Delegate Debra Rodman (D-Henrico) has announced that she will join a Democratic primary to challenge State Senator Siobhan Dunnavant (R-Henrico) as all 140 seats in the Virginia General Assembly will be on the ballot this November. Rodman was elected to the House of Delegates in the 2017 “blue wave” that flipped 15 GOP-held seats, winning by 894 votes against Republican incumbent John O’Bannon, 51.5 percent to 48.4 percent, respectively.
In the 12th State Senate District, Dunnavant won her district in 2015 with almost 58 percent of the vote, with her Democratic challenger pulling in just 38 percent, as shown by Ballotpedia. According to electoral figures from the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), the district has trended a bit more Democratic over the last few election cycles, but that should not be construed with voters accepting the highly progressive rhetoric and policy platforms of Virginia’s new left.
One policy issue Rodman must face in her State Senate campaign is owning the highly controversial late-term abortion bill, which would have substantially loosened restrictions on third-trimester abortions, allowed abortion doctors to self-certify the necessity of late-term procedures, eliminated informed consent requirements, repealed abortion clinic health and safety standards, permitted late-term abortions to be performed in outpatient clinics, removed ultrasound requirements, and eliminated Virginia’s 24-hour waiting period.
Notably, Rodman stood next to bill sponsor Delegate Kathy Tran (D-Fairfax) when the legislation was presented in a House subcommittee.
Video of Tran’s subcommittee testimony has since gone viral, garnering millions of views from voters who responded with shock and outrage at the thought of terminating a baby for mental health reasons at any point until birth.
Moreover, Rodman is also completely content with Governor Ralph Northam’s “infanticide” comments he gave during a radio show when he doubled down on his support for the bill, also vowing to make it priority legislation in the next session if Democrats take back the General Assembly.
Apart from her progressive policy issues, Rodman must also face being tied to racial scandal regarding her campaign financing.
The Virginia Department of Elections shows that Rodman has raised $117,279 in the 2019 election cycle. As of December, when her most recent report was filed, she had $75,760.07 in her campaign account.
In a report from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Mark Bergman, the director of Northam’s political action committee, “The Way Ahead,” said in an interview that he spoke with Rodman in December about challenging Dunnavant for her State Senate seat on the phone and at the Executive Mansion.
Reportedly, Northam’s PAC prodded the Democratic Party of Virginia to pay for polling in the 12th State Senate District, sharing the results with Rodman, but not the two other prospective candidates interested in running on the Democratic ticket at the time. Therefore, it looks like Rodman was hand-picked by the governor to flip the seat in the upper chamber – just before Northam was plunged into scandal.
VPAP shows that “The Way Ahead” PAC has donated $100,000 to the Democratic Party of Virginia since July 2018. Considering Governor Northam has an interest in flipping the GOP-controlled General Assembly in his party’s favor, one can only assume that he will be helping out Rodman financially.
Rodman took to Twitter to call for the governor’s resignation following photos surfacing of Northam reportedly appearing in a racist photo in his 1984 Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) yearbook, and of his head shot in his Virginia Military Institute (VMI) yearbook with the nickname “Coonman,” a racial epithet, appearing below.
“I unequivocally condemn the racism displayed in Governor Northam’s photo – it is inexcusable. Racism cannot be tolerated and Virginians demand better representation. I join my colleagues in asking for Governor Northam’s immediate resignation,” Rodman said.
The delegate added in a later statement, “I renew my call for Governor Northam’s resignation. I do not take this lightly, but to be governor is not about one individual – it is about service to bettering our Commonwealth. Let us use this opportunity to lift up the voices and proposals of those that have been silenced by years of systemic racism – to truly fight for a better Commonwealth for all.”
When asked how she thought Governor Northam was doing handling fallout weeks later, Rodman at first declined to comment, but after consulting with her campaign manager, she said, “He’s trying to make amends, but I’ve been keeping my head down and working despite all of this.”
As Democrats are facing pressure to donate contributions they have received from Northam’s PAC to a national slavery museum or a charity chosen by former Virginia Governor Doug Wilder, Rodman, after calling for the governor’s resignation, may also face further pressure to disavow both Northam and his PAC money.
During this year’s 46-day General Assembly session, Republican lawmakers touted leadership and results in Richmond amid Democratic chaos and embarrassment. For the 2019 elections, the same stark differences exist between GOP candidates and those on the left who have reinforced their efforts in taking Virginia down the progressive political path.