Virginia Democrats had a big night in Tuesday's elections, sweeping all the statewide races and winning a supermajority in the House of Delegates. We broke down the historic election from all angles. We dove into the results with WAMU's Northern Virginia reporter, Margaret Barthel, and David Poole, founder of the Virginia Public Access Project.

We were then joined by one of the big winners, Lieutenant Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi, to discuss what it means for Virginians and her historic election victory as the first Muslim woman to win statewide office in the U.S.

During the campaign, Hashmi dealt with comments about her background, including from her Republican opponent, John Reid, who suggested she was supported by "radical Islamists." Hashmi said voters made clear they disagreed with that rhetoric. 

"It was Virginians who made their choice known, and the ugliness of the bigotry that my opponent was targeting me with was soundly rejected on Tuesday night," she said.

Hashmi said that, as Lieutenant Governor, she plans to focus on housing affordability, energy concerns, and healthcare. 

Finally, Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell took the mic to discuss what the Democrats' "trifecta" means for governing, constitutional amendments, and the much-discussed redistricting plan. He cautioned that Democrats will need to navigate significant budget challenges, which could hamper the party's agenda.

"A lot of these new policies require money in order to implement," he said. "And given our budget situation, we're gonna have to figure out what we can afford and what we can prioritize."

At the top of the agenda when the General Assembly reconvenes in January will be raising the minimum wage, banning assault weapons, and paid family leave.

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All eyes are on Virginia ahead of next week's statewide elections. Recent polls continue to show Democrat Abigail Spanberger leading Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, while both the Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General races are in virtual dead heats. We previewed Virginia's upcoming elections with WAMU's Northern Virginia reporter Margaret Barthel and former U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA). 

A split ticket remains a possibility, said Davis, meaning that members of different parties could be elected to the three statewide offices. "Divided government can work very well when you have adults at the helm," he said. "When you don't, it just makes gridlock even worse."

Plus, we discussed Virginia Democrats' push for redistricting.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore is also considering supporting plans to redraw Maryland's eight congressional districts, but some Democratic leaders are considering blocking the move. House Majority Leader David Moon (D-MD), who represents Montgomery County, joined the show to discuss why he also supports redistricting efforts. 

On late Friday afternoon, a federal judge ruled the Trump administration must continue to fund SNAP benefits during the shutdown, giving the administration a deadline of Monday to respond. In the meantime, states like Maryland have been debating how to help those who could lose food assistance starting Saturday. 

Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced Thursday he’s allocating $10 million in state funds to local food banks. But many Maryland lawmakers wanted the governor to do more, including stepping in to fully fund federal SNAP benefits. Del. Moon said leadership is considering tapping into the state’s rainy day fund.

“To get people through Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, I think that's really the question, whether we can do a little bit more to at least keep some of the benefits,” he said.

Moon said funding uninterrupted food assistance would cost Maryland $130 million per month. 

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Montgomery County is home to more than 50,000 federal workers and numerous federal agencies, so residents are feeling the impact of the weeks-long shutdown. Plus, the possibility remains for tens of thousands of federal employees to be fired as the shutdown continues. Local officials are sounding the alarm on rising rates of homelessness and longer lines at food banks. Council President Kate Stewart joined the show to discuss how the county is managing the crisis. She also weighed in on the Council's upheaval and Maryland lawmakers considering calling a special session of the General Assembly to redraw the state's congressional districts. 

This follows Republican-led redistricting efforts around the country, triggering similar efforts by Democrats, including in Virginia. Stewart said redistricting could flip Maryland’s lone Republican seat in Congress. It’s currently held by the leader of the House Freedom Caucus, Andy Harris. 

“We do need to get rid of Andy Harris. As someone who lives in the state of Maryland," she said. "Quite frankly, he does not represent the values of Maryland, and we need somebody else.”

The D.C. Council voted this week to roll back tenant rights for some renters in the city. Ward 1 D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau got behind the mic to explain why she thinks this was a bad idea. Plus, we ask Nadeau about her decision not to run for reelection and her "bottle bill."

The measure, introduced earlier this year, would add a ten-cent deposit to the price of most beverage containers while creating a system for people to get the deposit back when they return the empty bottles. Nadeau said fees from the big beverage companies would fund the system.

"It's all about getting litter up, and everybody hates litter. You know, this is the most effective way to cut litter off our streets, off our out of our parks, out of our rivers," she said.

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U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) joined the show to discuss the federal shutdown, as it drags on with no apparent end in sight. The Trump administration is continuing to lay off federal employees, while threatening to terminate thousands more. Maryland's and Virginia's congressional delegations gathered together this week to urge the White House to stop the federal cuts and end the government shutdown.

Democrats are holding out for a spending bill that includes a permanent extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits. As Americans begin shopping for health care coverage, Sen. Alsobrooks said time is running out for Congress to extend health care tax credits.

People can sign up for 2026 coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace starting November 1st. Sen Alsobrook said that’s why Democrats won’t pass a spending bill now and negotiate healthcare later, as Republicans want.

"We do not have time because those escalating costs are taking place beginning now. People are beginning to see the increase in their premiums," she said. "Many people will be getting notices about the escalating increases that will happen next year. So, those affordable care tax credits happen now."

She said premiums will nearly double for millions of Americans, and four million will lose healthcare entirely without an extension of healthcare tax credits.

Continued federal cuts have already put the region on edge. A prolonged federal shutdown has many worried that a regional economic slowdown —or even a recession —may be on the horizon. Clark Mercer, who leads the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, discusses how the shutdown is straining the local economy and budgets.

While Mercer noted some bright spots, he said the region is facing strong economic headwinds.

"This does not take an economist when the biggest company in town starts cutting tens, if not hundreds of thousands of jobs and contractors, it's gonna have a ripple effect on the economies where that company sits," he said.

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U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) joined the show to discuss the Trump administration's threat to withhold back pay from furloughed federal workers, despite 2019 legislation guaranteeing pay in the event of a shutdown. We also asked Sen. Kaine to weigh in on this week's Virginia gubernatorial debate which pitted Democrat Abigail Spanberger against Republican Winsome Earle-Sears.

He said the differences between the two candidates were stark as they sparred over transgender rights, political violence, and immigration.

"For those who haven't made their minds up, I think the temperament issue will really tip them Abigail's way," Kaine said. "For those who have made their minds up, their minds probably didn't change."

Plus, violent text messages sent by the Democratic candidate for Attorney General in 2022 continue to shake up Virginia's statewide elections. Sen. Kaine gave his thoughts.

Protestors rallied on Wednesday, calling for D.C. police to stop collaborating with federal immigration enforcement agents. D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson joined the show and said MPD's continued cooperation with ICE is eroding public trust.

He noted that District law bars police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. A recent video shows D.C. police officers and federal agents detaining several individuals and threatening several bystanders with arrest for interfering in a possible immigration arrest.

"Our MPD needs to respect what our law is. More than that, they need to respect ordinary citizens of the District," he said.

Also, the council debated emergency legislation this week that would have extended the youth curfew. Despite some drama, the lawmakers ultimately put off a final decision. We asked Chair Phil Mendelson why the vote became so controversial.

Sorting political fact from fiction, and having fun while we’re at it. Join us for our weekly review of the politics, policies, and personalities of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. 

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The federal government partially shut down for the first time since 2018. The shutdown puts the D.C. region in a particularly perilous position, considering the area's close relationship with the federal government. Additionally, President Trump is again threatening to fire more civil servants and further slash federal programs. Maryland Congressman Glenn Ivey joined the show to discuss how the shutdown will affect area residents. Plus, he explained why Democrats are holding out for a permanent extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits and why this poses a significant concern for many residents living in Prince George's County.

More than 60,000 Loudoun County residents have jobs tied to the federal government, according to a county estimate. We spoke with Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall about what a federal shutdown means for her residents. Plus, the U.S. Department of Education is alleging Loudoun County Public Schools violated Title IX when the school system suspended two male students earlier this year. We asked Chair Randall what it might mean for the schools' ability to receive federal funding, and we discussed what's next in the fight over data centers.

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Virginia's statewide elections are now in the home stretch, with both sides pouring money into the races. The lieutenant governor contest might be the most competitive, with the race earning national attention and unexpected endorsements. The Democratic candidate joined us last week; now, Republican candidate John Reid took the mic and discussed the campaign and the issues, including reproductive rights and school gender policies. Plus, we asked Reid about turning down the temperature on political rhetoric.

Protests earlier this month prompted Prince George's County leaders to pause all data center development, with a promise to assess the impacts and gather more input from residents. The move comes four years after the Prince George's County Council voted unanimously to allow data centers to be built 'by right,' meaning for most sites, developers wouldn't need council approval. Now, leaders are reconsidering that process. We asked Prince George's County Councilmember Wanika Fisher for her thoughts. Plus, we discussed the long-delayed Purple Line and how it could accelerate economic development in the county.

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After some last-minute negotiations, the D.C. Council gave its final approval to a $3.7 billion deal to build a football complex at the RFK Stadium site and bring the Washington Commanders back to the District. Supporters hailed it as a transformative project for the city, one that will bring a domed stadium, retail, housing, and green space to a site along the Anacostia River currently occupied by what's left of the old RFK stadium. Ward 7 D.C. Councilmember Wendell Felder represents the area, and he joined the show to discuss the vote and what comes next.

We talked about the several changes councilmembers proposed before Wednesday's vote, though only minor tweaks were made in the end. Those included stricter environmental standards and stiffer penalties for missing development deadlines. Felder was able to secure an additional $60 million over the next thirty years for a community reinvestment fund. The money, he said, will help Ward 7 residents. 

"The fund will go towards housing displacement prevention, revitalization of blighted and vacant units, health programs, and create more opportunities for small and local businesses."  

Felder also said the stadium will serve as an anchor development for attracting investment. Plus, we also asked him about the council passing the RENTAL Act, which proponents hope will attract more investment in housing, and extending the city's youth curfew.

The Virginia statewide elections are heating up, with early voting getting underway this week. The lieutenant governor's race could be the most competitive, with both sides now pouring money into the campaign. Virginia state Senator and Democratic candidate Ghazala Hashmi joined the show to discuss the race, data centers, and advocating for public schools.

The Department of Education is threatening to withhold millions of dollars in federal funding from Northern Virginia schools due to the districts’ policies of allowing students to use bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity. Hashmi said the federal government should not be interfering. 

We are very clear in Virginia that we have local authority over our school districts," she said. "And I trust our local school boards, our local administration to be making the decisions that are best for their communities." She called the “federal overreach” a distraction from the schools’ mission of student learning.

Fairfax voters this week overwhelmingly elected Democrat James Walkinshaw to succeed the late Gerry Connolly in Congress in Virginia's 11th district. Walkinshaw, who was sworn in on Wednesday, takes over for his mentor during a particularly tumultuous time for Northern Virginia. Congressman Walkinshaw joined the show to discuss the 51,000 civilian federal workers who live in the district, a potential regional recession, and the possibility of a federal shutdown. Plus, we asked him to weigh in on Virginia's upcoming statewide elections.

The House Oversight Committee advanced a series of bills this week that threaten to further undermine D.C.'s autonomy, including legislation replacing the locally elected D.C. attorney general with a presidential appointee, allowing youth 14 years or older to be tried for certain offenses, and ending cashless bail in the District. Introduced amendments also called for revoking the city's ban on right turns on red and prohibiting automatic traffic enforcement cameras. Also, this week, the federal takeover of D.C. police expired. Ward 6 D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen took the mic to discuss what comes next and why he believes the legislation would make the District less safe. We'll also asked about the upcoming second RFK stadium vote.

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With students across the region returning to class, local school superintendents discussed student safety, cell phone policies, and concerns over immigration enforcement.

In Prince George's County, schools continue to deal with the fallout from the federal government freezing and then unfreezing millions of dollars in education funds. While funds are expected to be dispersed by next month, more federal cuts could be on the horizon. Interim Prince George's County Public Schools Superintendent Shawn Joseph joined the show to discuss the potential implications for Prince George's County schools. Plus, we discussed bus driver shortages, cell phone policies, test scores, and how schools are preparing for a possible increase in federal immigration enforcement.

Joseph said the county experienced a decline in school attendance last year, and officials believe it’s at least in part due to concerns about immigration enforcement. 

"43% percent of our students were out of school eighteen days or more, and it's significant within our immigrant population, and we think it's because of the fear of ICE and things happening," he said.

Joseph said they are monitoring school attendance and want to send the message to the county’s immigrant population that school remains a safe place.

Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia's largest school district, is also dealing with concerns over immigration enforcement. Superintendent Michelle Reid got behind the mic to talk about how Fairfax County schools are supporting students, families, and staff. Plus, FCPS is suing the U.S. Education Department in an effort to prevent the agency from freezing federal funding due to the district's gender policies. 

Superintendent Reid said the school system's current policy of allowing students to use bathrooms that match their gender identity is both legal and in the best interest of students.

"We felt and still feel strongly that our policy is in accordance both with Virginia and federal law. And it still is aligned with the Title IX principles currently on the books," she said. 

Reid said the millions the federal government is threatening to withhold go in part to fund free and reduced-price lunches. 

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