Author: Matthew Hall

State Senator Bryce Reeves, John Castorani, and Derrick Anderson Announce Candidacies for the Seventh District

Matthew Hall

Three additional candidates announced their run for Congress in the recently, and all of them are military veterans. Former Alabama congressional candidate John Castorani, newcomer Derrick Anderson, and State Senator Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania) each announced their runs for the 7th Congressional District seat against incumbent Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07).

John Castorani is a former Army special operations soldier. Castorani deployed multiple times to the Middle East, where he worked in Army intelligence. Castorani continued his service as an intelligence officer after his military career. On his campaign site, he lists his support for border security, the sanctity of human life, and gun rights as his priorities.

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Qualified Immunity Becomes One of the Deciding Factors of 2021 Virginia Elections

Matthew Hall

The rise in violent crime across Virginia combined with increases in law enforcement officers leaving the field have started to raise questions from voters about the once-popular push from Leftist activists and Democrat lawmakers to “reimagine policing” and essentially end qualified immunity, a legal protection mechanism for law enforcement officers.

Montgomery County Sheriff Hank Partin told The Virginia Star “absolutely, without a doubt” that Democrats’ threats to end qualified immunity are affecting law enforcement’s ability to keep and retain officers. He spoke at length about how law enforcement would be negatively affected if Virginia Democrats were to end qualified immunity. He discussed these protections are in place to protect law enforcement who are trying to follow the law.

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Virginia Congressional Leaders React to Ongoing Afghanistan Crisis

Matthew Hall

President Biden addressed the nation late Monday afternoon to discuss the ongoing national security and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Some congressional leaders were furious at the Biden Administration’s lack of leadership on the issue. Congressman Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02), a former Democrat who switched parties in 2020, lashed out and called for the resignation of President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) hinted Monday that the Cabinet should consider invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Biden.

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Taylor Keeney Starts Campaign for Virginia’s 7th District Republican Nomination

Matthew Hall

Taylor Thornley Keeney, a Richmond area PR executive and former appointee of  Virginia Governor Bob McDonell’s administration, announced her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in July. The Goochland County resident sat down with The Virginia Star to discuss key federal issues and her campaign for Congress.  Keeney is seeking the Republican nomination to take on Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) in the 2022 election cycle.

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Fredericksburg Area House of Delegates Matchup Between Democrat Joshua Cole and Republican Tara Durant Heats Up

Matthew Hall

Most people in Virginia think of Fredericksburg as a sleepy little bedroom community. Most people endure hours-long commutes to the DC Metro area twice a day to get to and from places like House District 28, just to have a decent-sized yard and to not live on top of each other. When they get home from work at 7 or 8 pm, fighting over politics is the last thing these weary DC commuters want to do, especially about Virginia politics. However, the voters of that district may not have a choice, due to the competitiveness of their district.

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Virginia’s House of Delegates Races Getting Hot as Summer Winds Down

Matthew Hall

While national eyes are focused on the Virginia gubernatorial races, many Virginia political watchers are looking towards the Virginia House of Delegates’ races. There are many competitive races across the Commonwealth, from the crystal waters of Mountain Lake in Giles County, to the muddy waters of the James River in Richmond, to the hot I-66 pavement of Fairfax and Loudoun County, only one thing is for sure.

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President Biden Schedules Early Campaign Stop for Former Governor McAuliffe

Matthew Hall
McAuliffe & Biden

Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has announced that the 46th President will take a hop across the Potomac this upcoming Friday. According to an event page released by Governor McAuliffe’s campaign, President Joe Biden will be coming to Arlington, Virginia on Friday, July 23rd to campaign for Governor McAuliffe. The former Governor is locked in a tight race between himself and former Carlyle Group Executive CEO and the Republican nominee for Governor, Glenn Youngkin.

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Tazewell County Public Schools Targeted by Anti-Religion Group for Pre-Game Prayer

Matthew Hall
Graham High School

After an alleged coach-led pre-game prayer by the Graham High School “G-Men” Boys Soccer Team at the state championship game, an out-of-state atheist organization threatened to file a lawsuit against the school system. The local news reported that the prayer was led by the coaches of the team, but one of the coaches denies this accusation.

The  Tazewell County School System “has been cautioned” by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a Wisconsin-based anti-religion group. The Bluefield Daily Telegraph reports that “coaching staff for the Graham High School soccer team led students in prayer before a game on June 10, the FFRF alleges, saying it was reported by a concerned area resident.”

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State Senator Bill Stanley Filing Lawsuit on Behalf of NASCAR Driver Hermie Sadler to Keep ‘Skill Games’ Open

Matthew Hall
State Senator William "Bill" Stanley

On Monday, State Senator William “Bill” Stanley (R-Franklin) will file a lawsuit against Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, Attorney General Mark Herring, and the Virginia Alcohol Beverage and Control Board on behalf of former NASCAR driver Hermie Sadler. Sadler, an Emporia, Virginia resident, wants the newly signed legislation banning “skill games” in the Commonwealth to be deemed unconstitutional.

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82nd House District Candidate Cries Foul over Location and Time of Firehouse Primary

Matthew Hall
Kathy Owens and Anne Marie Tata

The 82nd House of Delegates District Republicans are holding a firehouse primary, and one candidate’s leveraging of the rules has her opponent crying foul. The seat, which is currently occupied by the Republican nominee for Attorney General, Delegate Jason Miyares (R-Virginia Beach), will allow Republicans to choose between Anne Marie Tata and Kathy Owens for the next Delegate from the 82nd District.

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Gubernatorial Candidate Terry McAuliffe Makes Transition from Primary to General Election

Matthew Hall

With three weeks to go before the Democratic Party primary on June 8th, former Virginia Governor and Clinton confidante Terry McAuliffe transitioned his campaign to the general election with a series of social media posts attacking Republican gubernatorial nominee, Glenn Youngkin.

On the heels of the Youngkin announcement, McAuilffe blasted his Republican opponent by tweeting, “Let me introduce you to Glenn Youngkin: Glenn’s a Ted Cruz and Corey Stewart-endorsed, self-funding, Big Lie believing Trump loyalist who’ll stop at nothing to advance the GOP’s extreme agenda.

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Jason Miyares Wins Republican Attorney General Nomination by Narrow Margin

Matthew Hall

Delegate Jason Miyares (R-Virginia Beach) secured the Republican nomination for Attorney General of Virginia late Sunday evening. Miyares narrowly defeated Virginia Beach attorney Chuck Smith in a convention ballot that went for three rounds. Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors Member Leslie Haley was eliminated in the first round, followed by Northern Virginia attorney Jack White in the second round.

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GOP Lieutenant Governor Candidate Winsome Sears Makes Stop in Roanoke

Matthew Hall
Group of people standing outside

  ROANOKE, Virginia – Winsome Sears made a campaign stop as a part of her statewide RV tour in Roanoke on Thursday. The former Delegate is seen by many as an insurgent candidate in the wide-open race for Lieutenant Governor. Sears served in the United States Marine Corps as an electrician. She was elected in the early 2000’s to a majority-minority district in the Hampton Roads area to the Virginia House of Delegates. She was a member of the State Board of Education, and under President George W. Bush, Sears served on the U.S. Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Women Veterans. Technically, this is her second statewide race. In 2018, Sears ran a write-in campaign for the United States Senate seat in Virginia, because she considered the Republican nominee Corey Stewart a “charlatan.” She told the Richmond Times-Dispatch during that campaign that Stewart, “He does not represent the party of Lincoln. … He is not a true Republican.” In 2020, Sears worked to raise African-American turnout as the Chairman of Black Americans to Re-Elect the President for then-President Donald Trump. The Marine Corps veteran says on her website her top campaign issues include being pro-life, support of the 2nd Amendment, parental school…

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GOP Attorney General Candidate Jack White Campaign Confirms Actual Amount He Contributed to Joe Biden Presidential Campaign Committees Was $5,600

Matthew Hall

  The Jack White for Attorney General campaign confirmed to The Virginia Star that Jack White gave $5,600 to campaign committees associated with the Biden for President campaign in October 2020. The money was sent as two separate contributions. The first donation occurred October 1st, 2020, to the Biden Victory Fund in the amount of $2,800. The second donation occurred 29 days later on October 30th, 2020 to the Biden Action Fund for $2,800. The Star published a story on April 25 with the headline “Virginia GOP Attorney General Candidate Jack White Gave More Than $10k to Biden in 2020—Including $2,800 Days Before Election,” the details of which were confirmed in the story by White campaign spokesperson Alyssa Farah: When reached for comment, White for Attorney General Campaign Spokesperson Alyssa Farah, did confirm that it was, in fact Jack White, candidate for Attorney General, that made these campaign contributions. The White for AG campaign did say that Jack White voted for President Donald Trump in the 2020 general election. The following day, the White campaign approached The Star to ask for a correction on the amount of the donation given by White to the Biden campaign committees in 2020. It…

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Virginia Republican Gubernatorial Candidates on Best Behavior at Liberty University Forum

Matthew Hall

The College Republicans of Liberty University hosted a forum for the Republican candidates for Governor of Virginia. Delegate Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights), State Senator Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield), Colonel Sergio De La Pena, Glenn Youngkin, and Peter Doran participated in the forum that was held at Thomas Road Baptist Church. The candidates were well prepared and measured as the 100+ person plus room listened intently. 

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Q1 Finance Reports for Statewide Campaigns Filed, Youngkin Leads in GOP, Snyder Comes Close

Matthew Hall

Per the Code of the Commonwealth of Virginia, all campaigns must have their Campaign Finance Report filed with the State Board of Elections by 11:59PM  Thursday. These reports give voters a behind-the-scenes look on how candidates run their campaigns, who is giving them money, and how the candidates are spending their campaign cash.

According to public reports available as of press time, former Carlyle Group CEO Glenn Youngkin has out-raised the Republican field for Governor. Youngkin filed a sizable return, reporting $7.6 million in raised funds. However, he did not post yet how much cash on hand (COH) he has. Former New Media Strategies CEO and Youngkin’s main opponent Pete Snyder, meanwhile, raised $6.4 million – but also with no report yet on his cash on hand.

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Pete Snyder Stumps in Roanoke with Convention Quickly Approaching

Matthew Hall

With the 2021 Republican Party of Virginia Unassembled State Convention creeping closer and closer, Republican candidate for Governor Pete Snyder made his way to the Star City on Tuesday night to feed convention-goers and engage in a little retail politics.

Snyder, the former New Media Strategies CEO and longtime leader in the Republican Party of Virginia, bounced out of the car at Starkey Park to greet attendees. Syder’s Communications Director Lenze Morris – an alumnus of Governor Kay Ivey (R-Alabama) – and Republican Party of Virginia Western Regional Vice Chairman and Snyder’s Political Director Daniel Webb quietly watched as the candidate made his rounds.

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Fairfax to McAuliffe in Democrat Forum: ‘You Treated Me Like George Floyd’

Matthew Hall

  Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Justin Fairfax, a Democrat, and State Senator Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond) are not backing down from a fight with fellow Democrat and former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe. Fairfax is one of the many candidates who is locked in a fiercely competitive primary with McAuliffe; which includes State Senator Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond), Delegate Lee Carter (D-Prince William), and former Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy (D-Prince William). During Tuesday’s Democratic primary debate for Governor, Lieutenant Governor Fairfax made a statement that floored Virginia politicos of all political stripes. Mr. Fairfax, when asked about past allegations of sexual assault stated: I was falsely accused in 2019. Everyone here on the stage called for my immediate resignation, including Terry McAuliffe, three minutes after the press release came out. He treated me like George Floyd, treated me like Emmett Till. No due process. Immediately assumed my guilt. (emphasis added) After the debate, former Governor Terry McAuliffe was endorsed by incumbent Ralph Northam in an apparent snub to not only Lieutenant Governor Fairfax, but the rest of the field of progressive Democrats. While Democrat voters and activists continue to move the party farther to the left, the Democratic Party of Virginia establishment continues…

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Lt. Gov. Candidate Winsome Sears Calls for End of Virginia Mask Mandate, Opponent Lance Allen Fires Back

Matthew Hall

Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears announced that she is asking for Virginia to remove the “mask mandate” that has been instituted by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. In a video posted to Facebook, former Delegate Sears announced that she will be publicly calling for Governor Northam to remove the mandate to wear a face mask to enter Virginia businesses, open schools, and open Virginia businesses at full capacity.

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Travis Hackworth Sworn In to Virginia Senate as Veto Session Looms on Commonwealth

Matthew Hall
Travis Hackworth

State Senator Travis Hackworth (R-Richlands) was sworn in on Friday. Hackworth, who prior to being sworn in was the Chairman of the  Tazewell County Board of Supervisors. The Tazewell businessman shocked the Southwest Virginia political establishment by shellacking his competition in the January party canvass held shortly after Senator Chafin’s passing

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Virginia Leaders Mourn Sudden Passing of Dominion Energy Chairman and Philanthropist Tom Farrell

Matthew Hall
Tom Farrell

Dominion Energy Chairman and Virginia philanthropist Thomas F. “Tom” Farrell II has died, causing the Commonwealth of Virginia and it’s political leaders to mourn the loss of one of the most powerful businessmen in Virginia history. Farrell, age 66, passed away due to cancer on Friday, one day after relinquishing the Chairmanship of the company he had steered from 2007 to 2020. Mr. Farrell and his family have heavily influenced some of the most important business and political decisions in the Commonwealth.

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Gubernatorial Candidate Peter Doran Floats Hyper Loop Project for Southwest Virginia Without Explaining How to Pay for It

Matthew Hall
Peter Doran

As Governor Northam and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced expansion of rail services in the Commonwealth of Virginia, gubernatorial candidate Peter Doran floated an expensive – and expansive – transportation policy position. Doran, a former foreign policy think tank CEO whose campaign has gained little traction outside of Northern Virginia, introduced a proposal for Virginia to build a “hyperloop” system and place the hub in Southwest Virginia.

Doran stated, “New technologies like HyperLoop will provide opportunities for people in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It will create jobs as well as new options for Virginians to have more choices in where to live and work. Providing realistic, current-gen (not last-gen) solutions that can tie Virginia’s far-flung regions together? That will make us the best.”

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VPAP Provides Infographic Explaining Complex Process of Becoming a Delegate to Virginia GOP Convention

Matthew Hall

The Virginia Public Access Project has provided additional information about the delegate registration and vote counting processes for the 2021 Republican Party of Virginia unassembled convention. The May 8th convention will determine the Republican nominees for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General.  The Virginia Star has previously covered the process, and VPAP provided additional detail about changes made to the delegate selection and counting process.

The process is very different from a traditional primary with a polling location in each neighborhood. For one to become a delegate to the convention, one must file a pre-file form with your local Republican committee. Then, one must show up to one of the 30+ voting locations across the Commonwealth as assigned per voting locality.

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Winsome Sears Shocks Race for Lieutenant Governor, Receives Endorsement of Amanda Chase and Octavia Johnson

Matthew Hall

On Monday, former Delegate Winsome Sears, candidate for the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor in Virginia, was endorsed by gubernatorial candidates State Senator Amanda Chase (I-Chesterfield) and former Roanoke City Sheriff Octavia Johnson. The dual endorsements have caused a tremendous uproar in a race that until today was considered rather quiet.

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Virginia GOP Gubernatorial Candidates in Mad Scramble for Delegates in Wide Open Race

Matthew Hall

The Republican Party of Virginia announced Friday that the filing deadline had passed for the 2021 Republican Party of Virginia unassembled convention, creating a scramble for the wide open Governor’s race. The unassembled convention is scheduled for Saturday, May 8th, with over 30 polling locations across the Commonwealth of Virginia. According to the Republican Party of Virginia, all but two announced candidates for Governor filed for and paid their filing fee.

The following candidates have properly filed with the Republican Party of Virginia and will appear on the Republican Party of Virginia 2021 Statewide unassembled convention ballot.

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