David J. Toscano

American Politics & Culture

David J. Toscano served 14 years (2006-20) in the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 57th District, which includes all of Charlottesville and parts of Albemarle County. First elected in 2005, David’s priorities included education, renewable energy, environmental protection, affordable healthcare, reproductive rights, expanded services for the disabled and poor, and reforms to Virginia’s adoption and foster care laws. He was the Democratic leader in the House of Delegates from 2011 to 2018. Prior to serving in the state legislature, he served 12 years on Charlottesville’s City Council, including a stint as Mayor.

David continues to write and comment upon state issues, both in Virginia and around the nation, through his blog, “Why States Matter”, articles, and books. Fighting Political Gridlock: How States Shape Our Nation And Our Lives (University of Virginia Press, 2021) discusses how state politics and policies play a critical role in our lives and how they shape the nation. He has recently completed Bellwether: Virginia’s Political Transformation, 2006-2020 (Hamilton Books, 2022) a book on his experiences in politics and policy while in the General Assembly.

Virginia continues to be at the center of debates about the future of our country.

Youngkin’s Missed Opportunity

January 31, 2023 By David Toscano

(This article appeared in the Roanoke Times, Jan. 29, 2023)

Youngkin’s ambition nixes good jobs and Virginia’s trust

Like many rural sections in our nation, southern and southwest Virginia face severe economic challenges. Higher unemployment and greater poverty than the rest of the state have generated frequent pledges by Virginia governors to invest in the region with “game changing projects” to create new jobs at higher wages. But when Ford Motor Co. came knocking on the Commonwealth’s door with a venture that would do just that, a plan to create 2,500 new jobs and generate $3.5 billion by building a battery plant for electric vehicles in the heart of the region, it was rebuffed by a Governor whose gaze seems increasingly focused on the White House and his chief Republican rival for his party’s nomination, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. In the process, Glenn Youngkin is eschewing a decades-long tradition of bipartisan efforts to create jobs and spur economic growth. And many now wonder if the Commonwealth is creating a new approach that will subject future projects to some ideological litmus test. [Read More…]

State Preemption and the Fracturing of America

Americans justifiably worry about our national divisions, the effective operation of our institutions, and the future of democracy itself. Republican-led states differ dramatically from those run by Democrats, and these differences reveal themselves both in the capitol buildings of our state capitals and in Congress. In the last several decades, a new source of division has also sprouted, one that pits localities against their own state governments. In some instances, conservative rural areas have been the source of these clashes (the clearest example involves “Second Amendment sanctuary jurisdictions,” where local leaders pledge to ignore gun regulations they claim to be “unconstitutional”). Most of these conflicts, however, emanate from democratic-leaning communities, many of which are attempting to chart policy directions different from their ruby red states.

Read the full article on the Harvard Social Impact Review website.

Two Recent Books on State Politics

Bellwether: Virginia's Political Transformation, 2006-2020 — Order from Hamilton Books

“The transformation of Virginia politics over the last two decades is an amazing story. And David Toscano was in the middle of it. While I was Governor, David worked with me to improve Virginia’s economic climate and make the Commonwealth a welcoming place for those pursuing the American dream. Bellwether tells the story of this transformation.”
— Terry McAuliffe, 72nd Governor of Virginia.

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Fighting Political Gridlock by David J. Toscano — Order from the University of Virginia Press

“In a timely book, David Toscano has focused us on the path forward in this divided, polarized country—the states, where within a federal framework the laboratories of democracy can experiment with ideas and solutions. He shows us how the states can tackle a wide range of problems with perhaps more success than one-size-fits-all proposals from Washington, D.C.”
– Larry Sabato, Director of the Center for Politics, University of Virginia

[MORE…]

American Politics & Culture

Youngkin’s Missed Opportunity

Youngkin’s ambition nixes good jobs and Virginia’s trust

The 2023 Virginia General Assembly Begins

Washington Post book review

State Preemption and the Fracturing of America

Two Recent Books on State Politics

Virginia’s Plan To Attack Gun Violence — Will It Survive?

Miyares power grab?
Virginia Joins Effort to Attack Local Prosecutors

Overturning Roe vs. Wade: Impact on Virginia

Virginia is One Vote Away:

Supreme Court Again Proves that “States Matter.”

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