Both Virginia governor candidates vow to end state's "car tax"
Why it matters: Most locals who own a car just shelled out big bucks for their annual personal property tax bill.
Driving the news: Last week, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP candidate for governor, announced her "Axe the Tax" initiative at a campaign event in Fairfax.
Her proposal calls for ending the personal property tax on vehicles in Virginia and eliminating the state's income taxes on tipped wages.
"We are going to get rid of this daggone car tax once and for all," Earle-Sears said at the event.
A spokesperson for former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial candidate, told the Times-Dispatch that she too supports ending the "car tax" and plans to work with both Democrats and Republicans in the General Assembly to find a way to do it.
The big picture: Roughly half of states levy a personal property tax on vehicles.
Better known in Virginia as the "car tax," it's deeply unpopular with residents, likely because, well, it's a tax ... and one that only about half the nation pays.
That's largely why statewide politicians have been promising to repeal or offset it on and off for nearly 30 years, including earlier this year when Gov. Youngkin proposed $1.1 billion in car tax relief.
Yes, but: The tax is deeply ingrained in Virginia (it's been around since 1782) and provides significant revenue for cities, towns and counties, which levy and collect the money.
So if and when politicians want to kill it at the state level, they have to find a way to reimburse the localities for the lost revenue.
In 2024, the last time the state looked at repealing the car tax, the estimated price tag for Virginia was $2.5 billion to $3 billion a year, the Times-Dispatch notes.
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The Hill
26 minutes ago
- The Hill
President Ocasio-Cortez isn't as far of a reach as it once was
In a move that surprised many on both sides of the political aisle, progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) recently voted — with an overwhelming majority of House Democrats and Republicans — to support funding for Israel's Iron Dome defense system. To be sure, Ocasio-Cortez's vote made little difference to the final tally. The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), which could have cut U.S. support, was shot down 422-6. Nevertheless, voting to support continued funding was extremely revealing for what it says about Ocasio-Cortez's grander ambitions. Indeed, not only did her vote mark a clear break with other members of the progressive 'Squad,' who made up five of the six objections. More importantly, it positioned Ocasio-Cortez closer to the Democratic mainstream at a time when her name has been brought up as a candidate for the Senate, and potentially even President. Further, this vote positions the congresswoman well vis-à-vis Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who trails Ocasio-Cortez by 19-points (55 percent to 36 percent) in a poll reported by Politico. This is not the first time Ocasio-Cortez has broken from the progressive wing in order to strengthen her candidacy for higher office, although it is the most serious. In 2021, in the wake of another war between Israel and Gaza, Ocasio-Cortez publicly lobbied against Iron Dome funding only to reverse course and vote 'present.' At the time, MSNBC called her actions a bid to 'preserve the possibility of challenging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.' Much like that vote, Ocasio-Cortez has maintained her image as a critic of Israel, but one who recognizes its right to exist and to self-defense, albeit her recent statements make it clear that she has an extremely narrow definition of 'self-defense.' This position, much closer to the wider Democratic Party and national electorate, is also in stark contrast with other progressive rising stars, such as Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani, the front-runner to be New York City's next Mayor has said Israel should not exist as a Jewish State, expressed support for the anti-Israel Boycott, Divest, Sanctions movement, and who has taken a decisively one-sided view to Hamas's Oct. 7 attacks as well as the ensuring war. And yet, given the vastly different circumstances between the 2021 vote and present day, Ocasio-Cortez's July 18 vote carries considerably more weight. For months, even as many have doubted Ocasio-Cortez's viability for statewide or national office, she has travelled the country, drawing thousands to her rallies. Even in red states and districts, voters are coming out to see her. At one rally in Plattsburgh, N.Y., a district represented by Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Ocasio-Cortez reportedly drew a full 10 percent of the entire town. In that same vein, she has shown herself to be unmatched at fundraising ability. 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His first appearance in a national poll came that December but was still considered such a longshot that his next appearance did not come until October of 2006. Conversely, the Race to the White House polling aggregator shows Ocasio-Cortez (12 percent) in fourth place, and she's consistently a top five finisher in individual polls. Polymarket even shows her having the second-best odds, 17 percent, behind only Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) at 21 percent. Additionally, in Democratic primaries, the left-wing of the party tends to dominate, giving her a considerable boost, particularly given the enthusiasm she tends to generate among this group. Taken together, it increasingly appears that Ocasio-Cortez's growing national appeal supports her growing political ambitions. However, as I've stated elsewhere, there are legitimate reasons to doubt whether her viability for higher office corresponds with her aspirations. 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Without downplaying the seriousness and inexcusability of political violence, it is doubtful that the far-left would stay away if Ocasio-Cortez began to be considered a legitimate frontrunner in the next three years. Furthermore, were she to become the party's nominee for either the Senate or the presidency, there is likely a 'built in' vote among Democratic voters who would support the party, regardless of the candidate. That's especially true given that she addresses critical needs for Democrats — their lack of fresh ideas, new faces and overall lack of energy. Of course, this is certainly not to suggest that she will be the nominee. She may very well decide that making a run at the Senate first makes more sense. Her appeal may also begin to fade between now and 2028. Ultimately, the prospect of Ocasio-Cortez becoming Democrats' 2028 presidential nominee is not out of the realm of reason, and even looks considerably more plausible than it did just one year ago. Douglas E. Schoen is a political consultant who served as an adviser to President Clinton and to the 2020 presidential campaign of Michael Bloomberg. He is the author of 'The End of Democracy? Russia and China on the Rise and America in Retreat.'
San Francisco Chronicle
26 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Former Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper will run for Senate in 2026
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will run for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina, giving Democrats a proven statewide winner in an open-seat race that is expected to be one of the most competitive 2026 contests. Cooper made the announcement Monday with a video released on social media and his campaign website. The former two-term governor will immediately become the front-runner for the Democratic nomination in the race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley plans to run for the GOP nomination, with President Donald Trump's blessing, according to two people familiar with his thinking who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly before an official announcement. Whatley, the former North Carolina GOP chairman, received Trump's endorsement after the president's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, passed on the seat. Cooper's candidacy is a big recruiting win for Democrats, who see the open seat as a top pick-up opportunity in what will be a challenging year. To retake the majority in 2026, Democrats need to net four seats, and most of the contests are in states that Trump easily won last year. Trump won North Carolina by about 3 percentage points, one of his closest margins of victory. Trump endorsed Whatley on his Truth Social platform Thursday night, posting that should he run, 'Mike would make an unbelievable Senator from North Carolina.' Ex-U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel already has been campaigning for the Democratic nomination for months. Party primaries would be March 3. Cooper, 68, has been on statewide ballots going back a quarter-century — serving 16 years previously as attorney general before being first elected governor in 2016. With a political career going back nearly 40 years, Cooper has had a knack for winning in a state where the legislature and appeals courts are now dominated by Republicans. State law barred Cooper from seeking a third consecutive gubernatorial term. He spent the spring on a teaching gig at Harvard. State and national Democrats were longing for Cooper to join the race well before Tillis announced June 29 that he would not seek a third term. That news came after Trump threatened to back a primary candidate against him as Tillis opposed Medicaid reductions in the president's tax break and spending cut package, Democrats haven't won a Senate race since 2008 in North Carolina, where independent voters tend to vote Republican in federal elections. Statewide races can be financially exorbitant because there are so many television markets — hundreds of millions of dollars are expected to be spent in the race. Cooper's recent political history has painted him as a fighter against what he's considered extreme Republican policies, while at times finding consensus with GOP rivals. When asked by The Associated Press last December about a Senate bid, Cooper replied: 'If you're going to run for public office again, you must have your heart and soul in it, you must have the fire in the belly." As governor he steered the state through the coronavirus pandemic, Hurricanes Helene and Florence and a law that became an early flashpoint in the culture wars over access to public restrooms by transgender people. That 'bathroom bill' was rolled back early in Cooper's first term, and the state's economy soared during Cooper's tenure, marked by big jobs announcements and low unemployment. While Cooper also managed to get Medicaid expansion approved and a landmark greenhouse gases law enacted, he fell short in stopping legislation that widely expanded private school vouchers and narrowed abortion rights. Cooper's perceived accomplishments raised his national profile in 2024, making him as a potential running mate for Kamala Harris until he said it 'just wasn't the right time' for him and for North Carolina. Republicans have argued that Cooper remains susceptible politically, citing what they consider an extreme record supporting abortion rights and opposing school choice that led to many vetoes. They've also cited a gubernatorial administration marked by spending overruns at the state Department of Transportation; its response to Helene and delays in rebuilding or renovating homes after Hurricanes Matthew and Florence; and executive orders that restricted businesses and school instruction during COVID-19. As for the roaring economy, Republicans credit themselves through lower taxes and deregulation. Tillis' retirement announcement heartened far-right Republicans and strong Trump supporters who have been unhappy for years with his willingness to challenge Trump's actions and his Cabinet agency choices. Republicans had deferred to the president's daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who is a North Carolina native, North Carolina State University graduate and a popular former RNC co-chair with Whatley during the 2024 election campaign. She posted on the social media platform X on Thursday that she would not seek the Senate seat.
Washington Post
28 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Former Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper will run for Senate in 2026
RALEIGH, N.C. — Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will run for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina, giving Democrats a proven statewide winner in an open-seat race that is expected to be one of the most competitive 2026 contests. Cooper made the announcement Monday with a video released on social media and his campaign website. The former two-term governor will immediately become the front-runner for the Democratic nomination in the race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis .
