NOVA Forward Focus

Locally Informed and Engaged in Northern Virginia

We aim to make well-informed local civic engagement easy by empowering you with regular updates about the top things going on in NOVA, with a particular focus on political reform, ethics in politics, and other topics relevant to the Forward Party movement.

Some Thoughts to Kick Us Off

We Virginians had a big primary election just a few days ago on June 17th! Check out this link for an overview of the results relevant to the DMV area. Ranked Choice Voting (or more accurately, the lack thereof) was on the minds of many watching the Democratic race for Lieutenant Governor nominee. Of the six candidates who ran, the winner got less than 28% of the vote and the top 3 candidates were all within 1.5% of each other. As UpVote Virginia said in an email to their subscribers:

“This was yet another example of a primary race jam packed with qualified candidates - which should be nothing but good news for voters! More good choices = more perspectives being represented = more brainpower focuses on solving the problems that voters face... right? Instead, crowded primaries lead […] to voter frustration and arguments over who took whose votes and who should have waited their turn. […] [Ranked choice voting] would have provided more information about what voters wanted and clearly identified a candidate supported by over 50%.”

We can’t turn back time and re-do this election with RCV, but we can keep advocating for these kinds of good governance reforms in future elections across our communities and our state. I’m grateful to have you Forwardists alongside me as we work towards a future where healthier democratic systems are the norm.

-- Madison Taggart (née Granger), NOVA Forward Party Chair

VA Forward Happenings

Conversation w/ former NJ Governor co-Chair of FORWARD, Christie Whitman (Forward Party in VA)

Don’t miss this chat, hosted by Forward Party of Virginia’s own Sophia Nelson. Plus, a special treat around the 37 min mark, hear from our two Forward candidates for the Virginia House of Delegates: Brandon Givens (District 11, Fairfax County) and Kristin Farry (District 72, Henrico County).

Arlington VFW post gets new leadership, plans more outreach efforts (ARLNow)

Shout out to one of our NOVA Forward Party leaders, Mike Cantwell, who is highlighted in this article for taking on the role of post commander at the Arlington Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3150. Congrats, Mike! It's great to see our members making news for their positive involvement and leadership in the community.

Local Meets National

Fed Cuts Impact Local Nonprofit (Falls Church News-Press)

This piece provides a clear and compelling example of the local impacts of federal-level budget cuts. It features Arlington-based non-profit Aspire Afterschool Learning and details how its operations have been affected by Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Trump voters call president's pardon of corrupt Virginia sheriff 'a terrific mistake' (NPR)

While slightly outside of Northern Virginia, this striking story from Culpeper covers the local fallout and voter reaction after President Trump pardoned a former sheriff convicted of corruption.

Huge ‘No Kings’ crowds protest in Arlington ahead of military parade (ARLNow)

Large crowds gathered in Arlington (and across Northern Virginia) for the nation-wide "No Kings" protest ahead of last Saturday’s military parade in DC.

Arlington County board member shares threats she received, hopes to start conversation after Minnesota shootings (DC News Now)

Connecting to the devastating and alarming rise in political violence, this local story features an Arlington County board member sharing threats she has received online. Her hope is to start a conversation about the way people talk about and debate politics. The Forward Party's message of de-polarization can be a critical part of the solution.

State Politics

Virginia campaign finance laws take first step beyond honor system (Cardinal News)

This article highlights state-level reform aimed at curbing political corruption. The Department of Elections is set to release a report on the first-ever outside audits of campaign finance disclosures, which randomly reviewed seven local candidates from last fall.

State Resource

Digital dashboard dives into rural demographics, housing, health and more (Cardinal News)

Check out this valuable tool for anyone interested in Virginia data. This new digital dashboard from the Virginia Rural Center offers a deep dive into local data on demographics, housing, financial stability, health, and more.

Local Round-Up

Economy

Education

Crime

Upcoming

Enjoy this newsletter? Join us for our next NOVA Forward monthly meeting on Thursday June 26th at 8:15pm! Register here.