Senate Email Addresses:
DistrictXX@senate.virginia.gov
(addresses linked below)

Sen. George Barker: District 39
Sen. John Bell: District 13
Sen. Jennifer Boysko: District 33
Sen. Amanda Chase: District 11
Sen. John Cosgrove: District 14
Sen. Bill DeSteph: District 08
Sen. Creigh Deeds: District 25
Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant: District 12
Sen. Adam Ebbin: District 30
Sen. John Edwards: District 21
Sen. Barbara Favola: District 31
Sen. Emmett Hanger: District 24
Sen. Ghazala Hashmi: District 10
Sen. Janet Howell: District 32
Sen. Jen Kiggans: District 07
Sen. Lynwood Lewis: District 06
Sen. Mamie Locke: District 02
Sen. Louise Lucas: District 18
Sen. David Marsden: District 37
Sen. Monty Mason: District 01
Sen. Jennifer McClellan: District 09
Sen. Ryan McDougle: District 04
Sen. Jeremy McPike: District 29
Sen. Joe Morrissey: District 16
Sen. Steve Newman: District 23
Sen. Tommy Norment: District 03
Sen. Mark Obenshain: District 26
Sen. Mark Peake: District 22
Sen. Chap Petersen: District 34
Sen. Todd Pillion: District 40
Sen. Bryce Reeves: District 17
Sen. Frank Ruff: District 15
Sen. Dick Saslaw: District 35
Sen. Lionell Spruill, Patron:
District 05
Sen. Bill Stanley: District 20
Sen. Richard Stuart: District 28
Sen. David Suetterlein: District 19
Sen. Scott Surovell: District 36
Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel: District 27

Staff for District 38

Issue Brief

Across Virginia, 44 percent of cities and 57 percent of towns hold their local elections in May, rather than November. These localities choose to separate their elections from those for state and federal offices for a variety of reasons – doing so keeps the focus of local elections on local issues and keeps the cost of campaigning more accessible for new candidates. The option to hold elections in May gives localities the flexibility they need to best meet the needs of their communities.

SB1157 (Spruill) proposes to mandate that all localities hold their elections in November.

Concerns

The coincidence of local elections with those at the state and federal level inherently raises the level of partisanship of all elections, regardless of whether candidates are running without any party affiliation. By the same token, it introduces partisan politics to nonpartisan local issues; political parties make little difference when it comes to community projects like paving roads and keeping the streetlights on.

To that end, running local, state, and federal elections simultaneously makes it more difficult to keep voters informed. Media attention leading up to November becomes more focused on statewide and national issues, leaving less time and space for discussion of local candidates and issues. This also raises the cost of campaigning for local candidates – especially for candidates new to the field – who have to compete for name recognition from the bottom of an even longer ballot.

Contact your senator to join VML in opposing SB1157.

Forcing localities to combine local, state, and federal elections…

• Inserts partisanship into the discussion of nonpartisan local issues;
• Draws attention away from local issues in favor of state and federal campaign positions;
• Makes it harder for voters to stay informed; and
• Increases the barriers to both running for office and winning a campaign for new candidates.