Abigail Spanberger

Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, 82, president pro tempore of the Senate and chair of the Finance and Appropriations Committee, was indicted and surrendered to federal custody alongside six co-defendants, including two daughters (Lisa Lucas Burke and Theresa Lucas-Lamb) and a grandson (Ryan Eichelberger), on racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, bribery, money laundering and honest-services fraud charges filed by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia. Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel allege Lucas led a "criminal marijuana enterprise" built by family and associates, paying $750,000 for control of a shell company used to obtain a state cannabis license and later receiving a bribery payment, while using her committee chairmanship to shield and benefit the operation. The case follows an FBI raid on Lucas's office in May. Lucas, a longtime cannabis-legalization advocate, denies wrongdoing, calling the case political retaliation and intimidation. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger criticized the indictment's timing as inconsistent with Justice Department norms near elections, though the investigation originated under the Biden administration.

In Virginia's 1st Congressional District, Democratic prosecutor Shannon Taylor is challenging longtime Republican Rep. Rob Wittman with an anti-corruption message, accusing him of enriching himself through stock trades in companies he helps regulate. Wittman denies wrongdoing, says his portfolio is managed by outside advisers and reflects inheritances, has backed legislation limiting stock trading, and calls Taylor "a liar." The district, unrepresented by a Democrat since the 1970s, backed Trump by about 5 points in 2024 but went for Gov. Abigail Spanberger by nearly 3 points in 2025, making it a top Democratic flip target. Wittman has outraised Taylor roughly two-to-one, though outside groups have spent nearly $5 million attacking him on her behalf. Wittman, who has never won by fewer than 10 points, has deep local ties and Trump's endorsement, while Taylor has pledged to support a stock-trading ban, term limits, and a lobbying ban for former members of Congress.

The race reflects a broader anti-corruption theme emerging nationally this midterm cycle, with similar stock-trading and ethics attacks surfacing in North Carolina, New Jersey, and Virginia's neighboring 2nd District, where Rep. Jen Kiggans faces Democrat Elaine Luria. Polling shows voters are more likely to associate corruption with Republicans, giving Democrats an opening to tie incumbents to affordability frustrations and Trump-era controversies.

Arizona Democrat JoAnna Mendoza, a candidate seeking to unseat Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani in a competitive U.S. House district, deleted numerous social media posts before launching her campaign. Archived records show the posts date to her 2020 Arizona Senate run, during the height of pandemic-era progressive activism following the murder of George Floyd. Deleted content included claims that "systemic racism is quite literally in the air we breathe" and that "racism is killing the planet," along with criticism of "privileged cis men" and calls to indoctrinate children against systemic racism.

The National Republican Congressional Committee criticized Mendoza over the deletions, also citing past comments calling police "an occupying army," her lobbying for tax increases, and a personal tax dispute. Mendoza's case follows similar deleted-post controversies involving Michigan Democrats Abdul El-Sayed and William Lawrence, as candidates nationally recalibrate messaging ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Arizona House candidate JoAnna Mendoza deleted old social media posts on race and policing before her 2026 campaign launch.

ICE agents arrested three illegal immigrants in Virginia accused of sexual crimes against children, all held at a jail in Staunton, Virginia. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin identified the detainees as Efren Ramirez Escobedo of Mexico, charged with sexual assault of a 13- to 14-year-old victim; Bayron Jose De Paz-Lopez of Guatemala, charged with nine counts of child solicitation and attempted sexual assault of a child under 15; and Santos Bautista-Molina of Honduras, facing similar charges involving a child under 15. Bautista-Molina has lived in the U.S. illegally since 2005, while De Paz-Lopez crossed the border in 2021 and was released into the country under the Biden administration.

The arrests come after Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger ended statewide cooperation with ICE. DHS is pressing Spanberger and other sanctuary-policy officials to keep the men in custody and hand them over to federal agents rather than release them.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has ordered American and state flags at government buildings lowered to half-staff following the death of Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, according to her family. Flags will remain lowered from 6 p.m. Tuesday through sunset on Sept. 1. President Donald Trump has issued a similar order for U.S. flags nationwide through the same date.

Spanberger's order cited Parton's cultural contributions and her Imagination Library, a book-gifting program launched in 1995 that provides free books to children under five and currently serves roughly one in six eligible children in the United States. Several chapters operate in Central Virginia, including Goochland County, Powhatan County, and Richmond. Parton's family has said the program will continue as part of her legacy.