The four freshman state senators – Richard H. Stuart (R-Westmoreland), Jill Vogel (R-Winchester), Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk) and John Miller (D-Newport News) – Monday announced the formation of the Commonwealth Caucus.
The Senators formed the caucus as a bipartisan effort to put Virginia above party affiliation on important issues facing the Commonwealth.
According to the press release, the Caucus will address certain issues, including:
- Redistricting
- Electing judges
- Protecting the Chesapeake Bay and our natural resources
Membership in the Commonwealth Caucus is available to “any legislator who pledges to put Virginia above partisan politics.”
Wow! Putting the people before politics! What an original concept! Perhaps all of our legislators should be joining.
Kudos to these four. And we’ll be watching to see if your votes match your committment.
The entire press release is below the fold.
FRESHMAN SENATORS FORM COMMONWEALTH CAUCUS TO
BETTER SERVE THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA
RICHMOND – Today freshman State Senators Richard H. Stuart (R-Westmoreland), Jill Vogel (R-Winchester), Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk) and John Miller (D-Newport News) announced the formation of the Commonwealth Caucus. The Senators formed the caucus as a bipartisan effort to put Virginia above party affiliation on important issues facing the Commonwealth.
“We have seen what happens in Washington, D.C., and we see Richmond becoming more like it everyday. While I firmly believe in the values and principles of the Republican Party, I was elected to serve all the people of the 28th district. Doing so requires reforming the redistricting process, changing how we elect judges, and then taking this bipartisan spirit to specific issues such as restoring the Chesapeake Bay and protecting our environment,” said Senator Stuart. “These are specific areas where we can and will work together. After all, the most important thing is that we all work together for good government without regard to partisan interests.”
Among the issues the Commonwealth Caucus will address are:
1. Redistricting: The Caucus will work to ensure partisanship is removed from the redistricting process so that new legislative districts reflect what is best for the people, our communities and the Commonwealth – not what is good for the Democratic or Republican parties.
2. Electing Judges: The Caucus will work to ensure the General Assembly elects the best judges for Virginia and not let political considerations dictate those decisions.
3. Protecting the Chesapeake Bay and our natural resources: The Caucus will work to protect the Chesapeake Bay and our natural resources, regardless of the political consequences.
“The people of Virginia are interested in performance, not partisanship,” said Senator Miller. “There are good ideas on both sides of the aisle. If we want to govern effectively, we must reach across the aisle to get things done. That’s why we formed the Commonwealth Caucus.”
As a pediatric neurologist, Northam has cared for many needy children and their families. “Patients have never asked me whether I am a Democrat or a Republican, nor have I asked them,” he said. “I will apply this same philosophy to issues including judges, redistricting, the Chesapeake Bay, and the environment. We can change the process for the betterment of the Commonwealth.”
Senator Vogel who represents the northern Shenandoah Valley and the Piedmont said, “I am proud to be a founder of this caucus with my freshman colleagues in the Senate. While I will not compromise my conservative beliefs, I am committed to the three core positions of this caucus-non-partisan redistricting, fairer judicial selection and protection of the environment. Our mission is to combat the gridlock that we faced last session and our new caucus will now make the difference on these key votes.”
The Commonwealth Caucus is open to any legislator who pledges to put Virginia above partisan politics. The founders of the caucus believe the people of Virginia expect the General Assembly to solve the problems we are facing and not allow Party affiliation to get in the way.
The four Senators view the Commonwealth Caucus as the first step in stopping the partisan bickering and encouraging the parties to work together to improve the lives of all Virginians.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
so two new Senators, elected as Democrats, don’t like what the Senate Democratic Caucus proposes on redistricting, electing judges, and protecting the Chesapeake Bay? … something smells funny … and IMO their actions are not worthy of kudos … but serious questions about what’s happening in the Democratic Caucus … calling Senator’s Whipple and Deeds
what is up with Northam and Miller….why did they not include Peterson McEachin and Barker?…they formed a Freshman Caucus to support Northam on Judges and support each other on other matters….why now this Commonwealth Caucus without those 3? This does not feel right.
I know little or nothing about the other Senators here, but Jill Holzman is someone I have studied extensively.
Her record includes being a counsel to the RNC and participating in alleged vote caging activities in Ohio in 2004. I have pages of evidence of the emails that were mistakenly sent to the wrong email address. Her name is all over them, and she was attending meeting(s) to plan strategy for that effort.
I will reserve judgment on her until I see what her performance is in this year’s session.
virginiadem – I think it plays both ways, for the Ds and the Rs.
NGC – you raise a good point about the other 3 freshman.
Mark – I had forgotten about Vogel.
Northam is my representative and his quote above is pretty much what he said on the campaign trail in 2007. Both Northam and Miller, whose campaign I closely followed, won in tough districts that previously had Republican representation. I think everyone understands the type of Democrat that was necessary in order to win these districts. (In many ways, Petersen certainly fits into this mold.)
The Mark Tate situation is also very troublesome, as it was strange for an opponent to be taken out by being indicted over some of the same behavior others practice so well.
I am unaware if there ever was a connection proven about the ‘removal’ of Vogel’s opponent. It sure looked politically motivated to me.