Every day, The Washington Post’s editorial page features the claim, “An independent newspaper.” The front page solemnly declares, “Democracy dies in darkness.” But, really, the paper should include this disclaimer: Official paper of the Democratic Party. That fact was reinforced on Tuesday as the paper offered its endorsements in the state of Virginia’s local elections.
The Post endorsed 17 candidates and sixteen of them are Democrats (or party-endorsed Democratic candidates). The other is a former GOP member who quit the Republican Party and is campaigning on reducing Fairfax County, Virginia's carbon footprint. The paper endorsed ZERO Republicans on Tuesday.
The Post began endorsing presidential candidates in 1976, picking Democrats Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. (The paper sat out the 1988 election.) NO Republicans for president.
On Tuesday, the paper endorsed Democrat Dan Helmer in Virginia House of Delegates for the 40th District, Democrat Joshua Cole in the House of Delegates District 28 and Democrat John J. Bell in the Virginia State Senate's 13th District.
In Virginia, the school board is not partisan, but the state and local parties endorse candidates. The Post endorsed Democrat-supported Karen Keys-Gamarra, Rachna Sizemore Heizer; Abrar Omeish, Megan McLaughlin, Elaine Tholen, Melanie Meren, Ricardy Anderson, Karen Corbett Sanders, Karl Frisch and Stella Pekarsky.
The paper endorsed Democrat Fairfax County Commonwealth candidate Attorney Steve Descano, Democrat Prince William Commonwealth Attorney candidate Amy Ashworth and Loudoun Loudoun County Commonwealth Attorney Democratic candidate Buta Biberaj. All three of those have received heavy financial backing from liberal billionaire and political donor George Soros.
The lone non-Democratic endorsement is Fairfax School Board Springfield District candidate Kyle McDaniel. He quit the Republican Party in 2018 over Donald Trump.
Other local elections have featured this trend with the Post. In 2009, the paper endorsed Democrats in 22 of 26 races. (Fourteen of those 26 endorsed candidates lost.)
