Elizabeth Beyer

Pete Barlow, a former official with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has announced his campaign to challenge Republican Rep. Ben Cline in the 2026 election. Ken Mitchell, who ran against Cline in 2024, is expected to enter the race as well.

Todd Gilbert, the former House of Delegates minority leader, left his role in the General Assembly and was sworn in as the interim U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia on July 14.

After much wrangling, the two candidates for governor have agreed to a debate in Norfolk, but neither has responded to an invitation to debate in Southwest Virginia.

Republican incumbent Del. Chris Obenshain and his Democratic challenger Lily Franklin released new advertisements on television and in digital spaces as the race heats up.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin touted the state’s strong financial standing at the start of the 2026 fiscal year, but said Medicaid and SNAP funding concerns will be addressed in his December budget proposal.

Adam Murphy, a software developer from Roanoke County, has announced his campaign to challenge Republican Rep. Morgan Griffith in the 2026 election.

Virginia could see a $29 billion decrease in federal Medicaid spending over the next 10 years due to the passage of the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” by Congress. Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, Republican candidate for governor, has suggested tapping into the state’s $4.7 billion “rainy day fund” to cover the cost.

A difference in reporting deadlines between the FEC and the State Board of Elections has created a loophole that allows for federal PACs to temporarily shield the source of their money, even as they contribute to state candidates in Virginia’s off-year elections.

The report found that, in 2023, people left Virginia for states with both higher and lower income tax rates. Of the top 10 states people left Virginia for that year, five had lower rates, four had higher rates and one had variable rates.