It’s a legal question expected to be handled in court, primarily because of different interpretations of Chesapeake’s city charter — seemingly the only charter for a major Hampton Roads city that puts the city in this novel position.

Multiple council members are challenging mayors this November elections in surrounding cities, like Virginia Beach and Portsmouth. Yet Chesapeake finds itself in this situation as it’s the only Hampton Roads city with a provision in the city charter that requires council members to formally resign from their council seat during their mayoral election bid instead of after. Carey’s council term is set to end Dec. 31. Chesapeake’s charter provision calls for a council resignation by June 30, though it was established when Chesapeake held city elections in May.

The ongoing legal question has spurred division among council members, some of whom are practicing a boycott of certain city business they don’t believe Carey should be part of, like closed sessions, as a result.

At a July 23 meeting, some residents said Carey was being penalized for an oversight issue in the charter, and called for council to make the appropriate changes in lieu of legal action. But that’s challenging in a Dillon’s Rule state like Virginia, where the General Assembly determines the scope of local governments’ power. That means when a city needs to update its charter, state legislators are the ones who can make it happen.

“No two local government situations are alike, and they’re often quite obscure provisions that are at issue,” said Richard Schragger, a law professor at the University of Virginia.

He added that in Chesapeake’s case, it can be tricky because even if the dates should have been changed, the charter also clearly states June 30.

“So then the question becomes, if there’s ambiguities in the interpretation of that provision, who makes that decision? And generally we end up in courts when that’s the case,” Schragger said.

For most Hampton Roads cities, council members who declare candidacy in a mayor’s race must formally resign their council position following the election or upon the start of the newly elected mayor’s term, according to the respective city charters. That includes Norfolk, Hampton, Suffolk and Virginia Beach.

In Virginia Beach, Councilman Chris Taylor, representing District 8, has joined a crowded field to challenge the sitting mayor. To do so, Taylor had to file a formal resignation letter effective after the election since his council term spans until 2026, which will necessitate a special election. His resignation will take effect Dec. 31, regardless of whether he wins or loses the mayoral race.

Sabrina Wooten is another Virginia Beach council member challenging the mayor, but her term ends at the end of the year.

Portsmouth’s charter lacks any resign-to-run requirement. The current vice mayor, Lisa Lucas-Burke, is challenging sitting Mayor Shannon Glover. There is no apparent provision in Newport News’ charter that addresses resign-to-rule stipulations, but a process for filling vacancies is included.

General Assembly action in 2021 shifted Chesapeake’s elections from May to November, but the accompanying provision for resignation was not altered, according to an opinion issued in May by Republican Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. His opinion concluded that Carey was required to step down by June 30.

In March, Carey declared a bid to challenge Mayor Rick West. On July 9, a majority of council members directed the city attorney’s office to file a writ of mandamus with the Circuit Court asking a judge to compel Carey to resign from his position as he seeks election as mayor.

While it’s still unclear when the city will formally file the petition in Circuit Court, Carey said he was officially served last week by the city with a notice of intent to file. City Attorney Catherine Lindley previously said a “reasonable time” must lapse before filing with Circuit Court, though she has declined to specify what that timeframe will be.

Carey has previously called the move political and unethical.

“Citizens realize how foolish this endeavor is for council to waste taxpayer dollars to attack a political opponent,” he said in a phone interview Monday.

Carey was first elected to City Council in May 2020. He assumed his role July 1 when Chesapeake still held local elections in May instead of November. In Miyares’ opinion, he stated that though resignation would have the effect of shortening Carey’s term, it’s “due to his voluntary decision to seek election to the office of mayor, as was the case prior to the 2021 amendments for council members seeking to become mayor in middle of their otherwise four-year term.”

Around a dozen residents spoke at a July 23 meeting, mostly expressing frustration with division among council and the city money and resources that will be dedicated to litigating the issue. Others said he should stay in his seat through the end of his current term.

Resident Nancy Pettigrew and George Reed of the New Chesapeake Men for Progress argued that the intent of the charter change law wasn’t to result in a monthslong vacancy when a council member runs for mayor.

“Forcing Councilman Carey off the council at this point in the year will hamper the work that the City Council does,” Pettigrew said. “And in fact, we are already seeing that happen.”

Reed cited a summary document about the 2021 law when it was passed, which states the terms of mayor, council and school board members should not be shortened as a result of shifting elections to November. It also states all those members elected at a May general election and whose terms end as of June 30 “shall continue in office until their successors have been elected at the November general election and have been qualified to serve.”

Another election-related bill passed that year amended that portion of state code and the clause Reed cited was removed.

“We ought to have a writ of mandamus to get our city attorney to configure our charter to meet the state law,” Reed said. “I say to you there must be a different agenda. You should explain that agenda to the public. Because it’s certainly not running good governance with transparency and accountability.”

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com

Nichelle Stone, who was appointed last year to fill a vacated seat until the special election, had originally filed to complete the term. She was the only candidate. But Stone has vacated her seat and withdrawn from the race, leaving it open.

“I was very honored to be appointed,” Stone said in an interview on Monday. But she said she had to leave the position and withdraw from the race to spend more time with her family because of unexpected personal matters.

The special election will be held with the general election Nov. 5. Individuals interested in running must live and be registered to vote in the Ward 5 District. If no candidate files by the deadline, the seat will be listed on the ballot with a write-in option.

The winning candidate will serve the remainder of the unexpired termthrough the end of 2026.

Stone was appointed in November after Lauren Campsen resigned because of health reasons.

Nour Habib, nour.habib@virginiamedia.com

“I will do everything in my power to deliver Virginia for Vice President Harris,” state House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, said in a statement. “Just as we did last year, when we flipped the House of Delegates, we will also reject the MAGA extremist Project 2025 agenda. We will win Virginia again, and elect the first woman President in the history of the United States.”

Biden ended his bid for reelection Sunday after his debate performance last month fueled divisions within the Democratic Party about whether it was time for the 81-year-old to pass the torch to a younger candidate. Biden quickly endorsed his vice president to take on former President Donald Trump, but Harris still has to formally secure the nomination from the around 4,700 Democratic convention delegates and superdelegates.

“The Party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward,” Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said Sunday. “Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.”

More than 30 Democrats in Congress, and some major party donors, publicly called on Biden to step back as polls showed his numbers slipping against Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.

In a Monday statement, the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus credited Biden for rescuing the nation and economy from the “darkness” of the pandemic and facilitating historic investments in American infrastructure. The caucus praised his decision to step aside.

“President Biden took the selfless action of choosing to put the future of the country and the good of the American people before any personal desire,” the statement reads. “We extend our deepest thanks to President Biden for his lifetime of service and extraordinary leadership.”

All 21 members of the caucus endorsed Harris for the presidency, including Majority Leader Scott Surovell and President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas of Portsmouth.

“Please know that I and other leaders are already hard at work ensuring that Virginia’s votes at the convention will strongly back Kamala for President,” Lucas said.

The Democratic National Convention will kick off Aug. 19 in Chicago.

Harris has also received the seal of approval from Virginia U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats.

“While there has to be an orderly process and the decision ultimately rests in the hands of the DNC delegates, I believe Vice President Harris has the experience, energy, and resolve to lead our nation,” Warner said in a statement.

Warner had sought to assemble a group of Democratic senators to push Biden to exit the race, as previously reported by The Washington Post. 

Harris is a former prosecutor and U.S. Senator from California. She is the first woman, Black person and person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president.

Editorial: Virginia voters will need to hear from VP Harris on the issues

The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus announced Monday that all of its members serving as a delegate at the upcoming convention have pledged to support Harris. Several of those members are from Hampton Roads, including Scott, Lucas, Sen. Mamie Locke and Dels. Alex Askew, Jeion Ward and Michael Feggans.

The caucus praised Harris as a champion of civil rights, environmental protections and reproductive health care.

While Locke is among those endorsing Harris, the Hampton senator has also repeatedly taken to social media to scold Democrats at the national level who showed a “sheer disregard” for Biden during discussions about his bid for reelection.

“The leadership of this party has been so disrespectful to an individual who has done so much for them and this country,” she wrote this week.

Meanwhile, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin said it doesn’t matter which Democrat is on the ballot.

“Make no mistake,” he wrote Sunday on social media. “Whether its border czar Kamala Harris or someone else, it’s the Biden/Harris Administration’s weak leadership and resulting chaos around the world and here at home that is on the ballot this November.”

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com

Vice President Kamala Harris had a busy 24 hours after being endorsed as the Democratic presidential candidate by President Joe Biden. She has secured enough delegates to earn the party’s nomination and raised more than $81 million, a record sum for the 2024 political cycle. Harris also spoke Monday at a White House celebration with the NCAA championship teams, her first appearance since President Biden announced he was leaving the race.

Meanwhile, The Secret Service directortestified before a congressional committee and was called on to resign over security failures at a rally where a 20-year-old gunman attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump.

Follow the AP’s Election-2024 coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.

Here’s the Latest:

Harris: I look forward to accepting the nomination soon

Shortly after securing the support of enough Democratic delegates to become her party’s nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement that she is looking forward to formally accepting the nomination while also making her case against a second Donald Trump presidency.

“Tonight, I am proud to have secured the broad support needed to become our party’s nominee, and as a daughter of California, I am proud that my home state’s delegation helped put our campaign over the top,” Harris said.

The 2024 election is about two different visions for America’s future, Harris said.

“Donald Trump wants to take our country back to a time before many of us had full freedoms and equal rights,” she said. “I believe in a future that strengthens our democracy, protects reproductive freedom and ensures every person has the opportunity to not just get by, but to get ahead.”

The AP is not calling Harris the new presumptive nominee because the convention delegates are still free to vote for the candidate of their choice at the convention in August or if Democrats hold a virtual roll call ahead of that gathering in Chicago.

Harris has enough support of Democratic delegates to become party’s presidential nominee: AP survey

Vice President Kamala Harris has secured the support of enough Democratic delegates to become her party’s nominee against Republican Donald Trump, according to an  Associated Press survey  taken in the aftermath of President Joe Biden’s decision to drop his bid for reelection.

Harris, who was endorsed by Biden minutes after he announced he would not accept the Democratic nomination, worked to quickly lock up the support of her party’s donors, elected officials and other leaders, and has so far received support from at least 2,214.

However, the AP is not calling Harris the new presumptive nominee. That’s because the convention delegates are still free to vote for the candidate of their choice at the convention in August or if Democrats hold a virtual roll call ahead of that gathering in Chicago.

For young voters, Harris is ‘far closer’ in age

Tatum Watkins, a 19-year-old college student from southwest Iowa and a delegate to the DNC, said she appreciates as a young woman that Harris is speaking out on issues like reproductive rights and is “far closer” in age to a whole new generation of voters.

“She is very much leaning into what’s popular right now,” Watkins said. “I’ve seen already her branding is what I can best describe as brat summer.”

Watkins said that has energized and excited her and other young Iowans, making what will be her first experience voting in a presidential election “even better.”

Rep. Dean: ‘I’ve never been more optimistic about America’

The mood among many House Democrats lifted quickly as lawmakers returned to Washington with Biden having handed off the election to Harris.

“I’ve never been more optimistic about America because of his leadership, his selflessness, his putting country first,” said Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania.

“And then Kamala — woo! — I am excited,” she said. “I’m hearing from my constituents and folks they are so fired up.”

She said one way Harris could approach campaigning in a swing state like hers would be to pick Pennsylvania’s Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate for the vice presidential spot.

Biden to return to the White House, Harris will hit the campaign trail

President Biden is set to return to the White House tomorrow after spending six days at his beach home in Delaware convalescing from COVID-19. Biden became ill while campaigning in Las Vegas last week and headed to his vacation home to isolate.

Vice President Harris, meanwhile, will head to the battleground state of Wisconsin as her campaign for the White House kicks into high gear.

The event in Milwaukee will be her first full-fledged campaign event since announcing her candidacy on Sunday.

Kansas DNC delegates vote to support Harris

Kansas delegates for the DNC met virtually Monday evening and agreed to give all 44 of the state’s votes on the presidential nomination to Vice President Harris.

“We are united in our endorsement,” the delegation’s leader, state party Chair Jeanna Repass, said after the meeting. “Time is not our friend. We have got to be united.”

Repass rejected suggestions — some from Republicans — that the Democratic Party is ignoring the will of its primary voters. She said primary voters who backed Biden understood that Harris would be president if something happened to Biden.

She said there is still time for other candidates to come forward if they can get enough delegates to sign onto their efforts.

“This has already been adjudicated through the primary process,” Repass said. “That’s why you’re seeing us come together so quickly. She has been our choice since 2020, and she is still our choice today.”

New ad contrasts Trump and Harris as felon and prosecutor

A Democratic group is targeting Trump and trumpeting Harris’ past as a prosecutor with new ads in the swing states expected to be key to the general election.

American Bridge 21st Century says it is launching a $20 million ad buy in the northern swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin later this week.

The group says the spots feature voters from the trio of states with the goal of contrasting Harris — a former prosecutor — with Trump, recently convicted on 34 felony charges.

The $20 million ad buy is part of a $200 million campaign American Bridge launched in May and is aimed at swing voters in smaller media markets that are less saturated with political advertising. The group hopes to reach people who may be on the fence.

The first round of ads focuses on abortion rights and health care access. One of the new ads shared by American Bridge features a Pennsylvania veteran who says he felt “violated” by the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and called it an “example of Trump spitting on all of us who served.”

Democrats plan to push forward with a virtual roll call

The Democratic Party plans to push forward with a virtual roll call in which delegates to its convention can choose a presidential nominee before they meet in person next month in Chicago, with Vice President Kamala Harris heavily favored now that President Joe Biden has abandoned his reelection bid.

The convention rules committee will meet Wednesday to approve how the virtual roll call will work, but a draft of what they are set to approve was obtained Monday by The Associated Press.

It does not list a date for when the roll call will take place, but Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said the process will be completed by Aug. 7. It could contain multiple rounds of voting, but to qualify, candidates will need 300 electronic signatures of support from convention delegates.

The Democratic National Convention opens Aug. 19. State delegations to the gathering began pledging their near-unanimous support for Harris in the hours after President Joe Biden announced he was abandoning his reelection bid on Sunday.

Trump campaign advisers peg Harris as ‘dangerously liberal’

Trump’s campaign senior advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles have released a memo after Harris’ visit and remarks at Biden’s campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, calling her “dangerously liberal” and saying she “is as bad, if not worse, than Joe Biden.”

“It’s a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to defeat not just one Democrat nominee for president, but two — in the same year!”

The advisers have called this “a ploy to try and shake up the race” and said Harris is just as responsible for Biden’s policies at the U.S.-Mexico border, which saw illegal crossing arrests reach record highs at the end of 2023.

Harris leans into her prosecutor background and draws contrast with Trump

Vice President Harris is honing the political message she plans to use to seek the White House in November.

Rallying staffers at Biden’s campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, now hers to inherit, Harris emphasized her professional background as a prosecutor. She contrasted that with Trump, who has been convicted on 34 felony counts in a hush money case in New York.

“I took on perpetrators of all kinds,” Harris said, adding, “I know Donald Trump’s type.”

She also announced that Jen O’Malley Dillon, who had chaired Biden’s reelection campaign, will run her bid.

Biden calls into Harris’ appearance with campaign staff

President Biden called into a campaign staff meeting while Vice President Harris was visiting, pledging, “If I didn’t have COVID, I’d be standing there with you.”

Harris traveled to Wilmington, Delaware, today to rally campaign staffers a day after Biden withdrew his presidential candidacy and endorsed Harris to replace him atop the Democratic ticket.

The crowd at first gasped, then cheered as Biden promised, “I’m going to be on the road” and campaigning for Harris.

“I want people to remember, what we have done has been incredible,” Biden said. He added, “I want to say to the team, embrace her, she’s the best.”

Harris devoted much of her brief remarks to praising Biden, saying, “I love Joe Biden. I know we all do.”

Interest in the Harris campaign surges

More than 28,000 new volunteers have registered to join Harris’ campaign since Biden chose to withdraw his candidacy and bestow his campaign infrastructure to his VP. It’s a rate more than 100 times an average day from the previous Biden reelection campaign, underscoring the enthusiasm behind Harris.

Ohio state Senator regrets suggesting ‘civil war’ would follow a Trump lose

A Republican state senator from Ohio who spoke at Vance’s first solo rally has apologized for saying on stage that it would “take a civil war” to save the country if Trump loses.

The apology from George Lang, the state lawmaker, came after Harris’ team highlighted his remarks in a post on X.

“I regret the divisive remarks in the excitement of the moment on stage,” he said on the same social network. “Especially in light of the assassination attempt on President Trump last week, we should all be mindful of what is said at political events, myself included.”

Voter Voice: ‘Nothing’s been handed to him in life’

Trump supporter Christina Chrisley, who lives in Virginia’s New River Valley, said she knew very little about JD Vance before he was announced as the Republican vice presidential nominee. She had hoped Glenn Youngkin would be selected.

But after doing more research, she said she’s excited by Vance. She has respect for Vance’s background and service as a marine and thinks he’ll do everything he can to “help Donald Trump win the election and do everything he possibly can for blue-collar workers.”

“Nothing’s been handed to him in life,” she said, sitting in a lawn chair looking out at the New River in a hot pink Trump shirt before the rally’s start.

She also said she was impressed by Vance’s speech at the RNC, calling him “eloquent and very well-spoken.”

DNC Delegate: ‘There is incredible excitement’

Ron Meehan, who works at an Anchorage food bank and, at 25, is the youngest member of Alaska’s Democratic delegates, said Harris is creating a buzz in the party.

“I think that there is incredible excitement among Democrats right now, and particularly the young Democrats that had maybe been tuned out of the process,” he said Monday. “We’re on the verge of making history, the first woman president.”

Meehan is the western regional adviser to the Democratic National Committee’s Climate and Environmental Crisis Council.

“Climate issues in particular are ones that I think young people across the country, including myself, are watching very closely,” he said. Meehan credited the Biden-Harris administration for protecting southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, both the nation’s largest national forest and the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest, reinstating restrictions on road-building and logging there.

“I think that she has the policy and track record, the temperament and the skill set to run a very strong campaign and to be a strong president,” he said.

Harris raises $81 million in 24 hours, setting new presidential donation record

Vice President Harris’ team has raised more than $81 million in the 24-hour period since President Biden announced his decision to step aside.

The massive fundraising haul represents the largest 24-hour fundraising sum by either party in the 2024 presidential campaign.

Trump reported raising more than $50 million in the 24-hour period after his felony conviction in the New York hush money trial. Biden reported $38 million in the four days after his disastrous debate performance.

Harris’ new total features donations from hundreds of thousands of first-time donors, the campaign said.

Top California Democrat urges delegates to support Harris

The head of the California Democratic Party, Rusty Hicks, is urging delegates to quickly line up behind Harris and has circulated an online form to submit endorsements.

“I am asking delegates from our great state of California and home to our vice president, Kamala Harris, to officially endorse her nomination,” wrote Hicks, who also heads the nation’s largest delegation to the August convention.

“The future of our country is at stake in this election,” Hicks added in an email to delegates, who were expected to hold a virtual meeting on Harris’ nomination later Monday.

Vance calls Democrats ‘a threat to Democracy’ — not Trump

Sen. Vance also sought to deflect the criticism that Trump, who has refused to accept the 2020 election results and tried to overthrow his loss, is a threat to democracy by instead claiming that the Democrats were the threat.

“The idea of selecting the Democrat party’s nominee because George Soros and Barack Obama and a couple of elite Democrats got in a smoke-filled room and decided to throw Joe Biden overboard, that is now how it works,” Vance said. “That is a threat to democracy. Not the Republican Party.”

With Biden stepping aside, Democrats technically start with an open convention. But realistically, his endorsement of Harris pushes Democrats into murky territory. Harris has solidified support among more than half of the almost 4,000 party delegates and 700 more so-called superdelegates.

Harris’ governor endorsements roll in

1. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said, “She’s tough, she’s smart and she’s ready to unite the country.” 2. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said, “Americans are looking for a new generation of leadership that will move past the divisiveness and unite us around our shared American values.” 3. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said, “Harris has always done what’s best for American families,” citing her record on abortion rights and helping to “safeguard democracy.” 4. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy called Harris “a proven leader who has delivered for the American people again and again.”

AP survey finds Harris now backed by more than half of delegates needed to win nomination vote

An AP survey finds that Vice President Harris has the support of more than half of the delegates she’ll need to take President Biden’s place at the top of the Democratic ticket.

Over 1,000 pledged delegates told The Associated Press or announced that they plan to support Harris in a forthcoming vote to pick a new White House nominee.

Democratic National Committee rules most recently set 1,976 pledged delegates as the benchmark to win the nomination. Of the about 1,070 delegates who have spoken to the AP or announced their plans, fewer than 60 either declined to answer or said they were undecided. And Harris is the only Democrat to receive support from delegates so far.

Pat Chesbro, an Alaska delegate and former U.S. Senate candidate, said she could think of no better option than Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket. “People are doing their best to find the best candidate in this situation, which is pretty unusual,” she said. “I look forward to the convention and to seeing whatever the next phase is,” said Chesbro, a lifelong educator.

Bipartisan leaders call Secret Service director to resign

Bipartisan leaders of the House Oversight Committee have ended a contentious, nearly five-hour hearing with the Secret Service director by calling for her to resign after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

In a rare moment of unity for an often divided committee, Reps. James Comer and Jamie Raskin issued a letter to Director Kimberly Cheatle, asking for her to step down as director given her own description of the “most significant operation failure” in the agency’s history.

Cheatle, a 29-year veteran of the Secret Service, spent the majority of the hearing fielding attacks from both sides of the aisle and deflecting questions about the details of the ongoing criminal investigation into the July 13 shooting. But she remained defiant, saying that she believes she is the “right person” to lead the agency at this time and that she will move “heaven and earth” to get to the bottom of what went wrong.

Harris fires off first campaign fundraising email

Kamala Harris is launching her first campaign fundraising email with a nod to the campaign theme she adopted as far back as her campaign for California attorney general 14 years ago.

“My whole life, I’ve only had one client: the people,” the email begins, referencing her abbreviated 2020 presidential campaign theme, “Kamala: For the people.”

It’s a riff on a prosecutor’s role and the customary introduction in criminal proceedings.

“That was true when I was a prosecutor in California, when I served in the Senate and throughout my time as your Vice President,” Harris’ email states.

“And it’s true as I make this announcement to the world. My name is Kamala Harris, and I’m running for President of the United States.”

Speaker at JD Vance campaign event warns of ‘civil war’ if Trump loses election

While Republicans touted a unifying message last week and decried inflammatory language in the wake of the assassination attempt against Trump, one of the first speakers to introduce Vance on Monday in his hometown took a sharp departure from that message and suggested the country may need to come to civil war if Trump loses in November.

“I believe wholeheartedly, Donald Trump and Butler County’s JD Vance are the last chance to save our country,” said George Lang, a Republican state senator. “Politically, I’m afraid if we lose this one, it’s going to take a civil war to save the country and it will be saved. It’s the greatest experiment in the history of mankind.”

Secret Service director says she apologized to Donald Trump after his assassination attempt

Speaking during a congressional hearing, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said she apologized to Trump in a phone call after the rally in Pennsylvania.

White House chief of staff: There’s still much work to be done

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients told White House aides and political appointees across the administration that there remains much work to be done in the next six months, according to two people familiar with this message, even as Biden suspends his candidacy for president.

In separate calls, Zients told hundreds of aides and appointees that in every call he’s had with Biden in the last 24 hours, the president has urged his team to focus on key policy goals, such as continuing to implement his legislative achievements and zeroing in on efforts to lower health care and housing costs.

As for Biden’s successor, Zients stressed Biden has been clear on his thoughts and acknowledged Harris’ tenure, which he described as extraordinary. Zients noted that as an official side employee, he had been advised by the White House counsel’s office that he could not speak about politics nor who the next president would be – whomever she is.

— Seung Min Kim

Secret Service chief: Roof where shooter fired was identified as a potential vulnerability days before rally

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said the roof from which the shooter fired had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania.

Cheatle said Monday that her agency failed in its mission to protect Trump during a highly contentious congressional hearing with lawmakers of both major political parties demanding she resign over security failures that allowed a gunman to scale a roof and open fire at the campaign rally.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorses Harris for president with ‘enthusiastic support’

Pelosi, who had been one of the notable holdouts to Harris, initially encouraging a primary to strengthen the eventual nominee, endorsed Harris on Monday. Pelosi said she was lending her “enthusiastic support” to Harris’ effort to lead the party.

More than 700 pledged delegates have told The Associated Press or announced that they plan to support Harris at the convention, which is over one-third of the pledged delegates she needs in order to clinch the nomination. Democratic National Committee rules most recently set 1,976 pledged delegates as the benchmark to win the nomination.

French president wrote letter to Biden praising ‘spirit of responsibility’ that led him to leave race

French President Emmanuel Macron wrote President Joe Biden a letter praising the ‘’courage, spirit of responsibility and sense of duty’’ that led him to withdraw from the presidential race.

’’Just after we commemorated together the 80th anniversary of D-Day, I share a hope that this spirit of partnership between the two coasts of the Atlantic continues to animate the historic relations between our two countries,″ the letter reads, according to excerpts released Monday by his office.

AP survey of Democratic delegates finds early signs that Harris is consolidating support for presidential nomination

More than 700 pledged delegates have told The Associated Press or announced that they plan to support Vice President Kamala Harris at the convention, which is over one-third of the pledged delegates she needs in order to clinch the nomination.

Democratic National Committee rules most recently set 1,976 pledged delegates as the benchmark to win the nomination.

Secret Service director: Agency had been told about ‘suspicious person’ at Trump rally 2 to 5 times before shooting

In her first congressional hearing over the July 13 assassination attempt against Donald Trump, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle acknowledged that the agency was told about a suspicious person “somewhere between two and five times” before the shooting.

Yet, Cheatle gave no indication Monday that she intends to resign even as she said she takes “full responsibility” for any security lapses at the Pennsylvania rally. Cheatle vowed to “move heaven and earth” to ensure that nothing like it ever happens again.

Lawmakers peppered Cheatle with questions about how the gunman could get so close to the Republican presidential nominee when he was supposed to be carefully guarded and about why Trump was allowed to take the stage after local law enforcement had identified Thomas Matthew Crooks as suspicious.

Republican JD Vance to make first solo campaign appearances as Trump’s running mate

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance is making his first solo appearances on the campaign trail, a day after the 2024 presidential race was thrown into upheaval as President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

Vance, an Ohio senator, and is scheduled to hold a rally in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, on Monday afternoon, followed by a second rally Monday evening in Radford, Virginia.

Vendors outside of the Vance event in Ohio appeared for have pivoted quickly with the news of Biden dropping out. They had removed merchandise referencing Biden and added coffee mugs, t-shirts and other items that featured Vance.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper: ‘The vice presidential conversation needs to occur later’

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that he had a “great” conversation Sunday with Vice President Kamala Harris about “winning this race.”

Cooper, a term-limited governor with a history of strong support for the Biden-Harris administration, is a possible contender for Harris’ running mate should she win the nomination. Asked twice if he would consider being Harris’ running mate, Cooper instead said the focus needs to be on Harris alone this week.

“The vice presidential conversation needs to occur later,” Cooper said. “I want to make sure Kamala Harris wins. I’m going to work for her all over this country and do what I can to stop Donald Trump.”

Cooper also said he had a conversation with President Joe Biden on Sunday, where he told him he “cemented his legacy among the greatest of presidents.”

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says Harris called him after Biden’s announcement

“The vice president called me personally yesterday and called me within a couple of hours of President Biden’s announcement,” Beshear said. “And that meant a lot to me, to reach out to me personally and ask for my support.”

The Democratic governor said he pledged his support to her.

“The rest of that conversation I said would stay between us,” he said.

Asked if she mentioned the No. 2 spot on the ticket, Beshear said: “I’m not going to get into any of those details, but the call was about asking for my support and I pledged it.”

Harris heading to Delaware to meet with Biden campaign staff

Vice President Kamala Harris is heading to Delaware to meet with staffers of the reelection campaign that President Joe Biden gave up.

Her office says Harris will hold a “campaign engagement” in Wilmington, Delaware, on Monday afternoon. Biden reelection campaign headquarters occupies space in two buildings there.

Biden endorsed Harris shortly after announcing he was leaving the presidential race. The campaign announced raising $49.6 million in the hours after his announcement.

Harris is not yet the formal Democratic presidential nominee, but top party elected officials and donors, as well as labor unions and leading advocacy groups, have endorsed her.

Secret Service director faces storm of criticism at congressional hearing

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle faced a storm of bipartisan criticism at a congressional hearing Monday, with many lawmakers asking why she had not yet resigned from her job in the wake of the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.

The director, who’s spent nearly three decades combined at the agency, remained defiant that she was the “right person” to lead the agency despite overseeing the “most significant operational failure” in decades.

Even so, both Republicans and Democrats pushed Cheatle on why she wasn’t more forthcoming with details about what went wrong on July 13 or how she would ensure it never happens again.

“Tell us what went wrong!” Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, yelled at Cheatle. “Tell us and don’t try to play a shell game with us.”

Harris praises Biden but doesn’t mention her own candidacy in remarks at the White House

Vice President Kamala Harris says President Joe Biden’s list of accomplishments are “unmatched in modern history.”

In her first public remarks since Biden announced he was leaving the presidential race, Harris made no comment of her own presidential candidacy.

Speaking at a Monday event with NCAA athletes on the lawn of the White House that Biden missed as he recovers from COVID-19, Harris said that Biden, in one term, got more done than many two-term presidents.

“I am firsthand witness that every day, our President Joe Biden fights for the American people,” she said. “And we are deeply, deeply grateful for his service to our nation.”

Senior adviser to Obama: ‘Democrats didn’t have a chance on Sunday and now they have a chance’

David Axelrod, senior adviser to President Barack Obama, said Biden’s withdrawal and his endorsement of Harris doesn’t simply erase concerns about Biden but elevates Harris as a motivating, tested national candidate who’s grown while in office.

“Democrats didn’t have a chance on Sunday and now they have a chance,” Axelrod told The Associated Press Monday. “It’s really that simple.”

“I think that it’s a different race now because she has maybe some of his liabilities and she may have some of her own,” Axelrod said. “But no one judges her as too old, or unfit in that way.”

The electoral map stays essentially the same, with Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin being the most pivotal states, he said. And within them, Harris will motivate in particular younger voters, Axelrod said.

But Harris faces the daunting task of launching a campaign and building one at the same time. “Which is hard, but it can be done,” Axelrod said.

The reaction in the Gaza Strip on Biden’s exit from the race

In the central city of Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, Palestinians coping with more than nine months of the devastating Israel-Hamas war say they feel indifferent about Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential election.

“We feel the United States is a partner in the assault on Gaza,” Hassan Shaqalieh told The Associated Press. “The news that matters the most to us is the end of the war.”

Biden in May presented a deal that aims to end the war in Gaza and return the Israeli hostages the Palestinian group Hamas kidnapped in their surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, but Washington is Israel’s biggest political and military ally.

Hamza Fayyad who was displaced from the southern city of Khan Younis, says there has been no trust in Washington for the Palestinian people’s aspiration to a state and end to Israel’s occupation in the Palestinian territories.

“Someone bad leaves, only for someone worse to come in,” he said.

The reaction from China on Biden’s exit from the US presidential race

China’s foreign ministry on Monday said it had no comment on Biden’s exit from the presidential race, citing that “the presidential elections are the U.S.′ own affairs.”

The official Xinhua news agency, however, opined that it “once again exposed the ugly reality of U.S. politics.”

“Biden’s withdrawal once again expose the chaos and the essence of U.S. politics where partisan interests rule supreme and money drives elections,” Xinhua said in an editorial.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorses Harris for president

The second-term Democratic governor from one of the most-contested presidential states said in a news release Monday, “Today, I am fired up to endorse Kamala Harris for President of the United States.”

Whitmer continued, “In Vice President Harris, Michigan voters have a presidential candidate they can can count on to focus on lowering their costs, restoring their freedoms, bringing jobs and supply chains back from overseas, and building an economy that works for working people.”

Whitmer had been mentioned as a potential Democratic presidential prospect.

“So Michigan, let’s go to work,” Whitmer said. “We cannot let Donald Trump anywhere near the White House. Let’s go!”

Secret Service chief says she takes ‘full responsibility for any security lapse of our agency’ after Trump rally attack

The director of the Secret Service says the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump was the agency’s “most significant operational failure” in decades.

Director Kimberly Cheatle told lawmakers Monday during a congressional hearing: “On July 13, we failed.” Cheatle says she takes full responsibility for the agency’s missteps related to the attack at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally earlier this month.

Prominent Democrats endorse Harris, who has no declared rival, as party rapidly coalesces around her

Additional endorsements Monday, including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, left a dwindling list of potential rivals to Vice President Kamala Harris as she moves to lock up Democratic delegates behind her campaign for the White House.

Winning the nomination is only the first item on a staggering political to-do list for her after Biden’s decision to exit the race, which she learned about on a Sunday morning call with the president. If she’s successful at locking up the nomination, she must also pick a running mate and pivot a massive political operation to boost her candidacy instead of Biden’s with just over 100 days until Election Day.

Amid calls to resign, Secret Service director to testify before congressional committee

The Secret Service director is set to testify Monday before a congressional committee as calls mount for her to resign over security failures at a rally where a 20-year-old gunman attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump.

The House Oversight Committee hearing will be Director Kimberly Cheatle’s first appearance before lawmakers since the July 13 Pennsylvania rally shooting that left one spectator dead.

Lawmakers have been expressing anger over how the gunman could get so close to the Republican presidential nominee when he was supposed to be carefully guarded.

How Vice President Kamala Harris, in sweats, began launching her presidential bid

As President Joe Biden was deciding to withdraw from the race Sunday morning, Vice President Kamala Harris had multiple phone conversations with him, according to a person familiar who spoke only on background to more freely divulge details.

Harris was at the vice president’s residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington. She was surrounded by family and staff and wore a hooded Howard University sweatshirt, workout sweats and sneakers, the person said.

She spent 10-plus hours Sunday placing calls to more than 100 party leaders, members of Congress, governors, labor leaders, and leaders of advocacy and civil rights organizations. Harris told all that she was grateful Biden endorsed her upon leaving the race but she planned to earn the Democratic presidential nomination in her own right.

The vice president also called her pastor, Amos Brown III, who, along with his wife, prayed over her.

Harris arranged lunch and dinner for assembled aides. They ate afternoon sandwiches and salad and pizza in the evening. Harris’ pizza had anchovies, which the person said is her go-to topping.

— Will Weissert

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear endorses Harris while sidestepping questions about becoming her running mate

“The vice president is smart and strong, which will make her a good president,” Beshear said during a Monday morning appearance on MSNBC. “But she’s also kind and has empathy, which can make her a great president.”

Beshear praised Harris’ resume as a former prosecutor and says she’s ready to assume the presidency. He says he’s willing to do everything he can to support her.

Asked if he’s open to potentially joining the ticket, Beshear said he loves his job as governor. “The only way I would consider something other than this current job is if I believed I could further help my people and to help this country,” he said.

Beshear defeated Trump-endorsed Republicans to win the governorship in 2019 and to win reelection last year in his Republican-leaning state.

Sen. Joe Manchin says – again – that he’s not running for president

Speaking on Monday to CBS, the West Virginia Democrat-turned-independent said “I don’t need that in my life.”

Manchin had been the latest senator to call for Biden to exit the 2024 race before Sunday’s announcement by Biden that he would do just that.

Manchin had already mulled a late-breaking 2024 White House bid of his own but said in February after a listening tour that he didn’t want to be a “spoiler.” As a Democrat, he had often bucked his own party’s leadership.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister praises Biden’s ‘courageous and difficult decision’

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel praised President Joe Biden for his announcement that he’s ending his bid for reelection.

“It takes courage for a politician to say ‘I’m a bit old and I’m not capable of doing it anymore,’” Bettel said, describing it as a “courageous and difficult decision” by Biden.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York endorses Harris

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, endorsed Harris and called her “an unwavering champion for families, workers and justice.”

Gillibrand, who ran against Harris in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, said in a statement Monday that the vice president is “incredibly well-qualified, with experience as a prosecutor, as a lawmaker, and as a leader on the world stage.”

“Now is the time to unite,” the senator said. “VP Harris has the grit and toughness to beat Donald Trump and I’m eager to join her in this fight.”

Small

-dollar donations total $46.7 million for Harris

ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising platform, announced that it had collected $46.7 million as of 9 p.m. ET from small-dollar donations for Vice President Harris’ campaign.

The Biden campaign and affiliated groups previously had about $96 million in cash on hand. The Republican National Convention, by contrast, reported a campaign fund of $102 million in June.

Trump’s campaign quickly pivots to Harris after Biden withdraws

Donald Trump’s campaign has spent the last year and a half viciously attacking Joe Biden, ridiculing his policies, mocking his fumbles and relishing a rematch they felt they were winning.

But it has also spent weeks preparing for the possibility that he might exit the race, readying a bevy of attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris that it unleashed as soon as Biden made his stunning announcement Sunday that he would step aside.

Biden soon after endorsed Harris, who was quickly winning support from Democrats to be the party’s nominee.

The shakeup less than four months before Election Day lays out new challenges for Trump’s team, which had until recently been focused on contrasting the former president’s vigor and mental acuity with Biden’s.

Read more about the Trump campaign’s pivot toward Harris.

A divided and tense vote at the July 9 council meeting tasked the City Attorney’s office with filing a writ of mandamus with the Circuit Court asking a judge to compel Carey to resign from his position as he seeks election as mayor — a move some members say is required by the city’s charter.

In March, Carey declared a bid to challenge Mayor Rick West in November — even switching political parties to do so.

At this time, the question of whether Carey is required to step down from his seat as he runs for mayor may be determined by a judge. But disintegration already is on display as council members Amanda Newins and Debbie Ritter did not join their colleagues in Tuesday’s closed session discussion.

Newins and Ritter voted “no” to go into Tuesday’s closed session, which was to discuss active litigation against the city. When council members reentered council chambers to vote on certifying the closed session, which declares that only lawful closed-session matters were discussed, Newins and Ritter abstained.

Newins led the vote this month to petition the court, noting that it was about “transparency” and the “integrity of the council.” A writ of mandamus is a judicial order that requires a government official to comply with the law. In this case, it’s Section 3.02 of the city’s charter, which states that any sitting member of council who decides to run for mayor is eligible to do so but shall resign by June 30 of the election year.

“It’s very disappointing that Mr. Carey has placed the City in this unprecedented situation by not resigning when required by law,” Newins told The Virginian-Pilot via text Friday. “I cannot be a party to disclosing privacy issues of our City and citizens in a closed session to any individual who by law should not be there.”

Ritter could not be reached for comment.

Reached by phone Friday, Carey said he didn’t know whether council members were boycotting certain business. He previously called Newins’ push for the writ of mandamus “unethical, disingenuous and politically motivated.”

“I hope that there aren’t any theatrics and council members who are wanting to make a name for themselves or grandstand,” Carey said Friday. “I think we ought to be professional and continue to conduct the business of the city.”

When Newins was asked whether she was boycotting Tuesday’s closed session due to Carey’s participation, she contested the term but confirmed she was not participating in the typical closed session meeting.

“This is not a boycott,” Newins said. “I’m still conducting city business, but in a manner that protects the integrity of the closed session by conferring with staff one on one instead of going into the closed session.”

The fractures on council amidst this legal action are falling along party lines. Though local elections in Chesapeake are nonpartisan, Carey has the support of the Democratic Party, while West and Ritter have been endorsed by the local GOP. Newins was previously endorsed by local Republicans but is not up for reelection this year.

The city is required to serve Carey advanced notice of the intent to file a petition for mandamus, according to City Attorney Catherine Lindley. The city must then wait a “reasonable time” before filing to allow Carey time to comply with the mandamus.

Carey said as of Friday, he has not yet been served. He declined to provide additional details about stepping down or the legal matter at hand.

“I have full confidence that council will be able to continue to conduct business of the city in a professional manner,” Carey said. “Any disagreements on council about the charter should be played out in the courtroom. A judge can arbitrate that.”

Once filed, the petition becomes the purview of the court.

Lindley said the two most common outcomes of such legal action would be either a court order directing Carey to comply with the city charter and resign from his seat or a determination that Carey isn’t required to resign. The writ is only related to Carey’s current council seat and would not address his eligibility to run for mayor in the November 2024 election.

The city declined to elaborate on how long a “reasonable time” is, and it also declined to disclose whether the city attorney’s office or a third party would be handling the case to avoid any perceived conflicts of interest. Head city attorneys, who lead the office, are council-appointed positions.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, nataie.anderson@virginiamedia.com

But in response to questions from journalists over the last few weeks, the embattled Democratic president has given some clues as to what could make him step aside — especially as the calls from his own party to end his candidacy continue unabated.

Here are the things Biden has cited — some serious, others not — that would make him reconsider his run:

Divine intervention

It was a defiant answer that indicated Biden had no intention whatsoever of dropping out.

During an ABC News interview that marked the first major test of his fitness for office, anchor George Stephanopoulos asked the 81-year-old Biden whether he had convinced himself that only he could defeat his Republican opponent, Donald Trump.

“I have convinced myself of two things,” Biden said. “I’m the most qualified person to beat him, and I know how to get things done.”

Stephanopoulos pressed a little further: “If you can be convinced that you cannot defeat Donald Trump, will you stand down?”

“It depends,” Biden responded. “I mean, if the Lord Almighty comes out and tells me that, I might do that.”

Cold, hard data

No politician ever wants to lose — and it seems Biden would be willing to exit if he had numerical proof that that’s what would happen.

In a news conference at the close of the NATO summit in Washington last week, Biden was asked whether he would step aside if aides showed him that Vice President Kamala Harris would be a stronger opponent than he would be against Trump.

Biden’s initial response was “no,” but then he elaborated.

“Unless they came back and said, ‘there’s no way you can win.’ Me,” he said. “No one is saying that. No poll says that.”

The limited polling available suggests a competitive race with several months before the election. Several polls of voters give Trump a slight advantage, while others show neither candidate with an advantage.

A fateful accident

Biden wasn’t directly asked the hypothetical, but he threw in a new scenario anyway.

As Speedy Morman, a host on the entertainment network Complex, was wrapping up his interview with Biden last week in Detroit, he had one more closing question for the president: “We will 1,000 percent — in your words — see you on the ballot this November?”

Quipped Biden: “Unless I get hit by a train, yeah.”

Morman responded: “Let’s hope that doesn’t happen, for your safety’s concern.”

A not-yet-diagnosed medical ailment

Biden spoke with BET journalist Ed Gordon for an interview set to air Wednesday night. During the conversation, Gordon asked Biden if there were any factors that would make him reevaluate his candidacy.

He didn’t repeat the other reasons that he had previously listed — but rather surfaced a new one.

“If I had some medical condition that emerged,” Biden told Gordon. “If doctors came to me and said, ‘you got this problem, that problem.’”

The health of Biden, the oldest person to be U.S. president, has been scrutinized well before his catastrophic debate performance.

After his latest physical in February, presidential doctor Kevin O’Connor said Biden “remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.” A neurological exam, taken more than a month prior, showed no signs of a stroke, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease, according to O’Connor. The physician also said a cognitive exam was unnecessary.

—-

Associated Press writer Amelia Thomson-Deveaux contributed to this report.

The poll was conducted between June 24 and July 3, meaning it captured some sentiment following the June 28 presidential debate but occurred before a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump on Saturday at a campaign rally.

When respondents were asked whom they would vote for if the election were held today, 39% said Trump compared with 36% who selected Biden. The difference is less than the margin of error for the poll. But the results reflect a shift toward Trump since the school’s previous survey released in January, which showed Biden leading Trump 42% to 39%.

There was a notable dip in support for Biden among Black Virginians.

“I think the results show that Virginia is truly a ‘battleground state’ for the presidency,” former Virginia Gov. Douglas Wilder said in a news release. “The drop by 20 points (to 46%) of Black Virginians since December, where 67% supported Biden, should be concerning relative to turnout affecting congressional races, in particular in competitive districts 7 and 2.”

The poll surveyed a representative sample of 809 adults. Over half of respondents (53%) said they were less likely to vote for Trump due to his recent conviction of 34 felony counts of falsification of business records, while others (31%) were more likely to support him following the conviction.

For the remaining candidates, 9% of those surveyed said they would vote for Robert Kennedy Jr., 2% for Jill Stein and 1% for Cornel West.

The poll found little change in Biden’s overall approval rating since the January survey, with 36% approving his job performance and 58% disapproving. Approval was extremely polarized, with 69% of Democrats supporting Biden’s performance and 25% disapproving, as opposed to 8% of Republicans approving and 90% disapproving.

The poll further found Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat, holds a strong lead over Republican challenger Hung Cao. Nearly half of Virginians (49%) indicated they would vote for Kaine, with 38% supporting Cao.

Those surveyed identified the most important issues as the rising cost of living (31%), women’s reproductive rights (23%) and immigration (12%). Women were more likely to view reproductive rights as the most important issue (34%) compared with men (12%).

Half of Virginians (50%) approve of Gov. Glenn Youngkin job performance, with 34% disapproving. This is a 4-point drop in approval and a 3-point increase in disapproval from the poll released in January.

The poll’s news release states telephone interviews were used to survey Virginians. Design weights are often employed in telephone survey research to reduce bias and correct differences in the probability of selection due to non-response and non-coverage. This sample was weighted to match Virginia’s adult population, which was the primary sampling unit.

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com

“America, the land of opportunity, just doesn’t feel like that anymore,” said Youngkin, explaining many struggle with the cost of living. “But eight years ago there was an outsider, a businessman, who stepped outside of his career to rebuild a great nation — that outsider businessman was Donald J. Trump and he will do it again.”

During his primetime speech Monday night, Youngkin highlighted his own role as a political newcomer. The Virginia governor is a former private equity executive who first ran for office in 2021. He explained his wife Suzanne was caught off guard when he decided to pursue politics.

“I told her I planned to quit my job and run for governor and she looked at me with tears in her eyes and a quivering lip and asked ‘governor of what?'” he said. “We prayed together and we asked God for guidance and wisdom and said if elected we would serve.”

Youngkin said his gubernatorial victory in Virginia three years ago showed that Trump could win the state in November.

“In November 2021, Virginians elected a Republican outside businessman,” he said. “I believe this year Virginia will elect another Republican outside businessman as president of the United States.”

Trump lost Virginia in 2016 and 2020, but recent polling has shown a much tighter race between him and President Joe Biden.

The governor said he envisioned a future with unleashed energy sources, less taxes and red tape, and where businesses could proudly say “made in America.”

Youngkin also thanked God for protecting Trump during Saturday’s assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“We ask for God’s grace to be on innocent victims and we ask him to be with their families and thank him for this moment of unity,” he said.

Other speakers Monday included U.S. Sens. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Katie Britt of Alabama and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.

Earlier in the day, Trump chose Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate for the Republican ticket.

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com

A divided and tense vote Tuesday tasked the City Attorney’s office with filing a writ of mandamus with the Circuit Court, which is a judicial order that requires a government official to comply with the law. In this case, it’s Section 3.02 of the city’s charter, which states that any sitting member of council who decides to run for mayor is eligible to do so but shall resign by June 30 of the election year.

The vote passed 5-3, with Mayor Rick West abstaining. Robert Ike and Ella Ward joined Carey in voting against the measure put forth by council member Amanda Newins, who said it was about “transparency” and the “integrity of the council.” She likened Carey to being “a private citizen” acting as a council member.

“I think most of us assumed Mr. Carey was going to do the right thing and resign before June 30 but now we’re all in a very uncomfortable position,” Newins said. “And people say you have to have courage over comfort. And that’s what this is.”

In March, Carey declared a bid to challenge West — even switching parties to do so. Though local elections in Chesapeake are nonpartisan, Carey has the support of the Democratic Party, while West has been endorsed by the local GOP.

Though the charter provision calls for a resignation by June 30, it was established when Chesapeake held elections in May. General Assembly action in 2021 shifted the city’s elections to November, but the accompanying provision for resignation was not altered, according to an opinion issued in May by Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. His opinion concluded that Carey was required to step down by June 30.

Carey’s term is slated to end Dec. 31. Miyares’ opinion states that though resignation would have the effect of shortening Carey’s term, it’s “due to his voluntary decision to seek election to the office of mayor, as was the case prior to the 2021 amendments for council members seeking to become mayor in middle of their otherwise four-year term.”

Opinions from the state’s attorney general provide analysis and interpretation of current law, but do not establish new law.

“Because the shortening, instead, is one caused by the council member’s own independent action, the recently mandated transition to November elections does not negate the effect of the resignation requirement contained in § 3.02(c) of the city charter,” the opinion said.

Only West and Carey filed to run for mayor. It’s unclear whether a judge’s ruling would force Carey to resign to remain in the mayor’s race or if he would be deemed ineligible for the ballot.

Before Newins’ motion passed, Ike was unsuccessful in an attempt to defer the vote to next week. Ike, who characterized Newins’ reasoning for her motion as “smoke and mirrors,” said he wanted the city to advertise a public hearing and hear from the public before taking any action.

“We understand the legislators messed it up,” Ike said. “They changed one part of the law but didn’t change the other. In all fairness, he should be able to stay until Dec. 31.”

Ike also noted Miyares’ opinion was not as a binding ruling.

Ward, meanwhile, said General Assembly members, including House Speaker Don Scott, have opined that Carey should be able stay in his current position and that the charter change should have extended to that provision.

Following the November election, the new Chesapeake City Council would be seated Jan. 1.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com

“Military families are being left out in the cold and all Virginia Democrats can do is attack each other,” the Republican Party of Virginia wrote Tuesday on social media. “Shameful.”

The argument stemmed from a dustup over a state tuition waiver program for families of military veterans who were killed or seriously disabled. Ben Melusky, assistant professor of political science at Old Dominion University, said it’s not surprising that an issue involving veterans would spark arguments and heated rhetoric, even among members of the same party or at different levels of government.

“This is the reality of Virginia in terms of the veterans population and the connection we have to the military; (everyone) wants to look good in the eyes of the military,” he said.

This year’s state budget — approved by the Democratic-held General Assembly and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin — imposed new restrictions on the tuition waiver program in an attempt to curb rising costs. State budget discussions are spearheaded by the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee — chaired by Portsmouth Democrat Louise Lucas — and House Appropriations Committee.

After fierce backlash from veterans and military families, legislators announced Tuesday they had reached a deal to reverse the changes. Youngkin is expected to approve the plan after the legislature formally approves it during a special session July 18.

Smasal, running in the 2nd Congressional District, voiced strong support for the waiver program in a Monday news release shared on social media platform X.

“As a Navy veteran who married an Army veteran, I personally understand the sacrifice that service members and their families give to our country,” said Smasal, who served as a surface warfare officer during Operation Enduring Freedom. “It is our job to honor that sacrifice and provide for their earned benefits.”

Smasal’s post didn’t mention Lucas or the Senate, but touted legislation introduced in the House and name dropped two Hampton Roads delegates who sponsored it. The House and Senate had introduced separate pieces of legislation to address the issue, with the House backing a full repeal.

Lucas viewed Smasal’s comment as a slight and replied to the post on social media.

“Missy, like I told you, the first rule of HR politics is to stay the hell of my and (House Speaker Don Scott’s) business,” Lucas wrote. “How dare you attack me for trying to find a long term, sustainable solution to an issue that you KNOW that I care so deeply about.”

Lucas then took a swipe at Smasal’s absence from a June 28 news conference in Chesapeake — held to counter former President Donald Trump’s rally that same day — with military veterans and the Democratic Party of Virginia. Smasal was listed as an event speaker in a news release sent out June 27 by Democratic Party of Virginia. However, the news conference went ahead without her.

“Shame on you for walking out on (President) Joe Biden,” Lucas wrote.

The National Republican Congressional Committee pounced on the divide, highlighting Lucas’ comments in a news release that declared Smasal “isn’t ready for primetime.”

Biden’s June 27 debate performance fueled divisions within the Democratic Party about whether it’s time for the 81-year old to pass the torch to a younger candidate.

In response to questions about Lucas’ comment, Smasal provided a statement Tuesday that reiterated her support for veterans. She declined to speak with The Virginian-Pilot.

“I will always fight for military families and veterans so that they can get every benefit they’ve earned and all the support they deserve,” she said.

Campaign manager Brenna Crombie provided a brief statement about Smasal’s absence from the rally.

“Missy could not attend the Veterans Against Trump event on Friday because of a scheduling conflict,” Crombie wrote.

The Democratic Party of Virginia declined to comment.

Rich Anderson, chair of the Republican Party of Virginia, said the organization had no additional comment apart from the post on social media.

“Why interfere when two Democrats are clawing at each other?” he said.

On Wednesday, Lucas said she had mostly moved on from the dispute, but maintained that Smasal should have attended the event.

“I’m still upset about the way she walked out on Joe Biden,” said Lucas, who declined to comment further.

Melusky said the divide between state and national politics has weakened in recent years, opening the door to more interactions or arguments between federal and state level politicians.

“We have this kind of confluence going on between national level and state level politics,” he said. “Because of that, you have essentially this weird in-party fighting going on with what’s happening at the state level — I think it’s just the reality of the nationalization of our politics.”

Melusky, however, doubts any of it will influence the outcome of Smasal’s congressional campaign.

“I don’t think it’s going to have that much of an impact,” he said. “It’s not like she’s being attacked by Biden or Trump, she’s being attacked by a state level official.”

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com