Two statewide candidates are temporarily off the campaign trail and at the Capitol for a special session.
Members of the Virginia Senate are not on the ballot this year. But the Senate chamber has not one but two statewide candidates for office who have temporarily sidelined their campaigns in order to be in the Senate chamber. Here's Senator Ghazala Hashmi, a Democrat from Richmond who is currently running for lieutenant governor.
"Well, it's my responsibility to do both," Hashmi says. "So, we are doing campaign activities in between the work of the sessions. I'll be here as needed, especially for any votes."
Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears is the Republican candidate for governor who left the campaign trail to preside over the Senate.
"It's a waste of taxpayers’ money, $750,000 at least," Earle-Sears says. "And they know, the Democrats know, that it will go nowhere, and Abigail Spanberger knows this, too.”
Members of the House of Delegates, who are all up for reelection next week, are also juggling what’s supposed to be the last few days of the campaign cycle with the ongoing special session.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
