Report: Half of local political contributions went to Democrat Jessica Anderson
Good morning! Also today, an update on the police shooting case...new rules for sexual violence victims...and I-64 lane closures.
Historic Triangle candidates running for election in November raised $218,265 in the first three months of the year, with more than half of that going to Democrat Jessica Anderson.
Anderson, who is challenging Republican Amanda Batten for the 71st House District, raised $115,665, with 32% coming from contributors who gave less than $100, according to records maintained by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. She started the year with nearly $75,000 in the bank and after expenses this year had a balance of $157,236 as of March 31.
Batten raised $15,385, with 4% coming from small donors. Incumbent legislators got a late fund-raising start because they cannot seek campaign funds while the General Assembly is in session. But Batten had a large balance left from last year and currently has the largest amount in the bank -- $253,118.
The Democratic party has targeted state elections in Virginia and New Jersey for financial and logistical support because they are the only states with statewide races taking place next November. Democratic House Majority Leader Don Scott Jr. raised nearly $1.1 million last quarter for his election committee and his political action committee, according to VPAP.
In our area, Democrat Virgil Gene Thompson raised the second largest war chest last quarter —$55,331— and has a cash balance of $34,049 as of March 31 after expenses. He is challenging 86th district incumbent A. C. Cordoza, a Republican who represents Poquoson and part of York County and Hampton. Cordoza raised $8,328 last quarter and has a cash balance of $31,801.
In the 69th House district, Republican incumbent Chad Green had an advantage over challenger Mark Downey. He raised $28,874 in the first quarter of the year and has $47,880 on hand. His Democratic challenger Mark Downey received $8,842 and had $18,827 cash on hand.
In James City County local races, the Democratic candidate for the Powhatan board of supervisors seat being vacated by Republican Michael Hipple, Ti’Juana Gholson, raised $6,800.
Jamestown Incumbent Jim Icenhour raised $4,366. His Republican challenger, political newcomer John Slokovitz, raised $575.
In the two races for the Williamsburg-James City County school board, Democrat Ty Hodges raised $2,829 to run for the Jamestown seat. Incumbent Sarah G. Ortego has not said whether she will run for re-election.
Powhatan District school board incumbent Kimberley Michelle Hundley has raised $244. She has no opponent raising funds in the first quarter.
Lawyer for accused JCC cop says prosecutors dragging feet on producing information
The trial of a former James City County policeman charged with shooting a police sergeant more than two years ago has been postponed a third time because the prosecution did not provide critical evidence in time, his defense attorney said.
Michael T. Rusk, 27, is charged with aggravated malicious wounding and a gun charge for shooting Sgt. Christopher Gibson after a fight in the parking lot of the Brickhouse Tavern Jan. 25, 2023. Rusk claimed Gibson had been harassing him sexually and he feared he wanted to rape him.
His attorney, W. Peyton Akers, said he told the court he would be able to reschedule the case by July, and that a September date floated by the prosecution would also work.
Akers said the prosecution delivered several thousand pages of documentation a week before the trial was scheduled April 15. The information included nearly 50 transcribed interviews from a police Internal Affairs investigation, some of which he said corroborated Rusk’s assertions.
That did not provide enough time to subpoena witnesses, Akers said. He also said he has yet to receive photos taken of the crime scene showing where shell cases landed, an issue he said is relevant to proving Rusk’s story.
“Each time I get a continuance, I get more and more information that I should have had for trial,” Akers said.
Special prosecutor Bernard J. McGee declined to comment. McGee, a deputy commonwealth’s attorney in Goochland, was appointed to prosecute Rusk after Williamsburg-James City County Commonwealth’s Attorney Nate R. Green recused himself because he works with law enforcement.
Rusk has separately filed a $5.5 million civil lawsuit against James City County and the police, claiming he was discriminated against because the harassing behavior had been allowed to continue.
“I’ve had conversations discreetly with…female law enforcement (individuals) and they say if this was a woman it would never have happened like this,” Akers said.
The civil trial has been placed on hold until the criminal case is concluded.
Akers said Rusk, who was fired from the police department, has been working with him on the case every day to keep busy.
“It's almost impossible for him to get a job…this has destroyed his life.” he said.
Sexual assault victims can provide evidence without involving police under recent law
A change in state law should encourage victims of sexual and physical attacks to provide physical evidence that can help prosecute their attackers without fear of retaliation in programs such as those at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Hospital, according to the health conglomerate.
The law allows medical teams to gather physical and photographic evidence of assault and strangulation and send it to the state forensic lab without having to bring in police first.
“That’s the big change,” said Sarah Brogan, R.N., team coordinator for the Sentara Peninsula forensic nurse examiners at Sentara’s Hampton hospital. “Survivors no longer have to call the police while they’re still being seen in the ER. It gives survivors time to consider their options and decide when, and if, to call the police.”
“When they do make the decision to prosecute, evidence of the crime will be there, even though wounds and bruises may have healed.”
In 2021, through a partnership with Sentara’s Williamsburg Regional Medical Center, forensic services were expanded to include human trafficking and elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, a spokesperson said.
Fear of retaliation from partners is an issue because so many of the cases seen in hospitals involve a domestic partner.
For example, Newport News experienced 833 aggravated assaults in 2024. Almost 90% of those assaults involved intimate partners. Twenty percent of those cases involved manual strangulation. So far, in 2025, 85% of aggravated assaults in Newport News involve intimate partners and almost 31% of those involve strangulation, which leaves DNA and visible evidence of bruising that can be photographed and saved with an evidence kit.
The mission of the Sentara Peninsula Forensic Nurse Examiners program is to assist survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. Services include confidential, dignified evidence gathering while preventing immediate harm, crisis intervention, preventive treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV, pregnancy prevention and referrals to follow-up medical care.
According to the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, there were approximately 120 practicing forensic nurses in Virginia in 2022.
Government meetings this week:
James City County taxpayers will learn more about their taxes and water rates next week after the Board of Supervisors meets April 22, starting at 1 p.m. in the board room of the government center at 101 Mounts Bay Road.
Supervisors will first review the county’s proposed $385.7 million budget. Following the county budget discussion, the supervisors will meet as the directors of the James City Service Authority to discuss its budget as well as proposed water and sewer rate increases.
The county’s Policy Review Committee is also having a special meeting to discuss requiring special use permits for sexually oriented businesses in the county. They meeting takes place April 24, at 3 p.m. in the large conference room of Building A, 101 Mounts Bay Road.
I-64 lane closings, continued….
I-64, Gap Widening Segment C, James City County:
Single-lane closures on I-64 east from Ropers Church Road to Route 199/Lightfoot (exit 234) April 22-25 from as early as 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Single-lane closures on I-64 west from Route 199/Lightfoot (exit 234) to New Kent/James City County line April 22-25 from as early as 7 p.m. to as late as 8 a.m.
Full closure of I-64 on- and off-ramps at Croaker Road (exit 231) April 22-26 from as early as 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Long-term, temporary traffic shift on I-64 west starting April 6 from east of Route 199/Lightfoot (exit 234) to the New Kent/James City County line. View the full traffic alert.
Long-term, temporary traffic shift on I-64 east between the New Kent/James City County line to Route 199/Lightfoot (exit 234). View the full traffic alert.
Passings
Isabel Jean Perry, 91, April 16.
Stephen Ray Hawkins, 54, April 15.
Patricia Stromfors, 68, April 17.
Betty Ann Mason Caldwell, 95, April 15.
The changes to the assault law are huge! Glad to see it.
It’s Virgil Thornton Sr.