ Voter Registration and Education team on Sunday May 27 or Monday May 28 at Viva Vienna! We will be working out of Del. Keam and Sen. Petersen’s booth, #92, which is located near Bard’s Alley on Church St. in the heart of Vienna.

You can find more details and sign up for a shift here!

Contact Christine Rohrer if you have any questions – christinefrohrer@gmail.com.

Red and Minor Terry take fight against pipeline across Virginia

By Karen Kirk:

After spending 34 days living in trees to block the Mountain Valley Pipeline from being built on their property in Roanoke County, Red Terry and her daughter Minor are taking their fight around Virginia this week. They were joined by Virginia Delegate Mark Keam, 35th District, Delegate Sam Rasoul, 11th District and attorney and activist Jonathan Sokolow at a briefing to the public in Fairfax County on Wednesday.

“Today we want you all to understand a major environmental crisis is happening and it is becoming more of a threat every single day and we want you to understand what you can do about it,” said Keam at the event at Northern Virginia Community College.

Read the rest at The Blue View.

Grassroots Profiles: Herndon-Reston Indivisible

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.

Read the rest at The Blue View.

Hunter Mill and Fairfax Democrats #StandWithRed

Hunter Mill Democrats are proud to support FCDC Chair Dan Lagana’s statement opposing construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline through some of Virginia’s most pristine landscapes. Read Chairman Lagana’s full statement here.

Theresa “Red” Terry, and her daughter, Theresa Minor Terry, the courageous women who spent over 30 days camped out in a tree on their own property to protest the Pipeline, will be touring Virginia to raise awareness and stop the pipeline. They will be in Annandale and Sterling this Wednesday, May 9.  Please come out, show your support and #StandWithRed:

Press Conference with Delegate Mark Keam, the Terrys, and other elected officials

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Northern Virginia Community College

Ernst Community Cultural Center

8333 Little River Turnpike

Annandale, VA 22003

Click here to read the press release

StandWithRed – Red & Minor Rally in NOVA!

Wednesday May 9th, 7:00 – 9:00pm

Twinpanzee Brewing Co

101 Executive Dr, Suite D, Sterling, Virginia 20166

Click here for the facebook event

Virginia leads Democratic resurgence, say Moulton and others at FCDC fundraiser

By Brad Swanson:

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.

Read the rest at The Blue View.