CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The day after an assassin killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah college, Sen. Ghazala Hashmi and John Reid – the Democratic and Republic nominees for lieutenant governor in Virginia – still hit the road campaigning.
Hashmi visited Charlottesville for an education roundtable, while Reid spent time at the War Memorial in Richmond.
Neither travels with a security detail.
“It’s a concern, but there’s nothing I can do about it,” Reid told Cville Right Now. “I still believe in retail politics and personal interaction. You can very easily become isolated from the folks that you’re supposed to represent and that you’re supposed to listen to and that you’re supposed to interact with.”
Reid is coming from civilian life, where he had worked as a conservative radio talk show host. Hashmi has been in the state Senate since 2020 after a career as an educator.
Hashmi said the danger politicians face out in public is no different than that faced by Virginia’s citizens.
“It’s very concerning for everybody,” Hashmi told Cville Right Now. “Certainly, everybody in public office is facing this challenge. In America, we have such a proliferation of guns and gun violence that no other developed country has, so it’s a concerning situation for every citizen. Our children go to school and every day a parent puts their children on a school bus, they’re terrified of school violence. As a public official, I’m concerned for the safety of our citizens.”
Around the Commonwealth, political leaders, outside of the Governor, rarely have security as they go about their daily business, despite an alarming rise in political violence.
Sen. Mark Warner visited Charlottesville on June 14 to hold a town hall with constituents. He traveled without any security.
That same day, an assassin shot and killed Minnesota politician Melissa Hortman and her husband, and injured Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.
“I feel like part of my job is I have to meet with my constituents,” Warner said. “I work for the people of Virginia. I can only do that if I have a chance to look them in the eye and hear from them. … My job is to listen, my job is to respond. If we disagree, disagree in a way that’s respectful. My fear is we have, especially on the internet, forces that whip up hate, whip up anger. We see that unfortunately play out with this level of political violence.”
Warner called Kirk’s assassination Wednesday, “horrific.”
“All of us in public life, in the media, in any kind of community leadership, has to speak out against political violence,” Warner said. “There’s no place for that in our system. Whether it was two failed attempts to assassinate President Trump, or the firebombing of the governor’s mansion in Pennsylvania or the brutal shooting of Minnesota legislators, the stories go on and on. All of us, no matter where we fall on the political spectrum, have to speak up and stand up against this kind of violence.”
Despite the rise in political violence, politicians including Warner aren’t altering their approach to interacting with the public.
Charlottesville police chief Michael Kochis said that when politicians or candidates come to the city to hold in event, they normally notify his department. Occasionally, they’ll request a police presence.
“It really just depends,” Kochis told Cville Right Now. “You have to remember that there’s a lot of folks that, their kids may go to UVA. They just want to come in and be a parent. So, they’re kind of low key. It just depends on the situation and the circumstances of the visit.”
County police have a similar approach.
“Every event and visit is different,” ACPD spokesperson Logan Bogert told Cville Right Now in a statement. “But when called upon, ACPD does take an active role in evaluating the safety of elected officials, dignitaries, and those uninvolved who are living and/or traveling within our community.”
Bogert said that, for example, state officials may have their visit security coordinated by the state police, whereas a federal politician might be under the purview of the U.S. Secret Service or the U.S. Capitol Police.
Virginia State Police primarily provides security to the Governor and the first family.
“The agency is deeply committed to its responsibilities and works closely with local, state, federal, and college police departments to provide protection and security for VIPs, politicians, and other dignitaries at public events where they may be visiting, speaking, or in attendance,” VSP spokesperson Matt Demlein told Cville Right Now in a statement. “Maintaining vigilance and mitigating potential threats is bolstered by a diligent and engaged citizenry willing to report concerning behavior. The Virginia State Police encourages the public to speak up and contact law enforcement and/or the Virginia Fusion Center at vfc.vsp.virginia.gov with tips regarding suspicious activity. Prevention efforts through threat assessment and information sharing result in successful protection for public officials and communities as a whole.”
