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Last night, Democrats from across the county gathered for their biannual mass meeting and reorganization. Members were elected to the Democratic committee and officers were elected for the next two years.
How you can help:
The 2012-2013 steering committee members are:
- Chair: Valerie L’Herrou
- Vice Chair: Cynthia Neff
- Counsel: Bill Love
- Secretary: Diana Mead
- Treasurer: Robert Whaley
- Vice Chair, Organization: Stephen Davis
- Vice Chair, Finance: Ashleigh Crocker
- Vice Chair, Outreach: Graham Paige
- Vice Chair, Special Projects: Cauline Yates
- Vice Chair, Voter Registration: Richard McGrain
District Chairs were also elected from their respective districts:
- Jack Jouett: David Shreve and Kate Acuff
- Rio: Robert McAdams
- Rivanna: Joe Nasevich and Kirk Bowers
- Samuel Miller: Wren Olivier and Madison Cummings
- Scottsville: Dolores Rogers and Doris Holt
- White Hall: Mary Rice
Help the committee get started by taking our survey, volunteering for a leadership role or committee, and joining the committee.
Public Policy Polling just released their latest poll of Virginia and Obama is in a strong position for next year.
PPP has polled Virginia four times in 2011 and has come to the same conclusion every time: Barack Obama just hasn’t slipped there to the extent he has nationally. That’s a finding with major, major implications for his reelection prospects because if he wins Virginia he’s probably going to win the Electoral College…and our polling in the state over the course of the year has certainly suggested he’s in a good position to do it.
Read more about the recent poll and get excited for next year – we have a lot of work to do!
Join us on January 9th for our mass meeting as we organized the party for the next two years!
Every two years, the Albemarle County Democratic Committee reorganizes and elects new leadership at a mass meeting. We’ll be holding the next Albemarle County Democratic Committee Mass Meeting on Monday, January 9, 2012, at 6 PM in the Lane Auditorum at the County Office Building on McIntire Road. This is your chance to:
- Elect leaders for the local Democratic Party for the next two years
- Find out how to get more involved in the party
- Meet other Democrats from all over Albemarle County
- Find out about our efforts in the 2012 Elections
Find out more about the Mass Meeting at our 2012 Reorganization page.Have feedback, ideas or input for the County Party? Take our survey.
Our very own Delegate David Toscano (57th District) was elected Minority Leader by the House Democratic Caucus this morning.
GLEN ALLEN, VA — Delegate David J. Toscano was unanimously elected new House Democratic Caucus Minority Leader by his Democratic peers in today’s Organizational Meeting held at the Wyndam Crossings in Glen Allen, Virginia.
“It has been an honor serving the Charlottesville-Albemarle community in the General Assembly for the last six years ” said Delegate Toscano. “As House Minority Leader, I look forward to continuing the work we have begun by building an effective House Caucus team that projects a positive vision for the Commonwealth and works to implement that vision for the benefit of her citizens over the next several years.”
Read more. Congrats David!
Senator Houck continues to receive key endorsements in his campaign to continue serving the 17th District of Virginia
Following close on the heels of The Free Lance Star‘s endorsement of Senator Edd Houck’s reelection race, two other newspapers in Senator Houck’s district have followed suit to endorse his candidacy guarding against a radical Republican takeover of the State Senate. Albemarle’s hometown daily, the Daily Progress, endorses Senator Houck, citing his experience and ability to work across the aisle in Richmond:
Experience counts. That’s not just a campaign slogan, it’s a reality.
The 17th Virginia Senate District has been altered to include much of Thomas Jefferson Country. Voters here might not know a great deal about the incumbent who is asking for their vote. So here are some highlights about Sen. Edd Houck’s career and accomplishments:
He is one of the ranking members of the Senate Finance Committee. In this day of budget stress, that’s no small matter. Mr. Houck has experience in making tough budget choices. He has worked with other leaders on both sides of the aisle and knows how to get things done. Experience not only with policy issues but also with the people and processes that make those policies work is a valuable asset.
He’s a supporter of higher education and economic development initiatives; for instance, he supported a research and development tax credit to boost advanced technology and bioscience. He voted for state investment in promising technology and life science companies in Virginia. High-tech and biomedical advances are crucial to the University of Virginia’s mission, crucial to the growth of tech and science companies in surrounding communities, and crucial to creation of good jobs in clean industries for our community.
Mr. Houck also has a good record in other areas.
He’s a traditional moderate of the type Virginia once took pride in, before partisanship began trumping common sense. He has supported some tax cuts — including voting to repeal the unfair death tax — and he has supported some tax increases. He makes those decisions based on the best information available at the time, not on orders from the party.
Mr. Houck has long been a supporter of open government and transparent leadership. Through his efforts, public records and meetings are more likely to be open and available, and Virginians have a better chance tracking just exactly what their government is up to.
Another of his commendable votes tightened the definition of “eminent domain” to further protest private property rights.
Also endorsing Senator Houck in his race against extremist Republican Bryce Reeves, the Culpeper Star Exponent:
There are many who have pointed to Sen. Edd Houck’s 28 years in the Senate and have said it’s time for it to come to an end.
We’re not one of those.
Yes, it’s rare for a Democrat to have served for as long as Houck has in a Republican stronghold, but Houck connects with the people.
His votes, at least the vast majority of them, are with his constituents in mind, trying to find ways to better District 17, of which Culpeper is a member.
Houck has shown he is capable of working across party lines, working closely with Gov. Bob McDonnell on ways to address the transportation issue in the state.
We may not agree with every one of Houck’s votes, but we’re unlikely to find many politicians who we’d agree with over a 28-year span.
Sometimes concessions have to be made to find common ground with senators from the other party, and sometimes you have to back your party.
Houck’s support of education and agriculture has directly impacted Culpeper County, with many farmers singing his praises for the land rights bills he’s helped support in the Senate.
Houck should be commended for 28 years of service to our community, not denigrated for it.
His opponent, Republican Bryce Reeves, is campaigning with a pro-jobs platform, and we agree with him — jobs are needed.
But Reeves can at times sound like a broken record, citing the need for more jobs and less government regulation, but not really addressing how he’s going to go about creating jobs and combating the regulators.
While he is certainly well-educated and well-spoken, we’re concerned with how well his voice will be heard in the Senate.
He said he won’t serve long, and we respect him for announcing that early on, but sometimes politicians take time to make an impact and by the time he’s ready to, it may already be time for him to move on.
Houck has the experience and a good heart, and we feel as though he should continue to serve the people of the 17th District.
These endorsements affirm what we already knew: Edd Houck is the best person to represent the 17th Senate District for another four years in Richmond. Despite his opponents desperate and irresponsible attacks, Senator Houck has shown time and time again that he has what it takes to prove a measured and responsible leadership with decorum in the State Senate. Vote for Senator Houck and all of our other great candidates on Tuesday and help guard against an extremist takeover of our government!
Senator Edd Houck with speaks with a constituent
Sen. Edd Houck, the top target of anti-choice activists, Albemarle’s senior legislator and half of the two-vote firewall in the Senate that keeps extremist legislation from the Republican General Assembly from being enacted into law continues to find himself targeted by false attacks. This time, radical anti-choice activists are spreading a flyer claiming that he supports racial genocide. The Free Lance Star reports:
This particular flier says that Margaret Sanger, an early advocate of birth control whose work led to the founding of Planned Parenthood, was a racist who gave talks to the Ku Klux Klan, and that Planned Parenthood puts abortion clinics in black neighborhoods “not by accident.” The flier says that Houck is supported by Planned Parenthood and that voters in the 17th state Senate district should vote against Houck and “save our children from the abortion industry’s agenda.”
Not surprisingly, local African-American leaders are outraged at the ridiculous attack:
The Rev. Lawrence Davies, a former city mayor, said he was “outraged” when he saw the flier with the headline “Would you support killing African-American babies?”
Davies said he was particularly upset by the flier’s headline. “What is it that they say in here that indicates the person who supports Sen. Houck would be killing African-American babies?” Davies said. He said he’s never heard of a “black genocide agenda” from Planned Parenthood. “I don’t know of any abortion facilities in the black neighborhoods here,” Davies added.
To date, Republican candidate, extremist Bryce Reeves, who proudly received the endorsement of right-wing radical Mike Huckabee, has not condemned the spurious attacks being run on his behalf. With classless opposition like this, it’s no wonder that the Free Lance Star has endorsed Sen. Houck for reelection. Don’t forget to vote to Sen. Houck and for all of our other candidates in Albemarle County this Tuesday, November 8th!
A number of letters to the editor have appeared in the Daily Progress in recent days supporting Cynthia Neff for Rivanna Supervisor.
First, Peggy Beattie writes, “In thinking about the future, choose Neff for Supervisor.”
I urge voters to support Cynthia Neff for Rivanna supervisor. She will provide open, accountable leadership. Her years of working for IBM provide good business experience for serving on the Albemarle Board of Supervisors.
Then Jason Halbert sends in “Neff a key to building a strong and sustainable economy”
It’s crystal clear that Cynthia Neff’s practical business experience and forward thinking will bring more companies and more jobs to Albemarle County. Leadership is not about pandering to paranoia, it’s about building a strong and sustainable economy for the future.
Finally, George Larie writes “Vote for Neff if you want transparent government”
She believes in open, transparent government, something we have not had recently by the majority of the current Board of Supervisors and including her opponent, Ken Boyd.
She detests the “midnight coup” in June by the Board of Supervisors in resurrecting the U.S. 29 Bypass without citizen input and without any data that would support building this very expensive road at federal and state taxpayer expense.
I urge citizens to vote for Cynthia Neff on Nov. 8.
Vote for Cynthia and all of our candidates on Tuesday. Email ben@albemarledems.org if you have an hour or two to volunteer.
Tom Perriello GOTV Rally at the Rotanda to benefit our 2011 candidates
Tom Perriello fired up Democrats earlier today at a rally on grounds at UVA. The Daily Progress covers the event:
“We’ve got to make sure… that the Senate of Virginia is not turned away from people like Creigh Deeds and Edd Houck and turned over to extremists like Bryce Reeves,” Houck said to a group of about 50 people gathered in front of the Rotunda. “There’s a lot at stake here ladies and gentlemen. It’s more than just a single candidate; it’s the future of this state.”
…
“Right now, the only barrier to an extreme agenda in Virginia, is the Senate of Virginia,” said Deeds, adding that Houck is one of the “bulwarks” in the Senate standing against that agenda.
…
“A lot of the ink gets spilled on national races, but people’s lives at the kitchen table are actually much more affected by the local and state races,” Perriello said. “It’s a huge deal. Whether it’s protecting our seniors, making sure our kids get a good education, making sure UVa isn’t coming under political attack and making sure we have academic freedom… In order to do that, we have to hold the Senate. It is the only thing stopping us from an absolute veering off to the crazy right.”
Read the full Daily Progress coverage of the event.
Help Houck, Deeds and all of our candidates win on Tuesday. Email ben@albemarledems.org to let us know when you can help this weekend.
Senator Houck—pictured here in Richmond meeting with constituents—was noted by the Free Lance Star for his "dogged constituent service" in their endorsement
Senator Edd Houck continues to receive key endorsement after another in his campaign to defeat right-wing extremist Bryce Reeves and serve our district for another term in the Virginia Senate. These include the Virginia Education Association, Virginia Farm Bureau AgPAC, National Federation of Independent Business-Virginia, Virginia Association of Realtors, Virginia Professional Firefighters, the Sierra Club and League of Conservation Voters.
As of yesterday, you can add Fredericksburg’s Free Lance Star to the list:
THE late U.S. senator Robert Byrd, a scholar of his chamber, frequently said that the Senate was like a saucer, into which steaming legislation from the more passionate and “popular” House of Representatives was poured to cool. To keep the temperature at a safe low in the General Assembly, voters next Tuesday should re-elect state Sen. Edd Houck.
Mr. Houck, a 27-year legislative veteran who represents the 17th Senate district, is one half of an imperiled comfort zone for Democrats, who control the body by just a 22-18 margin. His loss, along with that of one other Democratic senator, would give effective Senate control to Republicans, who could win any tie vote with the intervention of Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling in his role as president of the Senate.
Such a scenario, putting the GOP at the helm of both legislative chambers and the governorship, would please many voters. But it should cause trepidation, because this is not the GOP of yore, whose national leaders from Abraham Lincoln (the transcontinental railroad) to Dwight Eisenhower (the interstate highway system) to Richard Nixon (the EPA) saw the beneficent possibilities of an active government. This is the GOP of radical individualism and Tea Party affection, whose Virginia House of Delegates division won’t raise a gas tax unchanged in 25 years to fix today’s roads. It is good to have a partisan counterbalance to that philosophy in state government.
This is not to say, however, that Mr. Houck is a crazed spender, despite Photoshopped tangos with Barack Obama on campaign literature. Some of the most savvy, non-Democratic businessmen in the area (e.g., Joe Wilson and Fitz Johnson, a former county GOP chairman) back his candidacy, as does the National Federation of Independent Business. He has fought the “death tax” that can destroy an inherited family business. That Mr. Houck’s reliable support of public education and of the physically and mentally disabled make him an object of Republican caricature gives the electorate less to disdain about Mr. Houck than to fear about his detractors.
Mr. Houck is also noted for his ability to work with the other side–ask Gov. McDonnell–and for his dogged constituent service–conspicuous in his securing of state funds to move hazardous chemical-hauling rail cars from Fredericksburg’s Mayfield neighborhood. As chairman of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council, he has championed government transparency.
Certainly, social conservatives have good reason to want him gone. As chairman of the Senate Education and Health Committee he has buried anti-abortion legislation, earning 100 percent ratings from NARAL and Planned Parenthood. But it is hard to see how many others share that sentiment, apart from government-hating nutzies.
We urge the re-election state Sen. Edd Houck, an ice cube in any hot Tea the GOP House is likely to brew.
In addition to these organizations, over 60 former federal, state and local law enforcement officers—including many sheriffs and prosecutors from his district—have endorsed Sen. Houck’s re-election, as have well over 40 veterans of the United States Armed Forces.
For more information about Sen. Houck, visit his website at SenatorHouck.com, and don’t forget to vote for Sen. Houck and all of our candidates on Election Day, this coming Tuesday: November 8th.
The Lynchburg News Advance has endorsed Connie Brennan in the race for the 59th District House of Delegates seat. What they said:
And we endorse her candidacy today for one of the main reasons we endorsed Wat Abbitt in 2007: Rural Virginia needs a strong voice that will be taken seriously in Richmond.
Brennan knows rural Virginia, its people … its culture … its strengths … its weaknesses … and its challenges.
…
As a supervisor and School Board member before that, Brennan has had to make the hard budget choices to run a fiscally responsible government operation while keeping the burden on taxpayers at a minimum.
Her knowledge of government, both at the local and state levels, and her willingness to work hard make her an invaluable asset to the residents of Nelson County. If elected to the House of Delegates, that knowledge and work ethic will be invaluable assets to the residents of the 59th District.
Help Connie this weekend by volunteering to get out the vote in Albemarle County!
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