Non-Partisan Advocacy Organizations Unveil Virginia “Good Governance Scorecard” to Shed Light on 2023 Candidates
VIRGINIA – Today, a group of non-partisan organizations, interested in elevating good governance measures in the upcoming General Assembly, launched a “Virginia Good Governance Scorecard.” This scorecard asks all candidates in upcoming Virginia General Assembly races to answer a slate of questions related to good governance so, if elected, citizens can hold them accountable and demand action and transparency.
The sponsors of the survey include BigMoneyOutVA, Common Cause Virginia, RepresentUS, UpVote Virginia, FairVoteVA, Freedom Virginia, and Virginia Organizing.
These sponsors believe that such a scorecard is necessary, given the dramatic decline of public trust in government over recent decades. According to research conducted by the Pew Research Center, roughly 70% of Americans in 1959 believed that the government was run for the benefit of all; today, only 20% Americans do. Most Americans now believe the government is working against their interests, rather than for them.
In Virginia, negative public attitudes toward government are arguably justified. The 2020 S.W.A.M.P. Index is a national ranking of states compiled by the Coalition for Integrity, a non-partisan good governance organization. Virginia ranked 46th in the nation for governing ethics and transparency. When it comes to legislation promoting transparency and accountability to its citizens, Virginia remains far behind other states.
The scorecard is composed of ten simple questions, five pertaining to voting rights and reform, and five pertaining to campaign finance and ethics reform. Candidates simply answer “yes” or “no” to each question. Candidate answers will be published on the Good Governance website. The website for the scorecard is available here. There you can read the survey, see candidate responses as they are submitted, learn how citizens can identify and contact the candidates in their districts, and advise voters on how to interact with them effectively.
Lauren Coletta from Common Cause states that "good governance is not a partisan issue and citizens deserve to know the values of those who seek to represent us as well as where their candidates stand on the issues.” Nancy Morgan, coordinator of the non-partisan group BigMoneyOutVA, agrees and reminds candidates and citizens to take heed of the ending statement of Governor Wilder’s 1994 Commission Report on Campaign Finance Reform, Government Accountability and Ethics: “Continuing scrutiny of the standards of accountability and conduct for public servants is a sign of vigilance. It signals the awareness that Virginia’s reputation for “good government” is fragile. Integrity in government must be nurtured and never taken for granted.” Three decades after the issuance of the Wilder Report, this scorecard asks candidates running for public office to commit to good governance practices, which signals their support for integrity in government.
Contacts:
BigMoneyOutVA: Nancy Morgan, Coordinator, 703-362-08014
Common Cause Virginia: Lauren Coletta, Senior Advisor, 571-244-5977
RepresentUS: Bo Harmon, 202-271-4433
UpVote Virginia: Liz White, Executive Director, 804-305-8050
FairVoteVirginia: Elizabeth Melson, President, 540-316-1157
Freedom Virginia: Rhena Hicks, Executive Director, 757-202-0614
