SO MUCH AWE-INSPIRING TALENT: Football is 4-0 and opening eyes on the football field. Page 9
October 2, 2019 | Vol. 18, No. 40 | www.princewilliamtimes.com | 50¢ Covering Prince William County and surrounding communities, including Gainesville, Haymarket, Dumfries, Occoquan, Quantico and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
Republican candidates say they back Medicaid
Republicans in tight races support expansion By Daniel Berti
Times Staff Writer
“These are the kind of views we don’t want to see in Prince William County,” Wheeler said. Independent candidates Don Scoggins and Muneer Baig are also vying to be the next chairman of the county’s board of supervisors on the Nov. 5 ballot. Current Chairman Corey Stewart (R-At Large) held the seat for 13 years but announced in January he would not seek reelection. The press conference was called by state Sen. Scott Surovell, D-36th, who was joined by Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-29th, and Del. John Bell, D-87th. All called on Gray to withdraw from
Virginia lawmakers voted to expand Medicaid in 2018 after years of resistance from the GOP-controlled House and Senate. Now, several Republicans running in competitive House districts in Northern Virginia say they’ll vote to include Medicaid expansion in the 2020 budget if elected. Del. Tim Hugo, R-40th, who is facing a challenge from Democrat Dan Helmer, said he will vote to continue funding the state’s Medicaid expansion, as did Republican challengers Richard Anderson, running against Del. Hala Ayala, D-51st; Kelly McGinn, running against Del. Danica Roem, D-13th; Ian Lovejoy, running against Del. Lee Carter, D-50th; and D.J. Jordan, running against Del. Elizabeth Guzman, D-31st. Medicaid expansion passed in 2018 with full support from House Democrats and 19 of 51 House Republicans. Since taking effect on Jan. 1, more than 300,000 Virginians have enrolled in the program, including over 13,000 residents of Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park. Members of the next General Assembly will have to vote to include Medicaid expansion in the new budget they approve in 2020 for the program to continue. Hugo, who serves as Republican caucus chairman, voted against expanding Medicaid in 2015, 2016 and
See TWEETS, page 6
See MEDICAID, page 4
Tweet scandal shakes up county chairman’s race TIMES STAFF PHOTO/DANIEL BERTI
State Sen. Scott Surovell, D-36th, speaks during a Sept. 26 press conference in Woodbridge at which several Democratic candidates, including Ann Wheeler, left, called on John Gray, the GOP nominee for at-large chair of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, to withdraw from the race over recently discovered offensive tweets. Wheeler is Gray’s Democratic opponent.
Few Republicans respond as Democrats demand Gray drop out By Daniel Berti
Times Staff Writer
Democratic state lawmakers and several Democratic candidates for Prince William offices are demanding that John Gray, the Republican nominee for the county’s top elected post, drop out of the race after numerous inappropriate tweets on his Twitter account surfaced last week. Gray’s tweets, which were first
reported by the Washington Post, used racial stereotypes to mock African American political protests, displayed anti-Muslim and anti-gay sentiments and disparaged people whose political opinions he disagreed with. Gray paid a service called Tweetdeleter $30 to scrub his Twitter account and then disclosed the payments on his latest campaign finance report, which is how they came to the attention of his Democratic opponent, Ann Wheeler. Her campaign team dug up the tweets and sent them to the Post. Speaking at a press conference in Woodbridge on Thursday, Sept. 26, Wheeler said the tone of Gray’s tweets is “despicable.” INSIDE Business.............................................11 Calendar.............................................14 Classifieds...........................................17 Lifestyle..............................................13
Obituaries...........................................16 Opinion.................................................7 Puzzle...................................................8 Real Estate..........................................15 Sports...................................................9
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