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Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Perriello has raised more than $1.1million in the month since he entered the race, his campaign announced Monday.

Analysts say it is an early sign that the former congressman is capable of mounting a serious primary challenge to Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, who declared his candidacy two years ago and had won backing from nearly every top elected Democrat before Perriello made his surprise entry into the race on Jan.5.

Perriello campaign officials declined to detail the sources of contributions, beyond saying they included 2,500 online donations. Virginia does not cap campaign giving, meaning fundraising totals can be skewed by six-figure checks.

The state requires candidates for governor to file their first campaign finance reports for this year on April 17.

Both Democrats and Republicans will hold a primary election in June; the general election is in November. Virginia and New Jersey are the only states with gubernatorial elections this year.

Perriellos first-month haul is not a super-huge amount, but its an amount that makes people take notice, said Bob Holsworth, a longtime Virginia political analyst. His first hurdle is to overcome the sense that he got in too late and this is already a done deal. A combination of the early polls and the fact he was able to raise a little money is very close to getting him over that hurdle.

[Defamation lawyer turns up heat on anonymous emails in Lt. Gov. race]

Jennifer Duffy, who analyzes gubernatorial races for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, said the $1.1million haul is a sign that Perriello is competitive, that this is a real race.

[Defamation lawyer turns up heat on anonymous emails in Lt. Gov. race]

A poll released last week by the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University showed Northam with an edge over Perriello among Democratic-leaning voters, but also found that voters were largely unfamiliar with both Democratic candidates and most were undecided.

Northam reported raising $2.7million last year and had about $2.5 million available in campaign accounts heading into 2017.

His spokesman, David Turner, said Northam raised an additional $300,000 from 7,000 donors in the first week of January, before the state legislative session began, suspending his ability to accept contributions. He can resume fundraising after the session ends Feb.25.

Perriellos surprise campaign started as a group of his former aides and loyalists working out of his Alexandria home. He now has office space in the city and has hired press aides from Hillary Clintons presidential campaign to manage his communications.

Perriello, who served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives that ended in 2011, has pitched himself as a fierce opponent of President Trump and has made several fundraising appeals asking donors to repudiate Trump by giving to his campaign.

The Democratic candidates have steered clear of directly criticizing one another, instead attacking Trump and Republican Ed Gillespie, who has led polls in his partys four-way race. Gillespie is competing for the nomination against Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart, state Sen. Frank W. Wagner (R-Virginia Beach) and distillery owner Denver Riggleman.

Northams campaign started running digital advertisements on Monday that said, Gillespie Backs Trump Muslim Ban.

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Democrat Tom Perriello says he raised $1.1 million a month into Va. gubernatorial campaign - Washington Post

(1 of ) In this Feb. 2, 2017, photo, President Donald Trump listens as he is introduced during the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

JONATHAN J. COOPER

ASSOCIATED PRESS | February 6, 2017, 1:19PM

| Updated 11 hours ago.

SACRAMENTO The war of words escalated Monday between Democratic leaders in the nation's biggest state and Donald Trump after the Republican president said California is "out of control" and suggested withholding federal funding.

In separate statements Monday, the leaders of the state Legislature pointed to California's massive economy and strong job growth, saying the state provides critical contributions to the nation.

"If this is what Donald Trump thinks is 'out of control,' I'd suggest other states should be more like us," said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount.

Trump criticized California during a Fox News interview broadcast on Sunday.

"California in many ways is out of control as you know," he told Fox anchor Bill O'Reilly "Obviously the voters agree or otherwise they wouldn't have voted for me."

Responding to questions from O'Reilly, Trump said California's consideration of legislation to create a statewide sanctuary for people living in the country illegally is "ridiculous."

Trump opposes sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

"They breed crime, there's a lot of problems. We have to well, defund, we give tremendous amounts of money to California," Trump said.

O'Reilly asked if defunding is Trump's "weapon of choice," and the president responded: "I don't want to defund anybody. I want to give them the money they need to properly operate as a city or a state. If they're going to have sanctuary cities, we may have to do that. Certainly that would be a weapon."

California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon said state residents contribute more to federal coffers than their state gets in return, and any sanctions against California would ripple nationwide.

"President Trump's threat to weaponize federal funding is not only unconstitutional but emblematic of the cruelty he seeks to impose on our most vulnerable communities," de Leon said.

Rendon, de Leon and other Democratic leaders in California have fiercely criticized Trump and vowed to fight his policies through the Legislature and in court. The Legislature has hired Eric Holder, the U.S. attorney general under President Barack Obama, to advise members on a legal strategy.

California's nonpartisan legislative analyst reported last month that federal expenditures in the state amount to $368 billion a year, most of it to provide health care for people with low incomes.

Trump's defunding suggestion wasn't his first threat to use the power of the federal purse as leverage.

He also signed an executive order threatening to cut off some federal grants for sanctuary cities. Last week, in response to unrest on the campus of University of California, Berkeley, he sent a tweet saying: "If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view NO FEDERAL FUNDS?"

Excerpt from:
California Democrats counter President Trump's threat to withhold federal funding - Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be the headliner at a Thursday dinner reception moderated by CNN political commentator Van Jones. | Getty

NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and comedian Chelsea Handler will headline House Democrats retreat this week as lawmakers head to Baltimore to regroup after months of intra-party turmoil.

This will be Democrats' first annual retreat in years without former President Barack Obama a frequent guest at the party meetings in the White House. More than 120 members are expected to attend the confab with the goal of hammering out a messaging strategy to counter President Donald Trump.

Story Continued Below

House Democrats are trying to find their way after a disappointing election they only picked up a handful of seats despite predicting double-digit gains and weeks of post-election upheaval culminating with a third of the caucus voting against longtime leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Pelosi won reelection as House minority leader but has been working behind the scenes in the two months since to repair relationships in a caucus she once ruled with an iron grip. More broadly, the Democratic Party is in an ongoing tug-of-war between progressives and conservatives with no natural leader to referee.

The retreat is expected to include the presentation of an election post-mortem by Reps. Ben Ray Lujn (D-N.M.), who leads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Comittee, and Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.). It will dissect why the caucus didnt pick up nearly as many seats as they were confidentially predicting in the run-up to the election.

The theme of this weeks gathering is Fighting for All Americans and will feature several closed-door sessions on "fake news," national security, the economy and civil rights. Democrats will also hold a panel tilted After the Womens March: Empowering Grassroots Energy."

Pelosi on Sunday called for an FBI investigation into Trumps finances, insinuating its possible the president is being blackmailed by Russia. Trump has called such suggestions preposterous.

House and Senate panels are currently investigating Russian tampering in the U.S. election, including any ties to the Trump campaign.

"I want to know what the Russians have on Donald Trump," she told Chuck Todd on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Abdul-Jabbar will be the headliner at a Thursday dinner reception moderated by CNN political commentator Van Jones. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) will introduce the basketball legend.

Abdul-Jabbar has a special connection to House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley. Both men graduated from Power Memorial High School, a former all-boys Catholic high school in New York City known for being a basketball powerhouse, in different years.

Crowley (D-N.Y.) also spearheaded a letter urging Obama to award Abdul-Jabbar with the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year.

Handler will close out the three-day retreat during a reception Friday. The comedian, who hosts an eponymous talk show on Netflix, recently went on a rant against Democrats and denounced her party affiliation.

Forget your party. Im registering as an independent. Im not going to be a Democrat anymore because its too divisive, Handler told Variety in an interview after the Womens March last month.

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Abdul-Jabbar, Chelsea Handler bring star power to Democratic ... - Politico

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Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, told Fox News Sunday she believes the presidents Supreme Court nominee should get a full and fair hearing before her panel.

President Donald Trump nominated Gorsuch to succeed the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court Tuesday night. Senate procedure requires that judicial nominees give testimony and answer questions before the judiciary committee. The panel then decides by majority vote whether to recommend the nominees confirmation to the full Senate.

I view the minority partys challenge is to do a full and fair hearing and to have time to garner the facts to really understand the history of this nominee, Feinstein said. And we will do that.

WATCH:

The senator declined to say whether or not she believes Gorsuch is a mainstream jurist. Senate Democrats, including Feinstein, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, have pledged total resistance to a candidate they deem extremist or partisan. However, they have been rather elusive as to their definition of mainstream.

A handful of Democratic senators, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, Jeff Merkeley, and Ron Wyden announced they would stage a filibuster just minutes after the president submitted Gorsuchs name for nomination. Merkeley anticipated their filibuster will draw support from most of the Democratic caucus.

Speaking on the same program, Vice President Mike Pence lavished praise on Gorsuch, and thanked Senate Democrats who have already signaled their support for a floor vote.

Over the course of the campaign President Trump made it clear that he was going to appoint for the vacancy on the Supreme Court a jurist in the tradition of the late great Justice Antonin Scalia, he said. And in Judge Neil Gorsuch he has done that.

He literally was 10 years ago confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate and we are very encouraged at this point that more than at half a dozen Democrats have committed themselves to an up or down look on the floor of the Senate, he added.

Feinstein will meet with Gorsuch Monday.

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Key Democrat: Gorsuch Should Get 'A Full And Fair Hearing' [VIDEO] - Daily Caller

(1 of ) The Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine, in Clearlake, is a source of mercury that leaches into the water of Clear Lake. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat) (2 of ) The Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine, foreground, in Clearlake, is a source of mercury that leaches into the water of Clear Lake. The town of Clearlake Oake is seen in the background. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

CLARK MASON

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT | February 5, 2017, 9:57AM

| Updated 8 hours ago.

The Sulphur Bank mine was part of the quicksilver, or mercury mining boom that took hold in the 1870s in Lake County, as well as Sonoma and Napa counties.

Hundreds of mines dotted the coast mountain ranges during the rush to extract mercury from the areas reddish deposits of cinnabar ore. Mercury was used to refine gold and silver, but also was employed as an ingredient for wood processing, early photography and medical uses.

The mining claims in the Mayacmas Mountains had fanciful names like Fandango, Mohawk, Socrates, Rattlesnake and Silverado, the hideaway for Robert Louis Stevenson on the flanks of Mount St. Helena.

The workers at Sulphur Bank were mostly Chinese, but there were also immigrants from Sweden, Norway, Ireland and Mexico, according to 1880 census records.

Partially an open pit and partially a tunneling operation, the mine yielded the cinnabar ore, or mercury sulfide, which was treated in furnaces and retorts, turning it into gas and recondensed as elemental mercury.

Flasks of the silvery fluid were hauled by horse wagon on a long hilly ride, to be shipped out by train in Calistoga.

There were incidents of mercury miners being poisoned by toxic gas with their eyes swelling shut for a week or more. Mercury exposure also caused a condition known as salivation, where workers lost their teeth from receding gums.

Today, abandoned mercury mines in Sonoma County and their potential for contamination occasionally get renewed scrutiny from officials.

Claudia Villacorte, a supervising engineer with the North Coast Regional Water Quality Board, said her agency needs more staff members to assess abandoned mines in the region and determine which need attention.

But, she said, the majority of them are pretty stable, from what I grasp, in terms of active leeching into waterways.

An exception appears to be the area surrounding Jackson Mercury Mine, 4 miles north of Guerneville, that was tested in 2015 for mercury in the soil. The mine operated from 1946 to 1971.

Water-quality regulators said the dilapidated mine buildings off Sweetwater Springs Road drew attention because of their high visibility. Heavy winter rains raised questions about the possibility of contaminants from the large mining waste piles making their way into nearby Wilson Creek, which flows to the Russian River.

Mining wastes were evident in the creek bed, and sampling of creek bank soils indicated mercury concentrations above hazardous thresholds.

A staff report concluded further investigation may be warranted along with creek clean-up and erosion control, to keep more waste from going into the creek.

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Abandoned mercury mines dot Lake, Sonoma, Napa counties - Santa Rosa Press Democrat