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Democrats line up to run in Virginia congressional districts, even before voters approve them

Published April 14, 2026 at 5:05PM

Redistricting signs outside of the Bozman building in Courthouse (Flickr pool photo by Alan Kotok)

Even before Virginia voters decide on a new congressional map, Democrats are piling in to run for districts proposed under a redistricting plan that is designed to give their party a near sweep of the state’s U.S. House seats.

The latest entrant is Olivia Troye, who was an aide to former Republican Vice President Mike Pence and has become a vocal critic of President Donald Trump. She announced today (Tuesda)y that she’ll run in Virginia’s newly created 7th Congressional District, which would include much of Arlington, joining an already crowded field.

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Local redistricting advocate and opponent debate ‘new rules of the game’

By Scott McCaffrey

Published April 13, 2026 at 8:30AM

Redistricting signs outside of the Bozman building in Courthouse (Flickr pool photo by Alan Kotok)

A supporter and an opponent of Virginia’s April 21 congressional redistricting referendum found themselves in agreement on at least one thing during an April 8 forum sponsored by Advance Arlington.

Del. Marcus Simon (D-13), speaking in favor of the referendum, and former Arlington Electoral Board member Richard Samp, who opposes it, both suggested that an ever-escalating national political tit-for-tat on gerrymandering is not the way to run a country.

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More contenders for redrawn 7th Congressional District make case to Arlington Democrats

By Scott McCaffrey

Published April 9, 2026 at 3:45PM

An 'I voted in Arlington' sticker (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Four more contenders in a potentially redrawn 7th Congressional District made their pitches to Arlington Democrats on April 8.

J.P. Cooney, Dave Kennedy, Del. Adele McClure and State Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim join a field of Democrats for the 7th District that includes State Sen. Dan Helmer, who spoke to county Democrats in March, and former Virginia First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe, who has yet to make an appearance. Another contender, Joe Schiarizzi, announced his candidacy today (Thursday).

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Ranked-choice advocates see opportunity in potential elections scrambles after redistricting

By Scott McCaffrey

Published April 6, 2026 at 10:00AM

Arlington voter casts a ballot in the 2024 general election (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Backers of ranked-choice voting (RCV) believe this fall’s congressional races may bolster their case for changing the format of statewide elections.

If Virginia voters approve the congressional redistricting constitutional amendment on April 21, crowded ballots in many parts of the state could lead to future representatives being selected by an unusually small sliver of the overall electorate.

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Misleading anti-redistricting mailers prompt outcry from AG Jones, Virginia NAACP

By Dan Egitto

Published April 1, 2026 at 3:45PM

An anti-redistricting mailer sent to Arlington households (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A public messaging brawl over Virginia’s upcoming redistricting referendum has gotten even messier with new mailers prominently displaying out-of-context quotes from former President Barack Obama.

The front of the mailers, which some Arlington households received last week, urges residents to vote against redistricting and quotes Obama as saying, “Let voters decide, not politicians.” Obama actually supports redistricting, and his quote is taken from a pro-redistricting ad released a few weeks ago.

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Revised House aviation safety bill wins NTSB support, but victims’ families demand tougher timelines

By The Associated Press

Published March 26, 2026 at 12:45PM | Updated March 26, 2026 at 3:35PM

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., speaks during a news conference to discuss aviation safety reform legislation, including the ROTOR Act, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

A revised version of the House’s aviation safety bill now has the backing of the NTSB, but most of the families of the 67 victims of last year’s midair collision near Washington, D.C., still want to see tougher requirements to ensure the reforms are completed.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the Alert Act now addresses its recommendation to require all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems that would allow the pilots to know more precisely where the traffic around them is flying. The NTSB has been recommending the systems since 2008.

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JUST IN: House committee subpoenas Arlington prosecutor in bias investigation

By Dan Egitto

Published March 20, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated March 23, 2026 at 12:25PM

Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at an anti-ICE rally in Courthouse this month (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

The House Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed Arlington’s commonwealth’s attorney, the latest escalation in a months-long dispute over her handling of an ongoing criminal investigation.

Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has filed a subpoena seeking to compel Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti to release numerous documents related to a case involving the search and seizure of an activist’s cellphone.

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Falls Church voters advised to avoid Postal Service when casting referendum ballots

By Scott McCaffrey

Published March 13, 2026 at 12:45PM

Falls Church's voting dropbox at City Hall (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The Falls Church city registrar is advising against using the Postal Service to send mail-in ballots in Virginia’s statewide redistricting referendum.

Especially when it gets close to the April 21 vote, city registrar David Bjerke warned that mailing ballots back to the city’s election office too close to the deadline could result in their invalidation.

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Candidates in two possible congressional districts make pitches to Arlington Dems

By Scott McCaffrey

Published March 9, 2026 at 8:30AM

Del. Dan Helmer speaks to Arlington Democrats (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

It’s still far from clear what the district boundaries will be, but two more congressional candidates pitched their case to Arlington Democrats last week.

Del. Dan Helmer (D-10), of Fairfax County, became the first candidate seeking the redrawn 7th Congressional District seat to launch a bid in front of county Democrats.

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As early voting begins on redistricting referendum, Arlington Dems and GOP seek to rally

By Scott McCaffrey

Published March 6, 2026 at 9:15AM

An 'I voted in Arlington' sticker (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Arlington’s two main political parties are driving opposing messages as early voting on Virginia’s congressional redistricting referendum began this morning (Friday).

The Arlington County Democratic Committee’s rank and file voted to support the redrawing of the commonwealth’s 11 congressional districts at a Wednesday meeting.

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D.C.-area delegation seeks more funds for burst sewer pipe after Potomac spill

By Emily Leayman

Published February 24, 2026 at 3:45PM

Heavy rain along the Potomac River, with Rosslyn in the background (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A coalition of D.C.-area representatives is seeking more funding for infrastructure upgrades as authorities continue to monitor the effects of a massive sewage spill in the Potomac.

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) was among 14 members of Congress from the region who requested federal funding today (Tuesday) to rehabilitate and modernize the burst Potomac Interceptor. The delegation is also seeking additional funds for wastewater infrastructure nationwide following a recent briefing on efforts to repair the sewer line and mitigate health risks.

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House fails to pass bill requiring aircraft locator systems after deadly Potomac midair collision

By The Associated Press

Published February 24, 2026 at 3:00PM

Family members of the people who were killed in the midair collision near Washington Reagan National Airport watch a video before a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing at Capitol Hill, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

The House failed to approve a bill Tuesday that was crafted after last year’s tragic midair collision near Washington D.C. to require all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems to prevent such crashes. The collision of an airliner and an Army helicopter killed 67 people.

The National Transportation Safety Board has been recommending such Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast systems to be installed since 2008. The bill that already passed the Senate would have required aircraft to be equipped with a system that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft. The complementary ADS-B Out system that broadcasts an aircraft’s location is already required.