Anti-Trump sentiment takes center stage at Connolly fundraiser

Rep. Connolly greets the crowd at his 23rd annual St. Patrick's Day Fete.

The resistance to the Trump presidency was the overwhelming theme at Rep. Gerry Connolly’s annual St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser March 17 in Fairfax.

Even the formerly mild-manner Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, who’s running for governor in the June 13 Democratic primary, called Trump a “narcissistic maniac” in a fiery speech to the crowd.

Justin Fairfax (center) with Silvia Patton of the Korean-American Women's Association of USA and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors chair Sharon Bulova.

Northam handily won the straw poll at the event with 78 percent of the vote, compared to 22 percent for former U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello, who entered the race relatively late in the game and bills himself as more progressive.

Among the three candidates on the ballot for attorney general, Justin Fairfax came out way ahead, with 78 percent of the vote, compared to 16 percent for Susan Platt and 6 percent for Gene Rossi.

Fairfax, a former federal prosecutor and Annandale resident, called Trump “the worst president” in the history of the United States. The one positive outcome, he said, is “the rebirth of activism and patriotism” among the resistance.

Lauding the women’s march the day after the inauguration and the protests against Trump’s travel ban at Dulles airport, Fairfax said, “everyone is going to get a shot at the American Dream. . . . We will see a rising up unlike anything we have ever seen.”

Susan Platt, a political organizer, told the crowd that, if elected, she would work for a $15 minimum wage, women’s reproductive health, and saving the oyster industry in the Chesapeake Bay, and would “make sure no one loses healthcare.”

Rossi called himself a “passionate protector of the people.” As a federal prosecutor, he said he “fought for those who couldn’t speak for themselves.” If elected, Rossi vowed to fight for healthcare, criminal justice reform, and restoration of voting rights.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, who also spoke at Connolly’s event, is running for re-election in the primary unopposed.

Republican candidates for governor running in the June 13 GOP primary include former Republican National Committee Chair Ed Gillespie, Prince William County Board of Supervisors chair Corey Stewart, and state Sen. Frank Wagner of Virginia Beach.

State Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel (Winchester), State Sen. Bryce Reeves (Fredericksburg), and state Del. Glenn Davis (Virginia Beach) are running for lieutenant governor in the Republican primary.