Pete Snyder Archives - The Virginia Star

Former Trump Official Sergio de la Peña Joins Virginia Gubernatorial Race

January 13, 2021January 12, 2021 Eric Burk

Former Trump official Sergio de la Peña announced Monday that he’s entering the race to be the Republican nominee for Virginia governor. de la Peña served 30 years in the Army, where he reached the rank of colonel. He also served as Trump’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs, and he says that experience will set him apart from the suddenly crowded field of GOP gubernatorial candidates.

Former Trump Official Sergio de la Peña Joins Virginia Gubernatorial Race

January 13, 2021 Eric Burk

Virginia 30 Day Fund Partners with Barstool Fund, Providing Support to Struggling Businesses

January 7, 2021January 7, 2021 Eric Burk

Pete Snyder’s Virginia 30 Day Fund has a new partner, the Barstool Fund, which is funding businesses who are still paying their employees even though they aren’t making enough to stay open.

“I’ve been ranting and raving lately about the plight of small businesses in the United States,” Barstool Sports Founder David Portnoy said in a video. “New York City just shut down in door dining. It’s like, ‘How do you expect these people to survive? How are restaurants going to survive?'”

Virginia Governor Candidate Kirk Cox Reportedly Says Biden Will be Next President

January 6, 2021January 5, 2021 Jacob Taylor

GOP candidate for governor and Virginia State Delegate Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights) reportedly said Tuesday he does not stand with Republicans in Congress who plan to object to the Electoral College votes and that Joe Biden will be the next President of the United States.

Cox’s reported comments were shared by Daniel Grimes, a reporter and weekend anchor for NBC29 in Charlottesville, in a post on Twitter.

Princess Blanding Announces Third-Party Run for Virginia Governor

December 31, 2020December 30, 2020 Jacob Taylor

Community activist and mental health advocate Princess Blanding, whose brother was fatally shot by Richmond Police in 2018, announced her entrance into the 2021 Virginia governor’s race on Tuesday as a third-party candidate, joining a group of hopefuls featuring former and current state politicians.

Blanding, 38, will be running as an independent candidate under the Liberation Party, whose mission to advance equity by uplifting traditionally underserved and oppressed communities, according to a press release.

The Virginia Star’s Person of the Year 2020: The Nominees

December 24, 2020December 24, 2020 Eric Burk

Gun rallies, a general election, COVID-19, and social unrest – it’s been a busy year for Virginians. The Virginia Star is compiling a list of Virginia’s top newsmakers; the staff has picked twelve people, and we’re also looking for reader suggestions: who should come in first and why? Who else should be on the list?

Republican State Senator Emmett Hanger Still Seriously Considering a Bid for Governor

December 21, 2020December 20, 2020 Jacob Taylor

As the 2021 elections inch closer and begin to dominate almost all political talk in the Commonwealth, Sen. Emmett Hanger (R-Augusta) is still exploring a potential run to become the 74th governor of Virginia.

Hanger, 72, recently discussed the gubernatorial election and the difficulty of securing the GOP nomination in an interview with The Virginia Star.

Chase Caves on Convention for Virginia GOP Nomination

December 13, 2020December 14, 2020 Eric Burk

Six days after the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) decided to hold a nominating convention instead of a primary, gubernatorial candidate State Senator Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield) finally declared that she would run in the convention, and not as an independent.

“My team and I have received thousands of communications across the Commonwealth this past week asking me to continue to run as the next Republican Governor of Virginia,” Chase said on Facebook on Friday.

Terry McAuliffe to Run for Second Term as Virginia Governor

December 11, 2020December 10, 2020 Jacob Taylor

Former Governor Terry McAuliffe officially entered Virginia’s 2021 gubernatorial election on Wednesday after months of educated speculation that the long-time Democrat would throw his name into the contest and seek another four years in the Executive Mansion.

McAuliffe, 63, made the announcement during a press conference in front of Miles Jerome Jones Elementary School in Richmond’s southside that was streamed live to his Facebook page.

Chase Follows Through on Promise, Will Run for Governor as an Independent

December 8, 2020December 7, 2020 Jacob Taylor

Virginia State Senator Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield) is now planning to run for governor in the 2021 election as an independent candidate.

The decision comes after the Republican Party of Virginia State Central Committee voted 41-28 on Saturday to hold a convention instead of a primary to nominate the party’s candidates for the 2021 races, according to previous reporting from The Virginia Star.

Republican Party of Virginia Chooses Convention for 2021 Nominations

December 6, 2020December 5, 2020 Eric Burk

It was a “Motion from hell,” Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) Chair Richard Anderson said during the hours-long discussion of the RPV’s nomination method for 2021.

Eventually, the RPV State Central Committee voted in favor of holding a convention instead of a primary to nominate the party’s 2021 Virginia candidates.

The Republican Party of Virginia Faces a Day of Reckoning

December 5, 2020December 4, 2020 Eric Burk

The Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) State Central Committee (SCC) will hold a virtual meeting on Saturday to determine whether a convention or a primary will be used to nominate their candidates for 2021. The decision is strategically important for candidates and power brokers, so rumors of intrigue surround preparations for the meeting.

Campbell County Passes First Amendment Sanctuary Resolution

December 3, 2020December 2, 2020 Eric Burk

Campbell County is a First Amendment Sanctuary, according to a resolution the Board of Supervisors (BOS) unanimously passed at a regular meeting on Tuesday.

“No Campbell County funds will be used to restrict the First Amendment,” the resolution states. “[No] County funds shall be expended to aid federal or state agencies in the restriction of said rights,” the resolution adds.

COVID-19 Crushed Sales Tax Revenue, but Online Sales Helped a Little

October 3, 2020October 2, 2020 Eric Burk

Virginia’s fiscal year 2020 sales tax revenue performed well all the way up until April 2020 when sales tax revenue decreased 0.4 percent from April 2019; May saw sales tax revenue drop 12.5 percent from May 2019, indicating harm to Virginia’s retailers. At the same time, online sales were booming.

Pete Snyder Talks About His Virginia 30 Day Fund and Helping Flip the State Red for Trump

September 26, 2020September 25, 2020 Julie Carr

Friday morning on The John Fredericks Show, host John Fredericks welcomed Founder and CEO of New Media Strategies Pete Snyder to talk about his Virginia 30 Day Fund and flipping Virginia.

Virginia Loan Authority Has Millions of Unused Funds Available for Small Businesses, Report says

September 16, 2020September 15, 2020 Jacob Taylor

The Virginia Small Business Financing Authority (VSBFA) is doing a poor job issuing loans for small businesses with millions in unused funds available, according to a new report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) released Monday.

The VSBFA is a part of the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, but operates separately from the rest of the agency.

Wednesday Is the COVID-19 Emergency Standard Compliance Deadline for Virginia Businesses

August 26, 2020August 25, 2020 Eric Burk

Virginia employers face a deadline today to implement new COVID-19 safety standards.

On July 15, the Safety and Health Codes Board adopted the COVID-19 Emergency Standard. The new mandate includes precautions like requiring employers to classify each job for exposure risk, develop policies for employees who have been exposed to COVID-19, and enforce social distancing.

Amid a Crowded Field, Democrat Terry McAuliffe Moves to Run for Governor Again in 2021

August 24, 2020August 24, 2020 Eric Burk

Former Governor Terry McAuliffe filed paperwork to run for governor in 2021, joining field of four other Democrats and another four Republicans who have filed or declared serious interest in running in the 2021 primary.

Strategist and Democratic political pundit Ben Tribbett told The Virginia Star that filing to run is not the same as an official declaration as Virginia does not allow exploratory committees.