cross-posted from DemRulz

The General Assembly (by a unanimous vote) has finalized the 2011 candidate nomination process calendar for General Assembly (both House of Delegates and State Senate), Constitutional Officer and County Board elections: HB 1507. The new calendar, applicable only this year (instead of the second Tuesday in June date) is intended to allow the General Assembly to implement redistricting, but allow sufficient time for voters. The November 8, 2011  general election date does NOT change. Here are the dates:

• The primary date will be Tuesday, August 23, 2011.
• “The State Board of Elections shall make inquiry of each party chairman by Friday, June 24, 2011, as to whether a direct primary has been adopted, and the Board must receive notification as provided in § 24.2-516 not later than Friday, July 1, 2011.” In other words, if the party is going to choose a candidate by primary, it must inform the SBE by July 1, 2011.
• Party Chairs must declare all qualified primary candidates under Code § 24.2-527  by Tuesday, July 19, 2011.
• The declaration of candidacy, petitions, and receipts indicating the payment of filing fees for a primary election required by Code § 24.2-522 must be filed between noon on Tuesday, July 5, 2011, and  5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 15, 2011. The statements required to be filed by primary candidates under Code § 24.2-503 also must be filed by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 15, 2011.”
• If a party does not have a primary, caucuses or any other methods of nomination must take place between July 22 and August 23, 2011.
• Filing deadlines for caucuses cannot be before June 24, 2011.
• “Ballots for the November 2011 election shall be printed on or before Friday, September 23, 2011, or as soon thereafter as practicable.”

DPVA has or will get out information to city and county chairs, who must convene General Assembly District nominating committees to determine nomination methods. See Party Plan Article 7. The State Board of Elections also should have more details, sometime soon.

Please join your Lee District Democratic friends and neighbors to celebrate our 2010 November win and kickoff the 2011 political season. Meet your Congressmen and the 2011 candidates representing Lee District.

Friday, January 7,   7-9 pm 
Island Creek Community Center (7550 Thomas Grant Drive, Alexandria, VA 22315; map, click here). RSVP please, click here.

Virginia has a General Election every year on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. Federal offices are elected in even-numbered years and State and Local offices are elected in odd-numbered years. Fairfax County’s 2011 off year election ballot will feature elections for 13 State, Local, and Constitutional offices:

• State  
  • State Senator
  • State Delegate
• Local  
  • Chairman of the Board of Supervisors
  • District Supervisor
  • School Board  
    • District
    • At-Large (3)
  • Soil and Water Commission Board (3)
• Constitutional Offices  
  • Commonwealth Attorney
  • Sheriff

Chairman Dick Cranwell (DPVA Chair since 2005) is stepping down and a new Chair will be elected at the December quarterly meeting of the Democratic Party of Virginia (December 4, 2010, Newport News; DPVA Central Committee meeting 10:00 am; Newport News Marriott at City Center [740 Town Center Drive, Newport News, Virginia 23606; map, click here]). Only members of the Central Committee (Congressional District Committee members) are permitted to vote.

Any person wishing to seek election to chair must file a Chairs Election form, prior to 5:00 pm, on Monday, November 29. No person who has failed to comply with the pre-filing requirements may be considered for nomination. For more information, proposed rules, and filing form, so to http://www.vademocrats.org/chairman-election.  

As you may know, I have been involved with politics in Virginia for the last 39 years. I have seen our party at its low and high points. I have had the privilege of serving in both the House of Delegates and as your party Chair. In my 39 years, I have gotten to know committed Democrats all across the Commonwealth and have been consistently heartened and reenergized by the level of work and commitment you show the DPVA.

We have achieved a lot since I was elected in June, 2005. We’ve won three statewide elections, took back the State Senate, and brought about the historic 2008 election in which Virginia pushed Barack Obama over the top and sent Mark Warner to the United States Senate. These were some of the highs.  We went through a tough election last year which was certainly one of the lows. However, I am confident that the party is stronger than we were just 5 years ago and I see the momentum in this election shifting our way.

I value the friendships of 39 years and I value all the hard work by so many people to elect great Democrats.  However, I will be stepping aside as party Chair in December to spend more time with Elizabeth and my two sons, Jack, 13 and Joe, 11.  I am not, nor could I ever, retire from the political arena; after December it will just be as a foot soldier, not a party officer.

We still have a lot of work to do to make sure we hold our Democratic majority in the Congressional delegation so we all need to keep working hard!  

I want to sincerely thank you for all you do for the Democratic Party,

Dick Cranwell
Chairman
Democratic Party of Virginia

As of November 8th two people are running for DPVA Chair, Brian Moran and Peter Rousselot.

2010 is a Congressional election year, and there are four other items: 3 proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution, and a Fairfax County Bond Referendum.

We’ll be working hard to return our two excellent Congressman (Moran, D-8th; Connolly-D-11th) back to continuing their efforts for the economy and jobs, security and peace, education, immigration reform, etc.

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Lee District is composed of 22 precincts:

• 8th Congressional District (18 precincts)
  Bush Hill, Cameron, Clermont, Fairfield, Franconia, Groveton, Hayfield, Huntley, Island Creek, Kingstowne, Lane, Mount Eagle, Pioneer, Rose Hill, Van Dorn, Villages, Virginia Hills, Wilton
• 11th Congressional District (4 precincts)
  Crestwood, Garfield, Greenspring, Lynbrook

Election Day Information:  On Election Day polls are open from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm. Please note on Election Day, voters have a choice of voting a paper ballot using the OS (Optical Scan) voting machine or, voting on the DRE (Direct Recording Electronic or Touchscreen) voting machine. Voter registration: if you are already registered at your current address, you do not have to register again. More election information, click here.

Help elect Cesar del Aguila, Sheila Olem, and Lisa Merkel.

We will be knocking on doors and making phone calls over the next week:

• Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 4-8 pm
• Saturday 10-6
• Sunday 12-6
• all day Monday and Tuesday (polls open 6 am to 7 pm)

To help contact Patti Dinkelmeyer (804-310-2184 or pat85d@gmail.com).

Cesar, Sheila, and Lisa are a great team who will bring new leadership and fresh ideas to the town council.  Together on the Town Council they will work hard to bring real solutions to a town that has begun to fall behind.  In these tough times they want to bring in more businesses that offer high paying jobs and more tax revenue to Fairfax as well as manage planning to reduce traffic congestion and prepare for the Metro going to Dulles.  They are tired of the current town council ignoring the dropping standard of living and housing prices.

Ronald Mitchell was disqualified for not having 1,000 signatures of qualified voters in the 8th Congressional District as required.

Two candidates have submitted their petitions, Declaration of Candidacy and a receipt showing that their filing fee has been paid to the State Board of Elections: James P. Moran, Jr. (incumbent) and Ronald Mitchell.

The local registrars will review the petitions ensuring that there are 1,000 signatures of qualified voters in the Eighth Congressional District from each candidate, and once the 1,000 signatures’ number for a candidate is met, then their work will stop on that candidate.

Margo Horner, Chair of the 8th Congressional District Democratic Committee, must then submit the Certification of Candidates Form to the State Board of Elections by Wednesday, April 14, 2010, at 5 pm.

The final total vote tally 219-212 DOES reflect the will of the people.

• YEA – Democratic 219
• NAY – 34 Democratic, 178 Republican

Neither of these elections are for Lee District residents, but we are committed to electing Democrats all across Northern Virginia.