Thoughts on 2021 Election

    Last night's election results were not what I hoped to see, but the voters have spoken and we now have a new political reality to navigate over the next four years.  We saw the highest turnout for a Virginia Governor's election in a long time and that was a good thing.  Many voters took advantage of the new laws we passed in the last two years making it easier to vote and I hope every agrees that democracy works better when more people participate. 

    Voters in the 36th District voted for the Democratic Ticket by over 20% margin - probably closer to 25% if early votes were counted by precinct.  Only 4 of the 47 precincts I represent voted for the Republican gubernatorial nominee and if early votes were returned to their precincts, probably closers to two.  The Republican message did not resonate with a majority of 36th District voters or for that matter Northern Virginia.

• Fairfax County voted for Terry McAuliffe by 30%
• Prince William County for Terry McAuliffe by 28%
• Stafford County voted for Glenn Youngkin by 30%, but it's Board of Supervisors effectively flipped to Democratic control for the first time in over a decade.

     Every legislator in Fairfax County and Prince William County was returned to office and none of the open seats changed control.  I congratulate two new members in Northern Virginia:

• Briana Sewell who will replace Hala Ayala in the Occoquan part of the 36th District; and
• Michelle Maldonado who will join our Prince William County General Assembly Delegation. 

     I also congratulate my returning colleagues who won re-election yesterday who share constituents with me: Delegate Paul Krizek, Delegate Mark Sickles, Delegate Candi King, Delegate Kathy Tran, and Delegate Elizabeth Guzman.

     Former-Governor Terry McAuliffe brought important issues to the table, was a consummate team player, and was a very accomplished Governor.  I will miss his passion in Richmond.   It has been an honor to serve and represent Occoquan residents with Delegate Hala Ayala for the last four years and I wish her well in her next endeavor.  Attorney General Mark Herring brought Democratic values to the Attorney General's Office for the first time in twenty-eight years and had important accomplishments in civil rights and modernizing his office.

     I am also sorry to lose Delegate Josh Cole in the Stafford County part of my district who was always a refreshing and passionate voice for Stafford County and Fredericksburg, but look forward to working with Supervisor-Elect R. Pamela Yeung who will be the new supervisor in the Garrisonville District of Stafford County.  

     The House of Delegates appears to have flipped in partisan control after it was forced to run in seats that were drawn as a partisan gerrymander which leaves Northern Virginia short two seats instead of new districts because U.S. Census data came in late.  There are two seats where late received mail-in balance could alter the balance, but that chamber will at-best be evenly divided for the next year.  I would not be surprised if a court orders new elections for next year once the Supreme Court of Virginia has redrawn the seats next month.  

    I congratulate Glen Youngkin, Winsome Sears and Jason Miyares for putting themselves out there and winning their races.  I look forward to finding common ground and continuing to work on the progress we have made over the last two years making Virginia the best state for business and a leader on climate change, criminal justice reform, and civil rights.  I while Mark Herring has done an incredible job as Attorney General for the last four years, I also look forward to seeing the first JMU-Duke (Jason Miyares) in statewide office.    

    Mr. Youngkin reached out to me today to emphasize that he looks forward to working together.  I told him that I had a good relationship with Governor McDonnell in the four years I served with him and that I was confident that we could find a way to work together on some issues without compromising our core values.  Do not forget that the process that led to the $1 Billion widening of U.S. 1 and construction of Bus Rapid Transit began with the Route 1 Multimodal Study that Former Governor Bob McDonnell (a former 36th District native) agreed to fund.  

     I also recognize that many of my constituents and supporters are disappointed by the election results.  I have many thoughts about the outcome.  First, I have always felt that elections should be about the future and what you intend to propose to accomplish.  I did not feel like the last few weeks of the races met that standard and was disappointed by the overall tone of the race.  The continued gridlock in Washington, D.C. continues to leave many frustrated and despondent about the ability of government to achieve real results for people.  I hope Congress looks to how Democrats reached a consensus in Virginia over the last two years and delivered real results for people so that we do not continue to see the kind of collateral damage we saw yesterday.

     It is also important to remember that parents do have a voice in their children's education - that's the entire point of Parent-Teacher Associations and Parent-Teacher conferences.  Schools work better when parents are involved in their schools and there are many ways parents can be involved in schools without micromanaging the work of our professionally-licensed teachers.  My parents, children and I are all the product of our public education system and Northern Virginia's public schools are some of the strongest in America.  We can provide a high quality education to all of our students without bringing a political wrecking ball to our school board meetings.  

    Going forward, I hope to focus on continuing to make investments in transit, finding options for family sick and family leave, finalizing our marijuana legalization discussion, and making Virginia a more equitable and just place to live.  We must continue to fight to make Virginia the best it can be.  

    Finally, I look forward to the Supreme Court of Virginia's proposed new maps for Senate, House and Congressional Districts that we should expect to see by the middle of December.  There is more change coming to Virginia over the next twelve months and I hope I will continue to earn your trust representing you in Richmond.