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Sears was ill
Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears was absent from the Senate chamber as they debated a long list of bills Monday. Her team announced that she was experiencing a foodborne illness in a statement Monday afternoon.
The statement came after some speculation online that she might be missing so that Democrats can not pull another maneuver to force her to go on the record on controversial votes that could be used against her during the gubernatorial election later this year.
Related: Democrats use legislative tactics to force Sears to go on the record for votes
Senate Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, presided over the chamber for the long session.
“She is looking forward to returning to conduct the business of the Commonwealth soon. Thank you for your thoughts,” the statement from Sears’ team said.
Not another meme
Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, continued her trend of trolling Gov. Glenn Youngkin on social media with memes.
It started with a tweet by President Donald Trump talking about Mexico and their efforts to try and stop fentanyl from flowing into the United States.
Youngkin shared Trump's post and praised him.
“Thank goodness we finally have a President who is looking out for the American people and is a tough-as-nails negotiator,” Youngkin wrote.
Lucas then shared Youngkin’s tweet with her own image criticizing Trump.
In case you may have forgotten, Lucas shared a post on social media last year after Youngkin’s key legislative goal to bring a professional sports arena to Virginia was killed.
“Who DID THIS?!” she captioned the photo.
It is just another day in Richmond. Happy Crossover!
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Williams announces reelection bid
Del. Wren Williams, R-Patrick, announced his intention to seek a third term in the Virginia House on Monday.
“After much prayer and deliberation with my family, I am excited to announce my intention to seek a third term to the Virginia House of Delegates,” William said.“In three years, I have proudly stood up for rural Virginians who are struggling with rising healthcare costs and limited accessibility to adequate healthcare resources while remaining a strong conservative voice for our traditional values.”
“Our record has been one that stands up for the rule of law while defending the rights of hardworking Virginia families,” he continued. “From protecting our Second Amendment to securing medical resources for Patrick County to standing up to utility companies and delivering reduced rates for Southwest communities, our office has been a voice for Southwest and Southside Virginia. As we continue the 2025 legislative session and campaign cycle, I remain committed to being a conservative champion and advocate for President Donald Trump’s America First agenda. There is a lot at stake this year, and we need Virginia Republicans to show up and support candidates up and down the ballot. I look forward to hitting the campaign trail and listening to voters' concerns throughout the 47th District.”
Williams represents HD-47 in the House. He was first elected in 2021. He defeated his Democratic challenger by 52 points in 2023.
Senate committee kills Sturtevant's DSS Immigration bill
This is the Virginia Scope daily newsletter covering Virginia politics from top to bottom. Please consider becoming the ultimate political insider by supporting non-partisan, independent news and becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter today.