Scott Bradford: Off on a Tangent
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In each presidential election, I score the candidates according to their level of support for the Bill of Rights. Points are awarded based on the answers to weighted questions about how the candidates interpret and apply its provisions. They receive a score out of ten for each amendment, and a cumulative score out of one hundred for the entire Bill of Rights.

Because the President of the United States swears to protect and defend the constitution, he or she must understand it and comply with it. The only acceptable score is A+ (100%).

When possible, I base scores on a candidate’s public statements, campaign materials, and political record. If this information is not available, I attempt to infer a position from the candidate’s political party by looking at its platform and its prominent members’ votes and statements on the issue. If even this is not available, I make my “best guess.” You can contact me to complain about a rating if you want, but please provide evidence supporting your argument.

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U.S. Senate, Virginia, 2024

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Seal of the U.S. Senate
Seal of the U.S. Senate

In the race to represent the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States Senate, incumbent Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) is challenged by Hung Cao (R). Kaine was first elected to the Senate in 2012 and is in his second term.

Each of the fifty states have two seats in the Senate for a total of one hundred seats. There is no representation, voting or non-voting, for U.S. territories or the District of Columbia. Senators serve six-year terms, and elections are held on a staggered schedule with classes of roughly one-third of the Senate up for election every two years. This year, the thirty-three seats of the first class are in contention.

The Republican Party holds forty-nine seats, the Democratic Party holds forty-seven, and independents hold four. Three independents caucus with the Democratic Party, and another is “formally aligned with the Democrats for committee purposes,” giving the Democratic Party an effective 51-49 majority. Both of Virginia’s Senate seats are currently held by Democrats.

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U.S. House, Virginia, 2024

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Seal of the U.S. House of Representatives
Seal of the U.S. House

All seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for election every two years. There are 435 seats, representing each of the fifty states in rough proportion to their population as recorded in the most recent national census. There are six non-voting delegate seats representing U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.

The Republican Party currently holds a 220-211 majority over the Democratic Party in the House. Four seats are vacant. Virginia has eleven seats, with six held by Democrats and five by Republicans.

Tenth District

In the race to represent Virginia’s Tenth District in the United States House of Representatives, Mike Clancy (R) and Virginia Senator Suhas Subramanyam (D-32nd) are vying for an open seat. Incumbent Representative Jennifer Wexton (D-VA 10th) is not seeking reelection for health reasons.

The Tenth District encompasses Fauquier County, Loudoun County, Rappahannock County, the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, and parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties.

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Hurricane Helene (NASA)
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Hurricane Helene made landfall in the the “Big Bend” region of the Florida panhandle on September 27, and continued inland through Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Rainfall from the storm’s remnants caused devastating flooding in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. The city of Asheville, North Carolina, was especially hard-hit.

If you want to help provide assistance for the victims of this disaster, please consider making a donation to a reputable disaster relief charity like Catholic Charities USA or the American Red Cross.

Catholic Charities USA
American Red Cross

Virginia & Loudoun Issues, 2024

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Voters in Loudoun County, Virginia, will be voting on five ballot issues this year. One is a Virginia statewide ballot issue with a proposed amendment to the state constitution. Four are Loudoun County bond referendums.

Virginia Statewide Ballot Issue

Seal of Virginia
Seal of Virginia

Article XII, Section 1, of the Constitution of Virginia establishes a process for amending the commonwealth’s constitution.

The state Senate or House of Delegates proposes amendments and, after having been passed through both houses, they are presented to the voters as a referendum. If approved, the state constitution is modified, and the change can only be reversed by another amendment.

Citizens of Virginia will be voting on one such amendment this year.

Question 1: Property Tax Exemption

The General Assembly cannot exempt properties from local property taxes unless provisions for such an exemption are added to the Constitution of Virginia. Eight exemption authorities have been presented to the voters since Off on a Tangent started making political endorsements in 2004. They all passed.

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Scott Bradford is a writer and technologist who has been putting his opinions online since 1995. He believes in three inviolable human rights: life, liberty, and property. He is a Catholic Christian who worships the trinitarian God described in the Nicene Creed. Scott is a husband, nerd, pet lover, and AMC/Jeep enthusiast with a B.S. degree in public administration from George Mason University.