NOVA Forward Focus

Locally Informed and Engaged in Northern Virginia

We are a group of people affiliated with the NOVA Forward Party looking to stay informed and engaged at the local level. 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.

 

Forward Making Moves

Two Forward Candidates Running for Virginia House of Delegates

Forward Party recently announced TWO candidates in Virginia, one of which is in NOVA! Brandon Givens will be running for House of Delegates D-11 (Fairfax) and Kristin Farry will be running for House D-72 (Henrico County). Both are eager to usher in a fresh new way of doing politics, build a healthier democracy, and solve problems for their communities.

Forward Party in Virginia Stands Against Government Intimidation

Virginia Forwardists have called attention and voiced opposition to intimidating tactics being used by Alexandria City Council’s legal team in their ongoing court case about controversial zoning changes.

Fireside Chat with Andrew Yang

The VA Forward Party recently hosted a live webinar featuring Andrew Yang – check out the recording of the conversation we had with him about growing our movement!  

 

Local Meets National

These 2 Virginia universities join 220 higher-ed leaders condemning federal overreach (The Progress Index – metered paywall)

Leaders from University of Virginia and Virginia Wesleyan University were among the over 220 presidents and chancellors to sign a joint statement condemning “unprecedented government overreach and political interference ... endangering American higher education.”

Senator Warner calls for Defense Secretary Hegseth’s resignation over classified information mishandling (ALXNow)

One of Virginia’s senators, Mark Warner (D) has publicly called for the Defense Secretary's resignation amid concerns over the handling of classified information and administration chaos. The article also highlights Warner’s frustration with other actions from the Trump administration that he believes will negatively impact Virginia, including cuts to Medicaid, schools, and FEMA.

Hardi, Underhill Appear At S.F. ‘Abundance’ Confab (Falls Church News Press)

Two local elected officials participated in an event organized by prominent national political figures. The event aimed to foster a new "center-left" movement focused on bipartisan collaboration to address significant national challenges.  

 

Local Politics

Second Democrat announces primary bid to unseat Del. Hope (ARLNow)

Incumbent Patrick Hope will face two challengers: Arjoon Srikanth and Sean Epstein, in the Democratic primary for the District 1 (D-1) seat in the VA House of Delegates, comprised of northern and central Arlington. The two other state delegates representing Arlington, Audrey McClure (D-2) and Alfonso Lopez (D-3), have no primary challengers. In the Arlington County Board primary, incumbent Takis Karantonis will face returning challenger James DeVita. All of these races are expected to heavily favor Democrats in the general election.

*The NOVA Forward Party has not endorsed candidates in any of these races yet, but stay tuned and get in touch if you’d like to offer input on whether we should and, if so, who.

Tysons casino proponent donates $15K to Arlington delegates (ARLNow)

Campaign finance in the news: Comstock Hospitality Holdings, a Reston-based developer hoping to bring a casino to Tysons, made significant donations to the campaigns of incumbents Patrick Hope (D-1) and Audrey McClure (D-2). The casino project would require approval by the state legislature and governor. Comstock has made over $700,000-worth of political donations in Virginia over the last two years.

Va. election offices invite voters to take a close-up look at the election process (Virginia Mercury)

Highlighting efforts to ensure election integrity in Virginia, this article details initiatives by Loudoun election offices to offer voters a transparent view of the election procedures.  

 

State Politics

Federal cuts set to drive interest in Virginia’s 2025 Democratic primaries (VPM)

Recent federal policies impacting the federal bureaucracy and workforce will significantly influence Virginia's 2025 Democratic primaries. As the article cites: “In 2021, almost two-thirds of the primary votes were cast in two areas with heavy concentrations of federal jobs and money: Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.”

The 2025 Elections in Virginia Will Be the Most Diverse in History (Black Virginia News)

Virginia's upcoming 2025 elections will have historically diverse representation among the candidates on the ballot. Both the Republican and Democrat nominees for governor are women (Winsome Earle-Sears and Abigail Spanberger, respectively) and a record number of Blacks and women are running for the Virginia House of Delegates.

 

Local Round-Up

Giving you the top headlines for the key issues that drive local politics in our area.

Housing/Land Use

Budget/Finance

Economy

Immigration

 

And, Finally… A Video

Chair Jefferson's Shuts Down Partisan Attacks during 2025 Budget Adoption (YouTube, sourced via Black Virginia News, 5.5 mins)

In the mood for a rant against partisan dysfunction? This video captures Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair Deshundra Jefferson condemning partisan attacks during the 2025 budget adoption process, specifically criticizing Republicans who refused to work on a compromise budget.