Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day Party
2019 Brunch Honorees
At the 19th Annual Sturdivant Award Brunch on May 5, 2019, the 11th District Democratic Committee will recognize several members of the community for their dedication to labor and for community service.
John N. Sturdivant Award for lifetime commitment to the Labor Community and Democratic ideas & values:
David Broder, president SEIU Virginia 512
Community Service Awards
Joseph V. Gartlan Award (Fairfax County):
Hon. Catherine M. Hudgins, Supervisor, Hunter Mill District
Deloris Hampton Award (Prince William County):
Monique Raulston Ratliff
Frederick W. Silverthorne Award (City of Fairfax):
Evangelia Ifantides
Please join us to celebrate these amazing awardees. Buy your tickets today!
Sturdivant Brunch – May 5
Stair Calhoun recognized with 2018 DPVA Grassroots Award
Prior to the March 2, 2019 State Democratic Central Committee’s quarterly meeting, Democratic Party of Virginia Chairwoman Susan Swecker announced the 2018 winners of the DPVA Grassroots Awards.
The 11th Congressional District Democratic Committee selected Stair Calhoun. Stair has also just recently become a member of the 11th Congressional District after her election as Vice Chair of the DPVA Women’s Caucus.
Stair Calhoun co-founded Network NoVA in March 2017 to host the First Annual Women’s Summit. With her leadership and active participaiton, Network NoVA’s accomplishments include:
- Hosting three annual Women’s Summits
- Joining the Virginia Grassroots Coalition, working with the Grassroots Coordinating Committee of the Women’s National Democratic Club to adopt districts, host fundraisers, and lobby for progressive legislation
- Canvassing, phonebanking, and writing postcards for 17 districts, including HD01 for a Blue Migration Weekend.
- Developing the “Why Virginia Matters, 2017” concept and website http://whyvamatters2017.com/.
- Implementing VAPLAN.us, a legislation alert network to target specific districts, reaching out to all who lost to tap into their networks and support Democratic legislation in their districts.
- Hosting, co-hosting, or attending fundraisers for all Democratic candidates, and Senator Kaine. (Stair specifically co-hosted a fundraiser in Charlottesville for Senator Kaine)
- Canvassing, phone banking, and writing postcards for all Democratic candidates and Senator Kaine.
- Participated in the Democratic Rural Retreat
In addition to her leadership in Network NoVA, Stair
- Began a weekly post-carding group.
- Hosted small informational meetings about redistricting reform and other civic engagement topics.
- Hosted 19 Delegate candidates for videotaping in her home (including Wendy Gooditis, which was shown on Rachel Maddow and other places).
- Worked with the CGV and Marcus Simon to pass legislation for the Stop Gun violence license plate.
- Formed a non-profit, Network NoVA Action, joined Virginia Civic Engagement Table, and worked and pioneered with VCET New Activist center on how to harness grassroots groups capacity to create engagement and affect change on Medicaid Expansion.
- Hosted and attended meet and greets for congressional candidates across the state.
- Formed a new group, Sisters United, Learning and Working Together, which hosted a fundraiser and canvassed and wrote postcards for Vangie Williams, and will host an African American candidate forum with 90 attendees so far.
- Joined the national nonpartisan organization VoteTogether, which works to elevate voting, and hosted a party-at-the-polls in Prince William County.
Statements on Lt. Gov. Fairfax
The following statements have been issued by our Congressman, Gerry Connolly, and by the Democratic Party of Virginia.
Joint Statement From Virginia Reps. Beyer, Spanberger, Luria, Wexton, and Connolly
February 8. 2019 (Washington, D.C.) – Virginia Democratic Representatives Don Beyer, Abigail Spanberger, Elaine Luria, Jennifer Wexton, and Gerry Connolly today issued the following statement:
“The past seven days have been some of the most painful we can remember. It has been very difficult to marshal the thoughts, let alone the words, to react.
“The allegations raised by Dr. Vanessa Tyson and Meredith Watson raise two fundamental questions which Virginia’s leaders are called to answer: do we believe them, and, if so, do we believe that Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax should continue to serve?
“We believe Dr. Vanessa Tyson. We found her account compelling and highly credible. The central issue at the heart of her account is consent, and there can be no better authority to decide whether it was given than Dr. Tyson herself. Meredith Watson’s statement describes another extremely disturbing incident, which lends further credence to Dr. Tyson’s story.
“All survivors of sexual violence and harassment deserve to be supported and heard, and our commitment to that principle is more important than any political consideration.
“The Lieutenant Governor of Virginia presides over the Virginia Senate and must be prepared to fill the role of Governor. It is unacceptable that either of these weighty responsibilities be entrusted to someone who has engaged in the behavior described by Dr. Tyson and Meredith Watson, particularly in light of Gov. Northam’s situation, which we continue to believe requires his resignation.
“Lt. Governor Fairfax has also shown exceptionally poor judgment in his handling of these allegations. He repeatedly attacked his accuser, he reportedly used vile and degrading language to describe her, he mischaracterized an investigation into the encounter, and he sought to blame others for events in his own past. These actions do not meet the standard to which we hold Virginia’s highest elected officers.
“For these reasons we believe that Justin Fairfax cannot continue to serve at Lt. Governor Of Virginia, and should step aside.”
Virginia Democrats call on Justin Fairfax to resign
RICHMOND, VA – Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Susan Swecker issued the following statement calling on the resignation of Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax.
“We believe that allegations of sexual assault must be taken with the utmost seriousness.
Given the credible nature of the sexual assault claims against Lieutenant Governor Fairfax, it has become clear he can no longer fulfill the duties and responsibilities of his post.
While the Lieutenant Governor deserves due process in this matter, it is in the best interest of the Commonwealth that he goes through this process as a private citizen.
The Lieutenant Governor no longer has our confidence or support. He must resign.”
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