Virginia Report from a Virginian

We are in the last stretch with the Virginia State Legislature Election! Election Day is in eighteen days - November 7! State Fair has contributed in so many ways from raising, to date, $31,456 for Virginia to postcarding, letter writing, phone banking, and wonderful live and virtual events that have given much information and inspiration as well as attracting multiple members and donors. As an American citizen, State Fair member, and a Virginian, I am so thankful for State Fair, and The States Project as a whole where many other giving circles are also working for Virginia.

This election is critical for Virginians to take back Virginia from the current Republican governor who is poised to take away reproductive freedom, voting rights, environmental protections, common sense gun legislation, respect and support for public school teachers, and much more, all of which has been hard won by Democratic voters and legislators in our state. It is also a bellwether for how our whole country will vote in 2024.

As a Virginian, I have mixed feelings at this time. According to a forecast on October 12 of this year from split-ticket.org, entitled Virginia Temperature Check:10/12, “Virginia Democrats are expected to flip the House of Delegates while retaining control of the Senate —--- denying Governor Glenn Youngkin a trifecta.” The Dobbs decision is expected to cause many voters of all parties to vote Democratic. In the words of State Fair founder, J Smith-Cameron, “we are cautiously optimistic.” At the same time, here in Virginia, I hear Virginia Democrats fretting about the huge amount of money that Governor Youngkin has put into Republican campaigns and how many early voters are asking for Republican ballots. Even though I live in an overwhelmingly Democratic county and district, I worry that, since the primaries, I have not had any candidates knocking on my door. I am keeping going though by frantically writing as many postcards to voters as possible to mail by Monday, October 23, the deadline for mailing postcards for Postcards4VA.org and remaining positive.

It is not too late for donors to contribute to the Virginia cycle (through November 3) or to join phone banking initiatives in this last push before November 7. Of course, if you are a Virginian, be sure to vote if you have not already done so - you can vote early until November 4, or mail your absentee ballot postmarked by November 7, or, of course, vote in person on Election Day! Win or lose, I continue to be passionate about the work of the States Project. We are on the right path to save Democracy! In the words of Giving Circles Leader, Melissa Walker, Onward!