Dogwood Daily: Strong majority of Virginia voters want Dems to control state legislature

Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood Daily. We’ve got a round-up of all of today’s Virginia news coming right up. And if you’re a fan, please forward to three friends who need to know what’s going on in the Commonwealth and tell them to subscribe here. 

But first …

If you love Virginia and want to show your friends how awesome your state is, share this charming piece of photojournalism from Forbes’ Amber Gibson on your timelines and twitter feeds: A weekend in Virginia: From Capital to Countryside.

Five things you need to know today …

1. Poll: Voters say it’s time for change in General Assembly: By a 16-point margin, Virginia voters favor having Democrats take control of the state legislature in the November elections over leaving Republicans in power, according to a poll released Monday by the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University. Powered by a 17-point advantage among independents, 53% of voters said they want Democrats to have majorities in the General Assembly, compared to 37% percent who’d like to keep Republicans in power. Democrats have the advantage over Republicans on voter enthusiasm, 62% to 49%, and 84% of Democrats say they will “definitely vote,” compared to 74% of Republicans. -Washington Post
   
   
2. Impeachment tests Democrats’ foothold in Virginia swing districts: House freshman like Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) who called for Trump’s impeachment returned home to fiery town halls last week. “This is a situation where I have to do the right thing,” said Luria, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Despite being met with boos and being interrupted by hecklers, it’s not clear yet if formal charges against Trump have generated enough voter backlash to cost these congresspeople their jobs. Luria said that if she loses her seat over the impeachment call, “I will have been on the right side of history.” -U.S. News
   
   
3. GOP state House candidates stage pro-Trump rally outside of Rep. Spanberger’s office: Del. Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper) and Tina Ramirez, the Republican nominee in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, joined more than 50 people for a pro-Trump protest outside of Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s Glen Allen office. The protesters gathered to oppose the freshman Democrats’ decision to support the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. The gathering was sponsored by the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee, which will hold similar events in competitive districts held by Democrats, a Trump campaign spokeswoman said. -Richmond Times-Dispatch
   
   
4. Emily’s List makes record donation to Virginia Democrats: With abortion rights front and center in the November General Assembly elections, Emily’s List is pumping an additional $1.5 million into Virginia House and Senate races this year. The money will be used to back candidates who support abortion rights. “We are hopeful that other individuals and organizations will follow our lead in directing their energy and support to these incredibly important state legislative races that too often remain under-resourced and underfunded,” said Stephanie Schriock, president of Emily’s List. -Washington Post
   
   
5. Farmer turns cornfield into USA map: At Lee Highway in farms in Bristol, Virginia, Stewart Etter’s corny love of geography has manifested what is perhaps the most patriotic field ever: a corn maze carved to resemble the entire continental United States, which includes 16 cities that maze runners must find along their way. -Bristol Herald Courier
   

A chart before you go …

2018-19 Lobbyist Compensation: It’s Hard to Compare