Governor-elect Ralph Northam outlines post-election agenda, announces chief of staff

[brooklynite]

Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch

With the furor of the campaign season behind him, Democratic Gov.-elect Ralph Northam returned to his more laid-back self Wednesday morning as he called for unity, announced his transition team and outlined his priorities for his upcoming four-year term.

After outperforming expectations by beating Republican Ed Gillespie by almost 9 percentage points in a race dominated by harsh attack ads, Northam repeatedly invoked the fabled “Virginia Way” as he called for a bipartisan reset.

“We live in the greatest state in this country. And we have so much potential,” Northam said at a news conference in Richmond. “And it’s time to put some of the ideology, put some of the divisiveness aside and bring people to the table.”

As some Democrats continued to blast Gillespie for ads they said were racially tinged, Northam seemed ready to move on.

Read more: http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/governor-elect-ralph-northam-outlines-post-election-agenda-announces-chief/article_868eb342-b1f9-59c0-a3d3-828d1b3914e0.html

[msongs]

1. Klan country may not wish to indulge themsevles in the virginian way nt

[Hortensis]

2. Northam's own site has some detail.

I like the statement on: Ralph Northam Unveils Agenda To Reform Virginia’s Criminal Justice System. From last February when he was lt. gov., and Gillespie won't be doing a "trump" on the advances made. Reportedly, Limbaugh's monologue was a tirade about 160,000 ex-felons having had their right to vote restored. I love it when Limbaugh's "unhappy."

The house of delegates is "close to 50:50 split" at this point, even if Dems don't control it. He reportedly has a good relationship with a lot of Republicans and they can work with that. They should certainly be able to finally get the Medicaid expansion passed.

Potentially desperately important, since we don't know how SCOTUS will rule on the WI gerrymandering case, of course, if it doesn't win VA at least now seems in pretty good shape for reapportionment after the 2020 census.

https://ralphnortham.com/2017/02/13/ralph-northam-unveils-agenda-reform-virginias-criminal-justice-system/