Listen Up Loudoun

Two school board leaders, one guest co-host, and a lightning round that settles the important questions: pumpkin or no pumpkin, and sweater or sweatshirt for fall?

We welcome guest co-host Sujit Koppula, Senior Advisor and Regional Director for Senator Kannan Srinivasan. He has an important job, but equally important, he has a great voice for audio! In all seriousness, thank you to Sujit for being here and sharing your valuable legislative perspective.

On this episode of Listen Up Loudoun, school board Chair April Chandler and Vice Chair Anne Donahue talk about the federal government stepping out of education, the importance of student input, and how AI might be used in classrooms -while preventing a Terminator scenario. We learn that overseeing a school division of 77,000 kids is a "part-time job" in the same way that herding cats is a "hobby."

Listen Up, Loudoun: your school board reps are huge champions of students, and I'm just going to say it, a little bit feral about Bruster's ice cream. Respect.

Donald Trump told his followers to "cheat like hell" in these midterms. Democrats aren't waiting around to see what that means — and you shouldn't either.

On this episode of Listen Up Loudoun, co-hosts Dr. Betsy Scotto-Lavino and Michael Zuckerman sit down with Alicia Slook, a 12-year Loudoun County election officer, to break down why voting early and in person is one of the simplest, most powerful ways to protect your ballot this cycle. We cover what voter protection actually looks like on the ground, how to get involved, and why your voice — Democrat, Independent, and Trump-rejecting conservative — matters more than ever.

Poll Observing

Poll Greeting

Hotline for Voter Intimidation: 1-844-4VA-VOTE

(1-844-483-8683)

In this episode, Betsy and Michael sit down with Congressman Suhas Subramanyam. The congressman is in the final stretch of his campaign for a second term in the House where he sits on several committees that give him an insider view on all things data centers.

We suspect you will find what he has to say unsettling. With tremendous candor, Suhas explains why being the data center capital of the world also makes Loudoun County a potential strategic military target, and asks for the public's help to raise the alarm.

We invite you to take action by joining others who are demanding that data centers take responsibility for the challenges they have created, and vote for Suhas on November 3rd. He's been resisting these things since the beginning!

Today's episode features Dr. Sumera Rashid, school board representative for the Little River District, and Jon Pepper, school board representative for the Dulles District. They join Dr. Betsy and Michael for a conversation about their work on the Loudoun County School Board.

We get into the pain of rezoning, handling parent feedback, the limits of a board member's power, and dealing with bullying from the feds. So, you know, light stuff.

Have a listen — public education matters, and these are the people actually in the room trying to make it work.

In this episode, we sit down with Senator Srinivasan (SD-32) and Delegate Singh (HD-26) to talk about issues that are unique and common to Loudoun and to residents in their districts. Power usage, road safety, and red flag laws are a few of the topics covered. They also discuss some of the legislation they passed during our recent legislative session to address local challenges, and they are our first guests to take on the Lightning Round.

In this episode of Listen Up Loudoun, we flip the mic. Betsy and Michael (your two favorite neighbors-you've-never-met) sit down and put each other in the hot seat. We're talking about how we came to Loudoun, moments that shaped our perspective, and we wrap it all up with a lightning round, which is going to become an episode staple. Future guests- prepare!

Pull up a chair. We saved you a seat

This episode, we're sitting down with Senator Russet Perry (Senate District 31) and Delegate John McAuliff (House District 30) for a real conversation about how they got into public service, what they fought for in this year's General Assembly session, and why voting YES on April 21st might be one of the most important things you do this year.

They're also spilling secrets of Richmond insider life — the unwritten rules of the House and Senate that nobody puts inthe orientation packet.

Plus: find out how you can make your voice heard. Because that's what Listen Up Loudoun is all about.

🗓️ April21st — Vote Yes. Virginia's congressional fairness is on the ballot. Don't sit this one out.

📋 Sign the Oak Hill petition

📞 Contact your legislators — share your ideas!

[email protected]

[email protected].

As Donald Trump and Republican allies redraw district maps across the country to lock in political power, Loudoun County Democrats are making sure Virginia voters know what's at stake and how to fight back. Michael Zuckerman, Little River District Co-Chair, sits down with LCDC Voter Protection Chair Michael Evanko to explain what redistricting is, why it matters, and what Loudoun County voters can do about it.

FAQs

Virginia’s Democratic state legislators have approved an amendment to the state constitution allowing the Virginia General Assembly to redraw congressional districts outside the normal 10-year redistricting process. 

That proposed amendment, having undergone the necessary legislative action, faces a special election on April 21. Here are Frequently Asked Questions:

How did we get here?

With his lagging poll numbers (currently less than 40% favorability), President Trump sought to retain his GOP majority in the House (currently 218-214) in this November’s mid-term elections by having several Republican-majority states draw new maps favoring GOP candidates and eliminating districts held by Democrats. In response, Democratic states (notably California and Virginia) have drawn new maps favoring their candidates.

Is this normal?

No. Typically, state laws permit them to redraw Congressional district maps only after the constitutionally mandated federal census, which occurs every 10 years. The next federal census isn’t until April 2030.

How are Virginia’s districts normally drawn?

A bi-partisan, 16-member commission was created in 2020 to draw non-partisan congressional and state legislative districts.

Are the proposed districts permanent?

No. The amendment specifies that these maps are only temporary. Virginia returns to the non-partisan mapping process in 2030.

What if Texas and other GOP states rescind their partisan maps?

In that case, the Amendment dictates, the new partisan maps would be abandoned in favor of existing non-partisan map.

Where do I vote in person?

In-person voting on April 16, will be at your usual polling place. To find your polling location click HERE.

What about mail-in voting?

Yes. You must request your ballot no later than April 10. Details can be found HERE.

How about early voting?

Early voting is scheduled to start in Leesburg (750 Miller Drive, Suite 150) on March 6, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. However, a GOP challenge to early voting is still making its way through the courts.

Are there other early voting locations?

Yes. For details, please see the office of Elections webpage on Early Voting HERE.

Have there been other lawsuits threatening the special election?

Yes. But, thus far, none have been successful. Currently, there are no lawsuits threatening the in-person, April 16 special election.

For any questions not addressed here, please visit the Office of Elections and Voter Registration HERE

Local government, a surprise announcement, and one very good dog. We sat down with the Supervisor of the Little River District and came away with a whole new appreciation for Western Loudoun — its beauty, its challenges, and the woman fighting to protect it. She also dropped some exciting news we are absolutely not spoiling here. Queue this one up for your commute, your chores, your evening walk, or honestly, just staring out the window while winter overstays its welcome.