Across Virginia
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Counting commenced Sunday afternoon at a hotel in Richmond to tabulate the votes cast by tens of thousands of Virginia Republicans a day earlier in the party’s nominating contest for governor and other statewide offices.
The several dozen people managing the hand-counting effort began their work with the attorney general contest, John March, a spokesperson for the Republican Party of Virginia said.
March said it’s a possibility that at least the attorney general nominee could be declared Sunday. He said the governor’s race would be counted second, followed by the lieutenant governor’s race.
Officials have warned it may take multiple days to finish the counting, which was complicated by the ranked-choice voting method used, as well as a proportional representation system awarded each city and county.
The GOP opted, after a bitter, drawn-out fight, to hold what it called an unassembled convention on Saturday. Because pandemic restrictions ban mass gatherings, delegates cast ballots Saturday at nearly 40 polling sites statewide.
The Republican candidates for attorney general are: Leslie Haley, a law firm partner and elected official in Chesterfield County; state Del. Jason Miyares; Chuck Smith, a former U.S. Navy JAG commander; and Jack White, a minister, Army veteran and former clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Jr.
Democrats will choose their nominees for statewide offices in a primary June 8. In that party’s nominating contest for attorney general, state Del. Jay Jones is challenging incumbent Mark Herring.
The Washington Post reported that the start of Sunday’s vote-counting was briefly delayed after a housekeeper entered the ballroom where the ballots were stored and snapped tamper-proof tape that had been used to seal the room. That set off a frenzy to investigate and review video to make sure nothing was amiss, according to the newspaper
Richmond, VA – Today, the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) held its 2021 State Convention to determine its nominees for the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General. RPV Chairman Rich Anderson issued the following statement:
“The Republican Party of Virginia could not be happier with how smoothly and efficiently our convention was run today. I would like to thank the campaigns, their staff, and our countless volunteers for making this day a successful one. It is a promising sign of things to come that so many Republicans from across Virginia came out in record numbers and supported their candidates at the grassroots level.
“We would also like to ensure all the convention delegates that their ballots will be counted fairly and accurately – leaving no room for doubt or question as to whom our nominees will be.
“The polls may be closed, but we are just getting started. We have the momentum, we have the energy, and we have the drive to take back Virginia on November 2nd. It is time for Virginia Republicans to come together and unite for a common good. The road to the Governor’s Mansion starts here.”
The results of the convention will be released at the conclusion of each of the three races.
NORTON, Va. (AP) — A suspect and the Norton police chief were seriously injured in an exchange of gunfire Friday, authorities said.
James Lane, police chief of the small city of Norton, was responding to a 911 call about a shoplifter Friday afternoon when he pulled into a shopping center parking lot and encountered a man who began shooting into his vehicle, the Bristol Herald Courier reported.
The chief returned fire. Another Norton Police officer who had just arrived on scene also fired at the man, according to a news release from Virginia State Police.
Both Lane and the suspect, identified as James Dyer Buckland, 35, of Pound, were flown to hospitals for treatment of serious injuries.
Police said a handgun belonging to Buckland was recovered at the scene. He’s been charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
Local officials issued statements of support for Lane, who the newspaper reported has been with the city for over two decades.
The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Division is investigating.
ANNANDALE, Va. (AP) — Tens of thousands of Virginians are casting ballots to choose nominees for governor and other statewide offices.
The Republican Party is holding what it’s calling an “unassembled convention” on Saturday to select its nominees in this year’s race for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Republicans haven’t won a statewide race in Virginia since 2009.
Because pandemic restrictions ban mass gatherings, delegates are casting ballots at nearly 40 polling sites across the state.
More than 53,000 Virginians successfully pre-registered as delegates. GOP officials rejected applications from roughly 700 would-be delegates. Virginia is the only state with an open-seat gubernatorial race this year.
Four candidates — Amanda Chase, Kirk Cox, Pete Snyder and Glenn Youngkin — all have a shot at winning the nomination in a race that where no clear favorite has been established.
Polling closes at 4 p.m. Saturday, but the party won’t even begin counting ballots until Sunday.
It may take several days to finish the count, which is complicated by ranked-choice voting and proportional representation that is awarded to each city and county.
Democrats will choose their gubernatorial nominee in a primary next month. Former governor Terry McAuliffe is the frontrunner in a field of five Democrats.
Incumbent Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam is barred from seeking reelection under Virginia’s term limit rules.
Click the link below to hear convention speeches from GOP candidates for statewide office:
https://virginia.gop/2021-nomination/
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Police in the city of Virginia Beach will require officers’ body cameras to be activated immediately when a police officer marks “en route” to a call for service.
The previous body camera policy required officers to activate cameras as soon as they arrived on the scene and as soon as it was “safe and practical to do so,” WAVY-TV reported this week
The change in policy falls in the wake of the fatal police shooting of Donovon Lynch on the city’s oceanfront in late March. Lynch was a cousin of Virginia Beach native and Grammy-winning musician Pharrell Williams.
Police said the body camera worn by the officer who shot Lynch was not activated for unknown reasons.
Lynch’s shooting has drawn calls for a thorough and transparent investigation from Williams and others. It remains under investigation.
Both Lynch and the police officer who shot him are Black. That officer and another officer who saw Lynch’s shooting have both said that Lynch had a handgun, according to police.
State health officials report 18 new coronavirus cases and 1 new hospitalization for the Roanoke Valley in the latest 24-hour reporting period. There is just 1 new COVID-related death among Roanoke, Salem and Roanoke and Botetourt Counties. State health officials report 4 new case, 1 new hospitalization and 1 new death in Roanoke City, and 14 new cases in Roanoke County.
State health officials report 35 new coronavirus cases and 2 new hospitalizations for the Roanoke Valley in the latest 24-hour reporting period. There are also 2 new COVID-related deaths among Roanoke, Salem and Roanoke and Botetourt Counties. State health officials report 18 new cases, and 1 new death in Roanoke City, 11 new cases, 2 new hospitalizations, and 1 new death in Roanoke County, 4 new cases in Salem, and 2 new cases in Botetourt County.
MGN
More than 50,000 Republican convention delegates will make the party’s choices for statewide races on Saturday, and there are indications that the nominating races are far more open than normal in convention settings. For starters, there are the 39 separate locations, and the number of delegates is far greater than normal. Also making things more open: the ranked choice ballots that give delegates a chance to select their second favorites and down the line from there. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:
State health officials report 31 new coronavirus cases and 2 new hospitalizations for the Roanoke Valley in the latest 24-hour reporting period. There is also 1 new COVID-related death among Roanoke, Salem and Roanoke and Botetourt Counties. State health officials report 10 new cases in Roanoke City, 12 new cases, 1 new hospitalization, and 1 new death in Roanoke County, 7 new cases in Salem, and 2 new cases, and 1 new hospitalization in Botetourt County.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – A Republican candidate for Virginia lieutenant governor is going to court to find out who is responsible for an anonymous attack that called him “a Gay Democrat” while supporting one of his opponents. Del. Glenn Davis announced Tuesday he had filed a defamation lawsuit against an unknown defendant over a text message sent to voters registered for the GOP’s unassembled convention. The message criticized Davis’ voting record, called him gay and said, “Help Glenn come out of the closet by not ranking him on May 8th.” The text message praised former Del. Tim Hugo, who is one of Davis’ opponents. Hugo has said he was not behind it.