Tag: Bob Good

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Looking Good?

Political ads targeting Rep. Bob Good, who’s facing a primary challenge this year, have hit the airwaves. Image by Virginians for Conservative Leadership Pac.

Election season is in full swing for Rep. Bob Good, who’s faced barbs from his challenger, substantial intra-party criticism, and an all-but-declaration-of-war from the Trump campaign. But despite these hurdles, Good says he is confident the constituents of Virginia’s 5th District will “get it right” in the June primary.

The two-term incumbent faces a primary challenge from state Sen. John McGuire, who has criticized Good for his endorsement of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over former president Donald Trump. Though Good endorsed Trump following DeSantis’ decision to drop out of the race, McGuire remains critical.

“Bob Good has come groveling back to Trump in order to save his own hide—friends, don’t trust him,” wrote McGuire in a January 21 post on Twitter/X. “He’ll stab Trump in the back again the first chance he gets. Never Trumper Bob Good is only good for Joe Biden, not for the patriots of Virginia’s 5th Congressional District.”

McGuire has also called Good a RINO (Republican in Name Only) on several occasions, regardless of the congressman’s position as chair of the Freedom Caucus.

In an interview with C-VILLE, Good denied McGuire’s characterizations. “He is lying for political purposes, he thinks it gives him some kind of advantage to say that, but I think everybody sees through what he’s doing,” Good says. “Everybody knows that I’m one of the most, if not the most, conservative member of Congress. There’s a reason why the most conservative caucus in the House of Representatives elected me as their chairman, and I have consistently fought for our conservative principles.”

“I trust the folks in the 5th District to get it right,” he says. “I expect that they will re-nominate me and elect me again in November.”

Despite Good’s confidence in his conservatism, the congressman has recently come under fire from both moderate and far-right Republicans.

Republican critics of Good include Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Trump Campaign Manager Chris LaCivita.

In a text message published by Cardinal News, LaCivita said, “Bob Good won’t be electable when we get done with him.”

When asked for a response to LaCivita’s comment, Good told C-VILLE he “never met that gentleman” and would not directly respond to questions about his communications with the Trump campaign.

Antagonism from the Trump campaign may spell major trouble for Good this primary season, according to Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the University of Virginia Center for Politics’ newsletter.

Though Good has now endorsed the former president, his earlier backing of DeSantis may continue to incite criticisms from the Trump campaign. “Trump and his allies are not exactly known for burying the hatchet,” says Kondik.

Trump endorsed Good in 2022, and while the former president has not come out in favor of a candidate in the 2024 contest for Virginia’s 5th District, Good’s campaign website claims a Trump endorsement. 

“Most primary challengers have no shot,” Kondik says. “McGuire is a real challenger with real support, and Good has made some enemies within his party.”

While Trump has not formally endorsed McGuire, LaCivita’s comment is an indicator to Kondik that “there will be an aggressive campaign waged on McGuire’s behalf against Good.”

Political ads targeting Good are already rolling out, including one from the Virginians for Conservative Leadership Political Action Committee. The group questions Good’s loyalty to Trump in its video, and further criticizes the congressman for focusing on “political theater” over the needs of constituents on its website nogoodbob.com.

“That PAC is neither conservative, or … from Virginia,” says Good. “If you’re trying to be deceptive and dishonest and try to smear someone, then you use a name for yourself that might convey a different impression than what the truth really is.”

Virginians for Conservative Leadership has a mailing address in Hudson, Wisconsin, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission. C-VILLE could not independently confirm the PAC’s political leanings.

For all of the animosity between McGuire and Good, the two Republicans have overlapping political platforms. Both candidates oppose abortion and gun control laws, and support Christian principles on their campaign websites. The most notable distinction between the candidates’ campaign websites is the level of detail on policy issues. McGuire is more vague, referencing a support for “conservative values” and “Christian conservative values,” while Good outlines his views on immigration and the economy, among other issues.

Regardless of who wins the nomination, Kondik says Republicans will most likely win the 5th District seat in the general election. “Virginia’s 5th District is not overwhelmingly Republican,” he says, “but it is Republican enough that any GOP nominee should be fine in November.”

Early in-person voting in Virginia’s congressional primaries will begin on May 3 at local registrars’ offices, with Primary Election Day on June 18.

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In brief

The Good chair

Fifth District Rep. Bob Good was named chair of the House Freedom Caucus on December 11, and will start the job in January. For years, the Freedom Caucus has played a prominent role in congressional politics, including the ouster of former House speaker Kevin McCarthy and the lengthy process to elect a replacement speaker.

In a press release announcing his appointment, Good said, “I look forward to building on the work [Scott Perry] has done and continuing the fight to reduce government spending, secure our borders, and defend our constitutional freedoms.” The Virginia representative will replace Pennsylvania Congressman Perry as chair of the ultra-conservative caucus.

Good was elected to Congress in 2020, and has gained significant influence amid a divided Republican party. Though his new leadership position may bolster his national prominence, the local impact of Good’s chairmanship is likely to be limited, according to University of Virginia Crystal Ball Editor Kyle Kondik.

Rather than give him direct access to additional resources for Virginia’s 5th District, Good’s appointment affords him additional political sway within Congress, due to the narrow Republican majority in the House.

“The Freedom Caucus as a group does exert some power within the Republican Conference,” says Kondik. “There’s a lot of must-pass bills that have come down the pike this past year. And typically, the majority party is the one that’s on the hook for providing the votes for that. But the Republicans haven’t had party unity on a lot of these things.”

Newly elected Delegate John McGuire announced he will challenge Good for the Republican congressional nomination in 2024, partially due to Good’s lack of support for former president Donald Trump. Good, however, may get a boost from his new position in the primary election. “Given that primary electorates can be kind of ideological, [it] may be helpful to Good that he’s in with the Freedom Caucus,” says Kondik. “It’s gonna be harder to get to his right.”

Virginia’s 5th District is pretty safely Republican, meaning Good is unlikely to be defeated in the 2024 general election—but the congressman’s new position could bolster a Democratic challenger. “Certainly the case that Democrats would make against Bob Good is just that he’s too far right, even for a conservative leaning district,” says Kondik. “Maybe it’s easier to make that kind of argument when he’s in charge of the Freedom Caucus.”

In brief

Civic duty

The City of Charlottesville announced that it intends to fill a vacancy on the Police Civilian Oversight Board, and that applications are open to the public. The PCOB monitors the Charlottesville Police Department, with a stated mission of promoting transparency, fair policing, and the protection of citizens’ civil rights. Anyone interested in serving on the board, can apply through the Charlottesville Boards and Commissions Vacancies webpage by February 29, 2024.

Special invite

University of Virginia rower Sky Dahl was invited to January’s 2024 Paralympic Selection Camp. Dahl, a junior, is one of 13 athletes participating in the camp, which selects the rowers who will represent the United States in the 2024 Paralympic Games, held in Paris from August 31 to September 1. The camp will host the athletes in Sarasota, Florida.

Sky Dahl. Photo by UVA Athletics.

New rep

The Albemarle County School Board has selected a new representative for the Rio Magisterial District, after the seat was vacated when Katrina Callsen resigned to run for a House of Delegates seat. Charles Pace, a former Albemarle County Public Schools teacher and central office administrator, will fill the role. Pace taught biology and chemistry at Albemarle High School, served as K-12 science instructional coordinator, and as science department chairperson for Blue Ridge School. Despite his recent appointment, he may face competition in November, as the Rio seat will be up for grabs at the next general election.

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In brief: School funding bill killed, IX for sale-or not

Sketch of proposed renovations to Buford Middle School
PC: City of Charlottesville

School (funding’s) out

A Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee killed school funding bills Friday that would’ve allowed localities to raise money for school construction, voting 5-3 on all three bills. Similar legislation was passed by the state Senate.

The Republican-controlled House’s action looms large in Charlottesville: City Council has expressed that finding new revenue streams is a key step in a long-awaited school reconfiguration process. The bills would’ve given Charlottesville the ability to increase sales taxes by up to 1 percent if approved by voters. According to city officials, that increase would bring in an additional $12 million annually toward the reconfiguration of Walker Upper Elementary and Buford Middle schools, a project that has been debated for over a decade and is expected to cost $75 million in its first phase, reports The Daily Progress.

Buford Middle School currently houses students in seventh and eighth grades, but the new plan would move sixth graders from Walker Upper Elementary, which currently serves students in fifth and sixth grades, into Buford. Fifth graders would return to elementary schools, and Walker would be transformed into an early education center. The reason for the renovation and expansion of Buford is to decrease difficulties associated with transitioning into middle school, and modernize the over 50-year-old building.

Delegate Sally Hudson, who sponsored some of the bills that were rejected by the subcommittee, tweeted after the meeting that the bills wouldn’t have affected localities that didn’t want an increase in sales taxes.

“The bills simply gave local govts the right to ask their voters for a referendum to fund school construction,” Hudson wrote. “Virginia’s Dillon Rule handcuffs us again, and kids pay the price.”

Gun-rights activist will challenge Bob Good

The father of a journalist who was killed on live TV is seeking the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District.

Andy Parker. Supplied photo

Andy Parker’s 24-year-old daughter Alison was shot to death by a former employee at her news station, Roanoke’s WDBJ, while doing a live report in Moneta, Virginia, in August 2015. Following the tragedy, Parker embarked on a journey to “do whatever it takes to end gun violence,” becoming an activist for the enactment of tighter gun safety laws.

The focus of his current campaign, however, is regulation of the tech industry, specifically preventing the abuse of social media platforms, which had failed to remove content depicting his daughter’s murder. Parker hopes to amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, something that protects tech companies from being liable for what their users post.

“I had a choice to retreat into my grief or honor Alison’s life through action. I chose the latter,” Parker tweeted in an announcement of his run for Congress.

The seat is currently occupied by Republican Bob Good, a strong supporter of gun rights.

Hudson and Freitas spar in the House

While in power over the last two years, Virginia Democrats passed legislation that would incrementally increase the state’s minimum wage, from its 2020 rate of $7.25 an hour up to $12 an hour in 2023. Republicans, now in control of the House of Delegates, are trying to repeal some of that legislation. In a hearing on Monday, area delegates Sally Hudson and Nick Freitas clashed over the effects of the proposed minimum wage increase.

“I think it’s somewhat arrogant for us to assume that we should negotiate on [the workers’] behalf,” said Freitas, an Army veteran and Republican who represents Culpeper. ”Especially to the point where we’re essentially engaging in price fixing within the labor market, telling someone that wants a job, that may need a job, that may have found a job, they’re not allowed to have it unless we’ve approved of what their wage is going to be.”

Hudson, who teaches economics at UVA, saw fit to respond.

“In the face of a noncompetitive market, there is scope for government to intervene and level the playing field and generate gains for the greater good of all,” she said. “That simple belief that raising the minimum wage hurts workers is an article of faith, not an economic fact.”

“You need a little bit more than Economics 101 to understand the consequences of a policy like this for the people we serve,” Hudson continued. “You see, Bio 101 isn’t enough to make a doctor, and you can’t build a bridge with Physics 101 alone. So too with economics.”—C-VILLE Staff

IX is up for grabs—or not

Eighty-four million dollars will buy you a 230-foot superyacht. Or four years of professional basketball from UVA and Indiana Pacers star Malcolm Brogdon. Or…IX Art Park?

Last week, the property, which is owned by local real estate mogul Ludwig Kuttner and Allan Cadgene, was listed for sale in two separate parcels. The two plots total 17-and-a-half acres, and cost more than $4,800,000 per acre.

  • “City Center” lot
  • “Ix Project” lot
[The property owners] have received a significant amount of unsolicited interest in the future of undeveloped portions of the IX property. Photos: Charlottesville MLS

That price far outstrips the city’s recent assessment of the property. One of the two parcels, called IX Project in the listing, is a six-acre space that contains the Three Notch’d and Looking Glass exhibit building. In 2022 the city assessed the IX Project property at $5.6 million. The listing has that same chunk of land priced at more than $19 million.

“Great opportunity for primary economic development, Tech Campus, superior mixed-use,” reads the listing for the larger of the two plots. “Various opportunities for land development/redevelopment. Infill development opportunities desired!”

The IX owners released a statement on Friday afternoon, clarifying their short-term plans for the space.

“Ix Art Park Foundation continues business as usual despite property listing misinformation,” they wrote. “Recently, [the property owners] have received a significant amount of unsolicited interest in the future of undeveloped portions of the IX property…The owners are hopeful that their decision to formally list the IX property with a broker will help generate new ideas that will positively impact Charlottesville.”

“There is no plan to demolish existing buildings or displace current tenants,” the statement concludes.—C-VILLE Staff

In brief

Rezoning begins

In November, City Council approved the new Comprehensive Plan, a broad set of goals for development in the coming years. Now, the same consultants who steered the Comprehensive Plan process must conduct a parcel-by-parcel review of the city’s zoning, to ensure the zoning matches the goals laid out in the larger plan. That rezoning began last week, and will take more than a year. The Comprehensive Plan adoption process wasn’t always pretty—many residents opposed some of the more permissive building rules the plan proposed. The zoning rewrite will surely be met with similar opposition, so watch this space for all the drama in the coming months.

Colleges can’t mandate vax, says AG

State colleges and universities can’t require coronavirus vaccines for students, says a legal opinion from new Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. According to Miyares, the law does not say public institutions can mandate vaccinations “as a condition of enrollment or in-person attendance.” While the General Assembly authorized institutions to help administer the vaccines, institutions were not given the power to impose mandates, he said. UVA, which has already mandated vaccinations and boosters for its students, has said that it will continue to encourage students to get boosters but will not disenroll any students who haven’t yet done so.

Retreat yourself

Charlottesville’s new City Council got to know each other at a full-day retreat last Wednesday. From 9am to 4pm, the councilors discussed the annual budget process, how to work with the city staff, and proper procedures for running a City Council marathon session. Oh, the joys of local bureaucracy!

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Early results

Bob Good. Supplied photo.

From the very beginning of his campaign, 5th District Representative Bob Good has identified himself as a Trump-loving, Bible-thumping hardcore conservative. He opposes LGBTQ+ equality and abortion rights. He is hard on immigration and asylum seekers. He loves guns and police. Good is now six months into his two-year term. Thus far, the votes he’s cast and legislation he’s introduced have reflected his state priorities, though none of the 19 bills he’s introduced have made it through their committees.  

In a controversial drive-thru convention last June, Good—a former Campbell County supervisor, Liberty University athletics fundraiser, and a wrestling coach—defeated former Representative Denver Riggleman, accusing him of not being conservative enough after Riggleman officiated a gay wedding in 2019. Good went on to beat Democrat Dr. Cameron Webb in November by about five points. 

In January, Good kicked off his term by formally rejecting the results of the 2020 presidential election, joining eight Republican senators and more than 100 Republican representatives in accusing the Democrats of committing massive election fraud and stealing the race from Trump. (Federal and state judges have found no evidence supporting these claims.) Right after the January 6 attack on the Capitol, Good continued to push for the exclusion of several states won by Democrats from the Electoral College tally.

More recently, Good voted against creating a federal commission to investigate the insurrection, and awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol. During the attack, over 140 officers were injured. One later died from his injuries, and two died by suicide.

Over the past six months, Good has continuously voted against legislation proposed by Democrats, including bills prohibiting discrimination based on sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation; expanding voting, unionization, and collective bargaining rights; requiring background checks for all gun sales; creating a path to citizenship for DREAMERS; providing people detained while entering the country with legal counsel; making Washington, D.C., a state; protecting pregnant and older employees from workplace discrimination; and providing contraceptives to veterans without co-pays.

Good has voted with President Joe Biden just 3 percent of the time over the last six months, according to FiveThirtyEight’s congressional tracker. That places him among the most conservative quarter of the Republican caucus. The only vote Good and the President have agreed on is a bill to repeal the 2002 authorization of military force in Iraq. 

In the wake of increased violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Good also refused to support the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which aims to make reporting hate crimes easier. And following last year’s protests against police brutality and systemic racism, he voted down the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which intends to increase accountability for law-enforcement misconduct.

Good’s 19 bills have included banning the use of federal funds for the Central American Minors Program; treating silencers the same as firearms accessories; requiring that schools disclose negotiations with teacher unions to receive relief funds; preventing states and local jurisdictions from interfering with worship services; and outlawing asylum for migrants who have been convicted of a crime.

Good has also gotten cozy with fellow far-right conservatives like QAnon conspiracy theorist Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. He joined Taylor Greene’s calls to fire Dr. Anthony Fauci and her protests against the House’s mask mandate. Good himself has refused to disclose whether he’s gotten vaccinated.

The representative’s disdain for pandemic safety measures comes as no surprise—during a Trump rally in December, Good praised the maskless crowd for knowing “that this is a phony pandemic.” The coronavirus had killed nearly 300,000 people in the U.S. at the time, including more than 300 in the 5th District.

Last month, Good made headlines again when he peppered Education Secretary Miguel Cardona with questions about critical race theory during a virtual House hearing. While Good pushed Cardona to ensure the federal government would not challenge state laws banning the teaching of critical race theory, New Jersey Democratic Representative Donald Norcross’ screen popped up, and someone shouted “racist!”

Next year, Good will already have at least one challenger. Last month, Brunswick-based farmer Kimberly Lowe announced that she’s running for the 5th District seat. However, she seems to agree with Good on some things—protecting Second Amendment rights and ensuring election integrity are two of her top priorities. 

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In brief: Map of the land, Hoos in Omaha

Photo: City of Charlottesville.

Thousands comment on proposed land use map

At the beginning of May, the Cville Plans Together team—a group of consultants hired to rewrite the city’s zoning code—shared a draft of a Future Land Use Map, a document that will help guide the city’s growth in the coming decades by identifying which areas could support increased housing density.

The map has attracted tons of attention from city residents. Some homeowners in wealthy neighborhoods have opposed the map’s strategy, arguing that allowing apartments to be built in neighborhoods currently full of single-family homes will have deleterious effects on property values and neighborhood character. Others, meanwhile, say that the map isn’t proactive enough, and could be even more aggressive in making space for sorely needed new homes.

The team of consultants had initially announced it would take comments on the map through the month of May, but extended the deadline to mid-June at the request of city residents. The consultants will now begin reviewing the more than 1,300 emails they’ve received, as well as 900 comments on the interactive map and 400 responses to their online feedback form. We’re still in the early stages of what will be a long rezoning process, so buckle in for a lot more in the coming months and years. 

Charlottesville’s best-kept secret wins big

Supplied photo.

On June 5, Charlottesville’s semi-professional football team, the Virginia Silverbacks, won the United Eastern Atlantic Football League championship 28-13 against the Virginia Crusaders. The Silverbacks, whose players include an ex-UVA player and assistant Charlottesville High School football coach, a 65-year-old UVA professor, and a former CHS starting quarterback, trounced the Crusaders, who defeated them in the championship in 2019. 

After losing that game two years ago on the Silverbacks’ home turf (the Charlottesville High School field), the local team showed up ready to dominate the Crusaders this year in Williamsburg. An early touchdown in the first quarter gave them a head start, they went into halftime with a 28-6 lead, and the Silverbacks never looked back. 

“A white person used their privilege to stay in office. Black people used their power.” 

Former vice-mayor Wes Bellamy, speaking to The New York Times about how Black Virginians have pushed Governor Ralph Northam to adopt progressive reforms in the years since the governor’s blackface scandal 

In brief:

Hoos head to Omaha

The UVA baseball team continued its miraculous postseason run on Monday. The unranked Cavaliers beat Dallas Baptist University 5-2 off a Kyle Teel grand slam in the seventh inning to secure a place in the College World Series. UVA has been one loss away from elimination six times this month and won all six games. The Hoos will head to Omaha, Nebraska, along with seven other teams, to compete in the CWS, which starts on Saturday. It’s the first World Series appearance for the Cavs since 2015, when they were crowned national champions. 

Lightning speed

UVA graduate student Michaela Meyer won the national championship in the 800 meters last weekend. Meyer completed the race—just under half a mile—in 2 minutes and .28 seconds. It’s the first track and field championship for an individual woman in school history.

College Inn’s baked its last pizza

File photo.

The College Inn has closed its doors, just shy of 70 years in business. The locally owned, late-night delivery staple will be replaced with a Chipotle. “It’s goodbye for now but hopefully not forever,” reads a post on the shop’s Facebook site. “Thank you for loving the College Inn.”

Republican takes on Bob Good

Brunswick-based farmer Kimberly Lowe has announced that she’s running for the 5th District congressional seat as a Republican in 2022. Protecting second amendment rights and ensuring election integrity are among Lowe’s top priorities. She has run unsuccessfully for the House of Delegates twice in the past, but if she manages to flip the script and unseat Good, she’d be the favorite to win the general election, and could become the fifth different Republican to hold the seat in the last five terms. 

Updated 6/16 to correct Kyle Teel’s name.

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In brief: Vaccines for the frontline, Wade for City Council, and more

PC: Eze Amos

Vaccine scene

Charlottesville Fire Department Captain Lance Blakey was the first to receive a coronavirus vaccine at the Blue Ridge Health District’s new vaccination facility in the Kmart parking lot last week. The city continues to move through phase 1A of vaccinations, which includes doctors, nurses, EMTs, pharmacists, social workers, and other frontline health care personnel. As of Tuesday morning, 9.2 million doses of the vaccine had been distributed in the U.S. In Virginia, 191,000 people have received their first shot, and 15,000 of those people have also gotten a second shot, which is administered around a month after the first. Virginia ranks 36th out of 50 states in the percent of the population that has been vaccinated, according to The New York Times. So far, 3,893 Albemarle County residents have been vaccinated, and 3,643 Charlottesville City residents have been vaccinated.

Freshman lawmaker Bob Good is facing calls to resign after voting to contest the 2020 presidential election. PC: Publicity photo

Off to a no-Good start

That was fast: Bob Good has been in congress for less than two weeks, and he’s already facing calls to resign. The Republican was one of the members of the House of Representatives who voted last week to formally contest the results of the 2020 presidential election in six states. That vote came on the heels of Wednesday’s deadly attack on the Capitol—later, when Democrats began the process of impeaching President Trump for his role in the insurrection, Good released a statement calling the effort “destabilizing and offensive.”

Indivisible Charlottesville held a rally outside the county office building on Friday, calling for Good to step down after his vote to contest the election. And last week, the editorial board at the Danville Register & Bee penned an op-ed to the same effect. “We hope you have taken time to watch the video of how Wednesday unfolded,” the board writes. “We hope guilt has seared a hole in your soul.”

_________________

Quote of the week

“All of the people surprised by the events of yesterday live
outside of Charlottesville. I promise you, we knew.“

—Activist Don Gathers in a tweet about the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol

__________________

In brief

Home schooling

The Charlottesville school board voted last week to postpone in-person classes until at least March 8. Earlier in the winter, the district had hoped to return to in-person learning as early as January 19, but moved the start date back as local COVID cases continue to rise. Albemarle’s school board will meet this week to make a decision on how to handle the next few weeks.

Chased out?

Virginia state Senator and 2021 gubernatorial candidate Amanda Chase was among the seditionists on the scene at the Capitol attack last week. Soon after, the Virginia Senate’s Democratic Caucus called on Chase to resign, saying she “galvanized domestic terrorists.” Many Republicans are sick of Chase, too—former Republican representative Barbara Comstock was among a handful who called on the Virginia General Assembly to expel the lawless lawmaker.

Virginia state Senator Amanda Chase joined the march to the U.S. Capitol that resulted in a riot last week. PC: Publicity photo

Vaccines for inmates

Virginia announced last week that people in state prisons and local jails would be included in Phase 1B of COVID vaccinations. The decision was praised by justice reform advocates who have watched with horror as correctional facilities around the nation have become COVID hot spots. Phase 1b also includes people aged 75 or older and frontline workers like firefighters and K-12 teachers.

Wading in

Charlottesville City School Board member Juandiego Wade announced that he’s running for City Council this year. Wade, a school board member since 2006, was awarded the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Paul Goodloe McIntire Citizenship Award in 2019. Certainly, it takes a person with real character to run for council after watching how city government has worked for the last few years.

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Webb wanes: Democratic candidate comes up short in red district

In Virginia's 5th Congressional District, Dr. Cameron Webb fell to Bob Good in a highly contested race. PC: Eze Amos

President-elect Joe Biden swept to an easy victory in Virginia last week, carrying the state with 53.9 percent of the vote to Donald Trump’s 44.2 percent, according to data from the Virginia Department of Elections.

In the 5th Congressional District, Democrats weren’t so successful. Dr. Cameron Webb, UVA’s Director of Health Policy and Equity, fell to Bob Good, a Liberty University athletics administrator and Campbell County Supervisor. Observers around the country noted that Webb ran a sharp campaign while Good fumbled through multiple comical scandals, including a committing a potential campaign finance violation by auctioning off an AR-15 rifle at a rally. Heading into election night, FiveThirtyEight called the district a tossup.

Ultimately, however, Good earned 210,986 votes (52.4 percent) to Webb’s 190,313 (47.3 percent).

The huge, largely rural 5th District has voted for a Republican by a comfortable margin ever since it was drawn into its current form in the last round of redistricting. Four different Republican candidates have run in the 5th since 2012, carrying between 52.4 and 60.9 percent of the vote each time.

The map above shows the margin of victory for Cameron Webb and Bob Good in each of the 5th District’s localities.

Though Webb lost to Good by 5.1 percent, there’s evidence to suggest Webb’s campaign did swing some voters into his camp. Webb outperformed Biden, earning around 7,000 more votes than the president-elect in the 5th District.

Still, that wasn’t enough to overcome the challenges presented by the gerrymandered district.

Two years ago, Democrat Leslie Cockburn lost to Republican Denver Riggleman by 6.6 percent in the 5th. In 2020, Webb managed to flip two of the district’s 23 localities, turning Nelson County and Fluvanna County from one-point losses into one-point wins. Webb also expanded on Cockburn’s 2018 performance in Albemarle, the district’s largest locality, winning 68.2 percent of the vote, compared to Cockburn’s 64.6.

Overall, Webb improved on Cockburn’s 2018 vote share in 15 of 23 localities—but he didn’t improve by more than 3.6 percent in a single locality, and he lost ground in some places.

Webb wasn’t able to make serious inroads into the district’s most populous red localities. In Pittsylvania and Fauquier counties, the district’s two largest localities outside of Charlottesville-Albemarle, Webb won 32.2 percent and 42.1 percent of the vote, respectively. For comparison, in 2018 Cockburn won 30.8 percent in Pittsylvania and 42.4 percent in Fauquier.

“It has truly been an honor to run to represent this district in Congress,” Webb wrote in a statement conceding the race on Tuesday. “This campaign has been a battle of ideas about how to best serve the people of our district and I cannot give enough thanks to everyone who made it possible.”

“Tonight is a victory for the conservative values that founded and sustain this nation, for biblical principles, the sanctity of life, religious liberty, free market capitalism and the importance of faith and family,” Good wrote after his victory.

Democrat Mark Warner also ran ahead of Biden, winning re-election to the U.S. Senate with 55.9 percent of the vote. Two Virginia Dems who flipped red seats in 2018 hung on to their districts this time around. In the 2nd, Elaine Luria beat Republican Scott Taylor for the second time in two years, widening her margin of victory to 5.4 percent, and in the 7th, Abigail Spanberger beat Delegate Nick Freitas by about 8,000 votes.

Virginia Republicans have now lost four straight presidential elections, four straight senate races, and two straight governor’s races. (Not that we’re counting.) Last time Republicans won statewide office was in 2009, when Bob McDonnell was elected governor, and he wound up being charged with a felony and narrowly avoiding prison. This year, the party ran Freitas—last spotted losing to far-right Confederate enthusiast Corey Stewart in the 2018 senate primary—in a winnable congressional race. Republicans don’t have much time on their hands if they want to right the ship before the next governor’s race next November.

Further down the ballot, Virginians overwhelmingly voted to pass an amendment to the Virginia constitution that will reform the way the state draws U.S. congressional and state legislative districts. The amendment places the responsibility for drawing district lines with a bipartisan commission comprised of citizens and legislators of both parties, rather than allowing the majority party to draw lines however they prefer. Some House of Delegates Democrats opposed the measure, claiming that it wasn’t a strong enough reform, but the proposal passed with the support of 65.8 percent of voters.

In a perfect world, new lines will be drawn in time for the 2021 House of Delegates elections. It’s possible, though, that a census delayed by coronavirus could mean new data isn’t available until the 2022 congressional races.

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Flip the script: In conversation with Cameron Webb

In Virginia's 5th Congressional District, Dr. Cameron Webb fell to Bob Good in a highly contested race. PC: Eze Amos

In 2016, Donald Trump won Virginia’s 5th Congressional District by 11 percentage points. Two years later, as a blue wave saw Democrats pick up 41 House seats nationwide, Republican Denver Riggleman beat Democrat Leslie Cockburn by 7 percent. 

Virginia’s 5th District runs from Fauquier County to the North Carolina border. The huge district encompasses the blue enclave of Charlottesville, but also hundreds of miles filled with more conservative rural communities. Democrats have no business competing here, and for the last decade, they haven’t.

Enter Cameron Webb. 

Webb is a practicing doctor, teacher, and Director of Health Policy and Equity at the UVA School of Medicine. He worked in the White House under former President Barack Obama and decided to stay on after the 2016 election, working on drug pricing during the Trump administration. If he wins, he’ll be the first Black representative in the history of the 5th District, and the first Black doctor to serve in U.S. Congress.

Meanwhile, Webb’s opponent, Bob Good, is a self-proclaimed “biblical conservative.” He’s been a member of the Campbell County Board of Supervisors, a Liberty University athletics fundraiser, and a wrestling coach. Good challenged the incumbent Riggleman after some district Republicans were upset that Riggleman officiated a gay wedding. Good then won the nomination in a bizarre, COVID-altered drive-through convention of Republican delegates. 

Webb’s red-hot campaign has turned the district into a tossup. A late October poll from Public Policy Polling showed Webb leading 46-43, and FiveThirtyEight now gives each candidate an exactly 50 percent chance to win the district.

C-VILLE spoke with Webb last week, in hopes of figuring out what it is about the young doctor that’s got everyone talking. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

 

C-VILLE: As if this final stretch of the campaign wasn’t busy enough, I hear you have some shifts in the COVID unit coming up this week. What’s that like these days?

CW: You never really know until you get there. The way this virus is, everything changes quickly. But all over the commonwealth, all over the country we’re seeing an uptick in cases. Everybody who’s there can get pretty sick pretty fast—especially working overnight, as the only doctor on the COVID unit, you want to make sure you’re ready to respond at a moment’s notice.

 

Well, Congress will be a breeze after that. 

It’ll be a different kind of exercise. I’m looking forward to the challenge, though. There are some similarities—it’s a similar skill set, especially when you’re out and about talking to folks. It’s asking folks where it hurts and listening for an answer.

People don’t realize this all the time, but a lot of medicine is a negotiation. Many times, with treatment recommendations, folks may say, ‘I hear you, but I don’t like X, Y, or Z.’ So, okay, how do we find out way forward? That idea of finding consensus is something I expect to lean in to. You meet people where they are—that’s what medicine is about. 

 

You’re running a very close race in a solidly Republican district. On a basic level, flipping a district means convincing people who don’t agree with you on very much that you’re the person for the job. How have you been doing that?

I would start off by saying we actually agree with each other on far more things than we don’t. On education, for instance, we all want kids to have a great education. On health care, we all want folks to have access to the care they need. 

Now, the manner of execution is different, but the agreement is on the outcome. In this race, with folks across the political spectrum, we’re able to have common conversations about what we want to see. Then I’m able to show people what I think is the course forward. I haven’t really felt that tension of folks disagreeing with me. 

[Finding] those points of commonality takes a lot of work, it takes a lot of time, and it takes a lot of trust. But [we’ve been] spending the time to build that trust…I think that’s why this race is where it is.

 

Do you think those strategies will work at the next level? I mean, time and trust have been in short supply in the federal government recently. 

Listen, I’ve seen these strategies work in the Trump White House. I led a drug pricing task force, and I saw this strategy work right there in the executive office of President Donald J. Trump. 

I also think there’s strength in numbers. Any member of Congress who’s willing to work with folks who see the world differently from them—they’re part of our path forward as Americans. Luckily, we’ve got someone in the adjacent congressional district, Congresswoman Spanberger, who talks about that same thing.

I talked to [her] before I decided to run, because one of my questions was, “What’s it like trying to be in that space, in Congress, advocating for building consensus?” [She] reassured me that this is possible, you can be that kind of legislator…The more people we have who think like that, the better off we’ll be. 

 

Speaking of people on the other side of the aisle—what do you make of your opponent, Bob Good?

I still have yet to sit down in a room with Mr. Good. Even though we’re on opposite sides of the ticket, I don’t have the mindset that there’s nothing Bob Good and I would agree on.

But I think he’s taken an approach in this race where he’s tried to misrepresent some of my positions on key issues. It’s important for me to set the record straight. We’re very different—my whole focus since the beginning has been trying to unify people, and bridge divides, and bring folks together. And his approach has been to stand in his position, saying this is a bright red district and everyone should get on board. 

 

What are some of your positions that you feel have been misrepresented by the Good campaign?

Oh, shall I count the ways. Top of mind of course is this conversation around policing. I think they’ve definitely tried to label me as a radical of some sort, which couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Part of why we have the momentum that we have is that people across the district actually see me, and they hear what I say. All of that disinformation—it’s not sticking. What is sticking with folks is how it reflects on him, and less about how it reflects on me. 

 

You’re a doctor. Does that mean that health care will be one of your top legislative priorities if you win?

You can’t be a legislator heading in to the 117th Congress and not prioritize COVID recovery. And certainly there’s a public health component to that, but there’s also an economic component.

I really prioritize the economy in all of my conversations, because I can build a lot of conversations around that. Our health care conversation is an economic conversation—[health care] is one-fifth of our economy, it’s the largest sector in our economy. Our climate crisis conversation is an economic conversation, it’s about creating jobs, it’s about recognizing that renewable energies are cheaper than fossil fuels—even the free market is telling us that’s the direction we should be going. The frame here in the district does tend to have more of an economic focus, and we’re able to rise to that conversation.

 

What are your election night plans?

Believe it or not, I haven’t spent a tremendous amount of time thinking about that, because I’m so busy doing the work. It’s going to be something that honors the work that our team has put in, that my family has put in, but at the same time acknowledges that even though we want to celebrate we’re still in the midst of a global pandemic.

 

It’s good you’re calm—I’m a nervous wreck.

Well, it’s hard to shake me at this point—I was [in Washington] in November of 2016, I was up until 3 o’clock, finding out who my future boss was going to be. One thing I tell people often: President Obama’s calm the next day in the White House—I will remember that forever. I remember going to the Rose Garden the next day, and him walking out and saying, “Hey, America’s going to be okay. We just need to keep fighting, and making our argument.” And that’s what we’ll do. 

 

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In brief: UVA returns in spring, COVID hits Wintergreen, and more

PC: Rick Stillings

Back again?

After a semester that featured dorm lockdowns, gathering limits, maskless masses flooding bars, and more than a thousand positive tests among students, staff, and contract employees since August, UVA announced last week that students will return to Grounds in person for the spring semester.

The university will essentially replicate its fall reopening plans next semester. Most classes will be held online, but there will be a limited number of in-person offerings. Students will continue to be required to wear masks, practice social distancing, and comply with testing requirements while on Grounds.

The school’s January term will take place online. And while these courses usually cost extra, this year students can take one class for free.

To reduce the threat during peak flu season, the first day of spring classes has been pushed back from January 20 to February 1. The semester will still end at the beginning of May.

And to discourage students from traveling in and out of Charlottesville, the typically weeklong spring break—originally scheduled for March 6 through 14—will be replaced with multiple shorter breaks.

Before students leave for Thanksgiving and finish out the rest of the semester from home, they will all be required to take and submit a COVID test, like they did before returning to Grounds this fall. No word yet if they will be tested again before the start of the spring semester.

By March 15, the university will announce its plans for Final Exercises, for both the classes of 2020 and 2021. The Class of 2020 is currently scheduled to have its delayed celebration from May 21 to 23. The Class of 2021 is slated to walk the Lawn the following weekend.

Follow the money

In elections for the House of Representatives, the candidate who spends more money wins 90 percent of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight.

There are multiple reasons for that correlation: Large war chests help candidates put together effective campaigns, and candidates with winning pedigrees attract more donations. In any case, it bodes well
for Cameron Webb, who has run rings around Bob Good in
the money race. As of October 25, Webb has raised $4.6 million; Good, a former fundraiser for Liberty University athletics, has raised just $1.1 million. The difference in small-dollar donations is even starker: Webb has earned $1.3 million to Good’s $180,000 from donations of $200 or less.

Across the state, Democrats have thumped Republicans in fundraising. U.S. Senator Mark Warner has raised $16.6 million, compared to opponent Daniel Gade’s $3.9 million, according to OpenSecrets. Warner’s senate seat was a tossup six years ago, but now the Dem, seeking a third term, is a comfortable favorite. Warner’s 2014 opponent, Ed Gillespie, raised $7.9 mil, but Gade hasn’t been able to come anywhere near that amount this year. Virginia Republicans haven’t won a statewide race since 2009.

In this cycle, Virginians have given $23.2 million to Joe Biden and $11.1 million to Donald Trump, according to the Federal Election Commission. Nationally, Biden has far outraised what Hillary Clinton did in 2016, and Trump has almost doubled his totals from last time around. That dynamic is visible on the state level too—in 2016, Virginians gave $16 million to Hillary Clinton and just $3.7 million to Trump.

CC License: Mark Warner Flickr

_________________

Quote of the week

“I strain to recall ever before witnessing such disdain for precedent, such disrespect for the legacy of an American giant, such disregard for the will of the voters.”

—Senator Tim Kaine on Monday’s confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett

__________________

In brief

You’ve Piqua’d my interest

High rates of turnover in Charlottesville city government continue. Former public works director and Deputy City Manager Paul Oberdorfer is leaving for the greener pastures of Piqua, Ohio, where he’s been offered the job of city manager, reports The Daily Progress. Oberdorfer, an Ohio native, will finish in Charlottesville on December 31.

Snowball effect

Multiple staffers at Wintergreen Resort have tested positive for COVID, and 20 have been asked to quarantine, after an October 10 wedding party introduced the disease to the ski resort. Wintergreen currently limits its events to 50 guests at a time, and has assured the public that it’s been adhering closely to all relevant guidelines. Still, once the virus takes hold, things can go downhill quickly.

The horror continues

As if the world wasn’t scary enough, Halloween is just around the corner. Trick-or-treating isn’t officially canceled this year, but the city is encouraging hosts to “avoid direct contact with trick-or-treaters and give treats away outdoors if possible.” Hopefully, for one night at least, no one will mind walking around in a mask.

Carson unmasked

Bob Good keeps popping up in headlines for the wrong reasons—this time, he hosted a private fundraiser in Fauquier County where doctor and high-ranking Trump official Ben Carson was caught sauntering about without a mask. Carson’s appearance continues a pattern of inconsistent mask use from Trump’s inner circle, despite the repeated assertion from medical experts that masks save lives.

Ben Carson PC: Gage Skidmore

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Ballot breakdown: Get to know what’s on the ballot before casting your vote

Early in-person voting began in Virginia on September 18. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, more than 1.4 million Virginians have already cast their vote or requested a mail ballot. Still, there are plenty of us who haven’t voted yet. If you’re unsure what you’ll see when you stop by the registrar’s office or open that letter from the city, take a look at the sample ballot on the right for a refresher.

Though the end of the election period is fast approaching, it’s not too late to get on board. The deadline to register to vote is October 13. Vote-by-mail ballots can be requested until October 23 and must be postmarked by November 3. In-person early voting ends on October 31, the Friday before the Tuesday, November 3, general election. If you’ve been putting it off and you’re looking for a sign—this is it.

Senate

Democrat Mark Warner is running for his third term in the Senate. His Republican challenger is Daniel Gade, an Army veteran who lost a leg in Iraq before working on veterans’ issues in the Bush administration. In 2014, Warner staved off a tough challenge from Republican Ed Gillespie, winning reelection by 0.8 percent. This time around, he’s expected to win more comfortably—polling consistently shows Warner ahead by double digits, and he’s raised $13.9 million to Gade’s $900,000.

Congress

UVA’s director of health policy and equity, Dr. Cameron Webb has been running a strong race in the sprawling 5th Congressional District, which voted for Donald Trump by 11 points. Republican Bob Good is a self-styled “biblical conservative” and a former Liberty University athletics fundraiser—though he himself has fundraised poorly, and may in fact have broken campaign finance laws last month by holding a raffle for an AR-15 rifle at a campaign event.

Amendment 1

Take a look at “Party Lines” for a deep dive into this year’s important gerrymandering amendment.

Amendment 2

The second amendment on the ballot this year would give disabled veterans a tax break on one car or pickup truck owned by the veteran or their spouse. The amendment was introduced in 2019 by Democratic Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn, and passed by the Virginia state legislature with near-unanimous bipartisan support.

President

If you’re still undecided on this one, that’s on you, my friend.