Editorial
We’re expecting fireworks at the Buena Vista Labor Day Festival this Monday, and not just of the pyrotechnical variety that will be set off at the conclusion of the day’s festivities. All six major-party candidates for this year’s statewide elections are expected to be side by side on the same stage for the first – and possibly only – time of the campaign.
There is much contentiousness in the statewide campaign that is being launched in Buena Vista. There are a lot of hard feelings left over from last year’s presidential election, and the actions of the Trump administration these past eight months are igniting passions at both ends of the political spectrum, particularly here in Virginia.
President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” that was signed into law recently is expected to be passionately debated. Federal job cuts in Virginia, and whether they can be justified in order to reduce the size of the government, will no doubt be argued forcefully by the candidates who will be delivering their stump speeches.
If all six candidates do indeed show up, this will be the first time in three gubernatorial election cycles that this has happened. The Democrats skipped out on the last two such cycles, in 2021 and 2017, as they opted for appearances at more voter rich parts of the state. This led to a downturn in Buena Vista’s relevance in launching the statewide campaigns.
Last year, too, was a bit of a disappointment, when Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Hung Cao declined to appear on stage at Glen Maury Park with his Democratic opponent, incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine, even though Cao was in Buena Vista to march in the Labor Day parade and speak at the Rockbridge Republicans’ breakfast.
We’re hoping that Buena Vista’s Labor Day Celebration returns to statewide importance this year. We’re eager to welcome all six statewide major party candidates – (for governor) Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Democrat Abigail Spanberger; (for lieutenant governor) Republican John Reid and Democrat Ghazala Hashmi; and (for attorney general) Republican Attorney General incumbent Jason Miyares and Democrat Jay Jones.
This annual gala event dates back to 1971 when it was first held to dedicate Buena Vista’s then-brand-new Glen Maury Park. The initial Buena Vista Labor Day festival featured a huge parade, thousands of spectators and plenty of spectacles at the park, such as a rousing stump speech by colorful populist politician Henry Howell. He was mounting a successful campaign for lieutenant governor in a special election that year to fill the remaining term of J. Sargeant Reynold, who had died in office.
Thus began this wonderful tradition of statewide political campaigns launching in Buena Vista on Labor Day. We’re hoping for a renewal of this tradition’s relevance on Monday.
