Aaron Rouse in #Norfolk, Drops First Ad for #Virginia #SD07 Senate Race
NORFOLK, VA — On December 12, Virginia Beach City Councilman Aaron Rouse (D) held a meet and greet with Congressman Bobby Scott and U.S. Senator Mark Warner. Rouse is running to fill the vacant Senate seat in district seven of Rep-Elect Jen Kiggans who defeated Congresswoman Elaine Luria (D) on Nov. 8. Rouse will take on Republican Kevin Adams on January 10, 2023.
Right now everyone is focused on the shortest most frenzied congressional campaign in Virginia’s history — which will take place this Tuesday, Dec. 20 in firehouse fashion in Virginia’s fourth congressional district.
But the State Senate race for the seventh district, which will take place on January 10, 2023, is vital because if Democrats win they will flip a seat from red to blue and the Virginia Senate will be 22-18. If the Republicans win, the Virginia Senate will remain 21-19 and the possibility of tie votes, and Lt. Governor Winsome Sears breaking them, greatly increases.
As a member of Virginia Beach City Council and a former Virginia Tech, Green Bay Packers + New York Giants football star, Rouse is an exciting candidate in a Democratic Party with a bench that remains in question after the 2021 loss of all three statewide positions with the defeat of Clinton-era operative and fmr. Governor Terry McAuliffe by Republican political novice, and current Governor, Glenn Youngkin.
There was a Dec. 11 canvas kickoff before the Rouse meet-and-greet event in Ocean View. It was attended by House of Delegates candidates and fmr. Delegate and attorney Jay Jones, who created Meet Our Moment to recruit and train minority Democratic candidates to run for state and local offices — and win — in Virginia.
Yesterday, the Rouse campaign released their first TV ad. Seen here:
January 10, 2023. 🏃🏾♂️ The Rouse vs. Adams special election is a day before the Virginia General Assembly convenes on January 11, 2023. [Will it be a 30 day session — or a shorter session? More on that later].
Congressman Scott, who is Chairman of the House Education Committee until Jan. 3, 2023, at the Rouse Meet-and-Greet on Dec. 11: “During the campaign, as the Republicans were actively talking about cutting Social Security. We put more money into K through 12 education and as the new members of school boards around here, money into city council members, city council members money to state to state legislators here. We did a more in these two years. I think we did a lot more than Obama's first two years,” said Rep. Scott after being introduced by Sen. Warner.
Scott went on to tell a group of about 50 people under a white tent that, “we did so much that we couldn't brag about all of it. But a lot of that is gonna come to a complete halt because of dysfunction in the house.”
Rep. Scott was referring to the coming GOP takeover in the U.S. House on Jan. 3, 2023.
“But the work is gonna be at the state level. And that's why we need competent people in the state. To guide us through the state legislature. We’ve got people in the state legislature trying to guide us the wrong way… the Senate has to be the place where a lot of bad stuff is gonna stop,” Rep. Scott said looking at Aaron Rouse standing to his right.
Even with the news cycle appropriately switching over to the death of A. Donald McEachin on Nov. 28 and the race to fill his seat, the race for the seventh district is about to be back on the front burner. On Wednesday, Dec. 21 — after the special election for Congress.
Even though there may be legal entanglements related to CD04 to follow… more on that later.
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