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WASHINGTON— This morning on MSNBC’s Way Too Early with Ali Vitali, DLCC President Heather Williams previewed today’s Virginia primary elections and shared her thoughts on Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman’s lasting impact and legacy.
To watch the full video, click here.
Check out some key excerpts from Heather Williams below:
- On the impact of DOGE cuts in Virginia: Virginia is ground zero for reduction in workforce, and what that uncertainty did to communities and entire fabrics of towns that have had such large federal workforce populations. But what’s interesting about Virginia is it also represents so much else that’s going on. You’ve got the military bases in southwest Virginia, you’ve got Medicaid expansion and Medicaid cuts on the table. We’re going to learn a lot on the ground, as our candidates are on the doors about how voters are really feeling about what is happening, and how they put it into their own words, which will be so important as we move into the midterms.
- On the connections state legislative candidates have to their communities: What’s so interesting about this ballot level and the fact that… these candidates still very much live in their community… and these conversations happen over the threshold of the door is that it’s all really personal. They’re able to take these big issues and boil it down into neighborhood effects, and suddenly the hundreds of workforce reductions or the millions of people who may lose health care become someone’s neighbor, and that really fundamentally changes the conversation and how people think about what’s happening.
- On Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman’s legacy: It was the honor of a lifetime to know her. And the truth is, she is exactly what we need in this moment. Her loss is felt so deeply, and it is tragic for her community, her family, and the state of Minnesota. She led in such a way that was principled and she was fiercely competitive, but she never lost sight of what she was competing for. It was not about a title. It was not about power or personal gain. It was solely about helping a community and making life better. And I feel like at a time when things are so tough or so much heavy news happening, she just exemplified what we need. We’re going to take some time, I think, to really navigate this. My heart breaks for Minnesotans and all of her colleagues and family, and the recovery of Senator Hoffman and his wife. There’s a lot to do there, but I think we are going to be guided by her legacy, and we’ll try to live that every day.
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