Newsroom

Captain J.E. "Chip" Harding of the Charlottesville Police Department and Dave Norris, Executive Director of PACEM in Charlottesville, were both mentioned in a Daily Progress article today in regards to Sorensen's Candidate Training Program. Both Harding and Norris are among Sorensen's newest alumni, having graduated from the CTP this past weekend.

Radio producer Sean Tubbs of the Charlottesville Podcasting Network recently unveiled a story about the Sorensen Institute's High School and College Leaders Programs. The story was broadcast this week on WVTF, the NPR Station in Roanoke, and was heard throughout much of Southwest and Central Virginia.

Sean interviewed Marc Johnson, Director of Youth Programs, Ashely Boyd and Steven Jones (College Leaders Program Class of 2004), as well as Gabie Kalman and Elizabeth Fife (High School Leaders Program Class of 2005).

You can listen to the complete broadcast here. (Click on "MP3 Download")

The deadline for applications to our Youth Programs Class of 2006 is February 24. Contact Marc Johnson.

The Sorensen Institute's Candidate Training Program Class of 2006

This past weekend, January 27-29, the Sorensen Institute held its annual Candidate Training Program (CTP). Nineteen Virginians from across the Commonwealth gathered in Charlottesville to learn the nuts and bolts of running a sophisticated, ethical campaign. Topics included campaign planning, message development, direct mail, GOTV efforts (get out the vote), handling the media, fundraising, using the Internet, Virginia's campaign laws, and more.

"CTP 2006 was a great success," said Sean O'Brien, Executive Director of the Sorensen Institute. "I was especially impressed with the students this year, each of whom brought something unique to the table. Overall, I believe everyone got a great deal out of the program. My hope is that the graduates will take what they have learned and apply it to their campaigns. All of us in Virginia will benefit from their efforts to run smart, positive campaigns that are focused on issues important to the voters."

Participants in this year's Candidate Training Program will be engaged in a variety of campaigns in the near future: including City Council races, Boards of Supervisors, Commonwealth's Attorney, Sheriff, and House of Delegates. We want to welcome our nineteen brand new alumni to the Sorensen family. It will be our honor to keep you updated on their campaigns and endeavors.

We will be posting a complete folder of photos from the CTP in the next few days.  Stay tuned!

Last week we reported the news that proposed legislation now before the General Assembly actually had its origins as a student project in Sorensen's College Leaders Program Class of 2005. This week we learn of yet another bill our legislators are considering that also began as a student project in the same class.

Terry G. Kilgore (District 1 in Southwest Virginia) has introduced House Bill 1459, the Higher Education Tuition Lock Certificate Program. The proposed law, now before the Committee on Education, essentially locks tuition and fees for full-time college students while they are in school—thus making it easier on families and students to budget for a college education.

The origins of this bill are in the College Leaders Program, summer 2005 class. The members of the "Education Policy Group"—Mehreen Farooq of Christopher Newport University, Jennifer Jessie of
Virginia Tech, Laura Harris of UVA, Aaron Jennings of UVA and Jessica Wingfield of VCU—drafted this proposal together after many hours of research and discussion. Laura Harris later contacted Delegate Kilgore, putting to use many of the advocacy skills she had learned in the Sorensen program, and asked him to carry the bill to the House.

Congratulations to all our students!

Karen Waters, PLP '03

Political Leaders Program Class of 2003 graduate Karen Waters of Charlottesville was quoted recently in the Daily Progress. Waters is Executive Director of the Quality Community Council which is sponsoring a four-part community discussion on poverty in the City of Charlottesville.

"We hope to raise consciousness in the community about poverty," Waters told repoerter Melanie Mayhew. "We hope to start a dialogue about how poverty fits into some of the chronic problems that we work to address."

According to the article, this four-part series is "the first step towards opening Peoples College, a community-based institute targeting adult learners in low-income areas of Charlottesville."

Delegate Chris Peace and Jesse Ferguson, PLP '04

Chris Peace, who won a special election in the 97th District on Tuesday for a seat in the House of Delegates, arrived at the General Assembly building a little after 8am yesterday. He was greeted by Sorensen's Sean O'Brien (behind the camera) and Jesse Ferguson, co-founder and Executive Director of Virginia21. Both Ferguson and Peace are graduates of the Sorensen Institute's Political Leaders Program Class of 2004.

According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch today, Peace was appointed to three committees: Courts of Justice; Health, Welfare and Institutions; and Science and Technology.

There are now 57 Republicans in the House, 40 Democrats, and 3 Independents.

Elizabeth Fife (HSLP '05)

Congratulations to High School Leaders Program Class of 2005 graduate
Elizabeth Fife of Charlottesville who was recently accepted to Duke
University. Elizabeth will graduate from St. Anne's Belfied School in
the spring. Elizabeth organized a book drive at her school for
underprivileged children and serves as a peer health educator. She is
also on the varsity tennis team.

The results of the special election in the 97th House district are in tonight: Sorensen alumnus Chris Peace (PLP '04) has won a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates-- bringing to 13 the number of Sorensen graduates in the House. Congratulations Chris!

As of 8:07pm, with 100% of the precincts reporting, the vote count was 4,572 for Peace and 4,352 for his opponent John Montgomery (50.82% to 48.39%)-- a difference of only 220 votes.

According to the State Board of Elections website, less than 9,00 voters in the 97th district turned out to vote in this special election (to fill the seat vacated by Ryan McDougle who is now serving in the Senate). That's a turnout of under 18%, demonstrating the challenge of generating voter interest in a special election in late January.

Edie Light, PLP '00

THIS JUST IN FROM LYNCHBURG: Edie Light, a graduate of
Sorensen's Political Leaders Program Class of 2000 and a member of our
Regional Board, has chosen The Sorensen Institute BLOG as the venue
from which to announce her candidacy for Lynchburg City Council.

"I'm running as an Independent for an at-large seat," Edie told us
today by phone, in what is the first public announcement of her
candidacy. "I am excited about the race and looking forward to getting
out there and discussing the issues with voters. Lynchburg holds a very
special place in my heart, and I would be incredibly honored to have
the opportunity to serve my neighbors on City Council."

Edie spent a number of years working with Delegate Preston Bryant as
his Legislative Aide (Bryant was recently appointed Secretary of
Natural Resources). A native of Richmond, she has lived and worked in
Lynchburg for more than 20 years.

A total of seven people serve on the Lynchburg City Council. The three at-large seats will be in play in the May 2 election.

The first debate between Bern Ewert, former Roanoke City Manager, and
Al Weed, a vintner in Nelson County, took place on Saturday, January 21
at a Democratic Breakfast. Ewert and Weed are vying for the Democratic
nomination to take on Republican Virgil Goode in the Fifth District
race for U.S. Congress this November.

Attorney Tim Heaphy (PLP 05) was the moderator for the debate.

You can hear the full debate between Ewert and Weed at the Charlottesville Podcasting Network.