Dems Target Batten's 71st District Seat

Will give money and strategic help to challenger Jessica Anderson

Feb 21, 2025

Democrats are sounding confident their candidate --and their money -- will flip Republican Amanda Batten’s House of Delegates seat in the 71^st District this November.

Newcomer Jessica Anderson said she “was really kind of an afterthought” for Democrats when she first challenged Batten. But to the experts’ surprise, she came within 667 votes of winning in 2023.

This time around, the part-time secretary at a local elementary school said she is “one of the top races” Democrats believe they can win. She said she is working to raise $400,000 from her supporters, plus a matching donation from the Democratic caucus.

Anderson said she raised most of the $200,000 for her last campaign herself.

“When you are a challenger like that, you don’t get a lot of institutional money, you don’t get the corporate money, the (political action committee) money,” said Jennifer Tierney, chair of the Historic Triangle Democrats.

This year, only Virginia and New Jersey have regular statewide elections in November, Tierney said.

“We are seeing a huge amount of excitement over this race,” she said. “(Anderson) is one of the hardest working candidates I’ve ever met.”

Anderson said she knocked on more than 6,000 doors in 2023 and aims for 10,000 this time.

We reached out to Batten and to Sue Sadler, chair of the Williamsburg/James City County Republican Committee, but had not heard back by deadline.

Democrats have hired a campaign manager for Anderson’s race who will be starting March 1, Anderson said.

Tierney and Anderson pointed to several factors they said make Democrats optimistic, besides the Democratic candidate’s strong showing in 2023:

The Historic Triangle is one of the few places in Virginia where the Democratic margin improved last November. Tierney said. Kamala Harris won James City County by a 6.2% margin last November, improving on Former President Joe Biden’s performance by 1.4 percentage points. York County’s Republican margin slipped by half a percentage point.
Demographic changes in the district, with more people moving from bluer Northern Virginia and northern states, will hurt Republican margins.
Donald Trump’s combative style will turn off some independents and moderate Republicans.

The 71^st District was redrawn in 2020 to add the city of Williamsburg. It includes most of James City County except for Berkeley District A and the Roberts District, as well as half of New Kent County.

Tierney said it can cost up to $1 million to run a competitive House of Delegates race.

The House Democratic Caucus had more than $900,000 in its slush fund as of December, according to the state board of elections.

Democratic House Speaker Don Scott has amassed his own war chest of $1.8 million, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project, , which he can also use to help candidates.

Batten’s $276,505 war chest was the 9^th largest in the House of Delegates at the end of last year, VPAP said, while Jessica Anderson had $72,816, the state board of elections reported.

Anderson, whose agendas hit on traditional Democratic themes like funding public schools and maintaining abortion access, says she understands why the national electorate swung to Donald Trump last year.

“I don’t agree with Donald Trump’s rhetoric…(but) I think we (both) meet people where they are, and he has an innate ability to make people feel seen,” Anderson said.

Anderson noted Trump’s presence on social media platforms like the Joe Rogan podcast made him visible to a new generation of young men who hadn’t voted before. She said too many politicians in both parties have not tried to connect with voters’ concerns.

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York County Approves Bonds to Pay for 2024 School Work

York County will sell up to $11.3 million in bonds to the Virginia Public School Authority to pay off repair work performed at several schools last year.

County Supervisors voted unanimously to approve the bond issue at their regular meeting Tuesday.

Theresa Owens, the director of finance, said the tax exempt bonds have a more favorable interest rate and less administrative burden when sold to the public school authority.

The money will pay for:

Renovating the locker and team rooms at Tabb Middle School, Tabb High School, York Middle School and York High School.
Replacing the HVAC at Mt. Vernon Elementary and Tabb Middle schools.
Renovating and Expanding Seaford Elementary School.
Roof coating of Bruton High School.
Modular classrooms at Waller Mill Elementary.

WJCC Schools Set Job Fair For Aspiring Teachers March 3

If you are looking for a teaching job, or have thought of becoming a teacher, put March 3 on your calendar.

Williamsburg/James City County Schools will hold a job fair at Warhill High School from 2-5 p.m., Acting Superintendent Daniel Keever told the school board Tuesday.

Interviews will be held on the spot, and conditional job offers will be made to qualified teachers, Keever said.

But if you are not a teacher, “career switchers and individuals with bachelor’s degrees are encouraged to come out,” he said.

The school system offers qualified individuals who do not have a teaching license a fully reimbursed pathway to their license through iteach.

Iteach allows individuals who have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university to become ready to teach at full pay in as little as 8 weeks, the organization says.

The school system offers full reimbursement of program fees to candidates who remain with the schools for three years. It also provides mentors to help the aspiring teachers.

Area schools have been using a variety of innovative approaches to fill vacancies. York County schools reported success with offsite recruitment fairs for various positions.

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Weekend Fun & Events

Feb. 21: Punchlines and Pints at Precarious Beer Project.

Feb. 22: Williamsburg Book Festival. Williamsburg Community Building.

Feb. 22: After Angelo, honoring one of the first African women metioned by name in the historical record at Jamestown. 12-4 p.m. Jamestown Settlement.

Feb.23: Cultural Heritage Series, Sankofa band presents a tribute to Louis Armstrong. 3 p.m., Williamsburg Library.