Big Virginia Energy: Primaries preview with Brandon Jarvis
Big energy money, Richmond water woes dominate homestretch
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It would be easy to miss that Virginia’s primary elections wrap on Tuesday (I say wrap because voting is being effectively a season and not a day-of event.) A lot has been happening, from the White House dispatching military to California and the national protests against Trump to the rolling (and important) news items from new taxes on imports (tariffs) to the effects of the “DOGE” work inside the government.
I keep an eye on the Virginia races because, along with special elections, it is one of the first big tests of voter sentiment of this radically changed White House and the drastic new tactics, performative or otherwise.
And
covers the Virginia battles through and through.As we talked about during our Substack LIVE earlier today, the big races to be decided Tuesday are not at the top of the ticket (for governor) but instead for lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Show notes
With a big thanks to Max Cassett. (Who’s Max Cassett?? More on that in the next Sic Semper Tyrannis newsletter.)
The power and pull of Dominion Energy and Clean Virginia — the dominant donors and biggest players in Virginia politics — in the Democratic race for attorney general between former Del. Jay Jones and longtime prosecutor Shannon Taylor.
On the Jones attack ads against Taylor which just popped up, bankrolled by Clean Virginia.
Clean Virginia calling on Taylor to recuse herself from any potential cases involving Dominion for taking money from the energy company. (And notes on Dominion also donating handily to Republican A.G. Jason Miyares.)
Dive into the Democratic lieutenant governor’s race, with a focus on the battle between state Sen. Aaron Rouse and former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney over Richmond’s water woes. (For those outside the DMV, Richmond went without water for a week at the beginning of the year — and there’s been plenty of finger-pointing on who’s to blame.)
Look for a recap with Jarvis next week after the results.
Writing tunes
On Deck
Tune in to Substack LIVE Monday at Noon ET for a chat with
. We’ve got a lot to cover, mark your calendars.Tomorrow, Friday June 13, tune in at 10:30a ET for the latest taping of Trygve’s Rules for Fighting Autocrats with
and . We’re on Rule #5: Use Autocrats’ Tactics Against Them. is on a much-deserved vacation this week, look for more from the Hill next week.In case you missed me with
, recommend the watch here. We go deep on the requirements and need for professional journalism in this moment. (Parents, earmuffs, there’s a bit of cursing.)Read up on the continuing fight for pay equity in my Q n A with Women Business Collaborative CEO Gwen Young here and the recent release of the Lilly Ledbetter movie, LILLY.
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