By: Maureen Hains
In the 2016 General Election, Hillary Clinton won 17 Virginia House Districts in traditionally Red / Republican areas. These seats are considered ripe for the picking as we sprint toward the General Election to elect members of the House of Delegates on November 7th.
Now called “The Hillary 17” Districts, Virginia Democrats are beginning to understand why winning these seats is crucial to winning back the House and the true voice for the people.
We currently have 34 Democratic Delegates, adding these 17 give Democrats the majority.
51 Democratic Delegates would give back the voice for healthcare, education, the environment, economic development and fair, responsible government.
District 68, which encompasses parts of the City of Richmond, Chesterfield and Henrico counties, is part of the “Hillary 17” and the Democratic Primary resulted in a definitive nominee, Dr. Dawn M. Adams, who won 23 out of 26 voting precincts. Poised with enough support to become the Delegate in the 68th District, Dr. Adams would be the first Democrat in more than 15 years.
After the Primary election in June, the Adams for Delegate team began to ask some questions and analyze the results.
1. What was the “return” on the “investment” or Cost Per Vote?
Money unfortunately prevents too many people from getting or staying in a political race. It is difficult to raise, and frankly, the amount required is ridiculous. Elections, as with many things, have become a self-perpetuating business. But to change it, like Adams wants to, first you have to be in it.
“Why do campaigns even need money to win votes? Can’t people just go and vote for their candidates?” Well yes, but getting them to the polls to vote for a candidate is going to cost money in advertising for name recognition.
The Adams for Delegate campaign ran a tight ship, spending money ONLY on communication efforts in the Primary for things like mailers and yard signs. Adams also chose to sign the pledge not to take any financial support from Dominion Power and Appalachian Power, specifically:
- To show voters how serious she takes the environment and that she will stand to protect our land from pipelines, fracking and pollution.
- She also took a stand to practice what she preaches about campaign finance reform. Because Dominion Power gives money to both parties up and down the ticket, it essentially owns the General Assembly. And while its largely symbolic right now, Adams believes that no corporation or organization should have so much control over Virginia’s democracy.
Despite criticism from people, even in the Democratic Party, Dr. Adams’ cost per vote was the second lowest out of all of the Hillary 17 Districts.
2. How many people voted for JUST Dawn M. Adams compared to every other winning candidate in the Primary?
With 4,556 votes to her name, Dawn M. Adams had the largest voter turnout for a candidate running in a District where the current Delegate is a Republican; this includes all Hillary 17 Districts.
3. How many people turned out to vote in every District?
When looking at voter turnout for the Districts as a whole, District 68 once again led the way for all other districts with a Republican incumbent, all Hillary 17 Districts, and was second in voter turnout to District 57 whose seat is held by the Democratic House Leader, David Toscano.
4. How many Democrats voted vs. Republicans in District 68?
In District 68 alone, nearly TWICE as many Democrats voted for the Gubernatorial Primary Election compared to the number of Republicans that came out for their candidates. If we keep up this ratio in the General Election in November – the Democrats will take control over the seat in this District.
5. How did the Hillary 17 Districts perform in the Primary with voter turnout? What is the likelihood of flipping the seats?
District 68 demonstrated the highest voter turnout out of all the Hillary 17 Districts, but in this graph we can also see District 68 had a nearly 40% lead in voter turnout compared to District 67 – the District Hillary Clinton had the greatest win margin in 2016.
Why is this? What does this mean? My thoughts…
One reason could be due to the fact District 68 had three candidates in the Primary, so our candidates collectively rallied more votes, but other races also had multiple candidates.
Dr. Adams believes District 68 is uniquely energized and in particular because of Tom Perriello; younger voters turned out for the Primary who might have otherwise stayed home. The average age of voters in our District is 35, and environmental issues were among the top four concerns from our constituents.
I personally believe it also relates to the energized and organized voters. Large groups of constituents, the majority of which are led by women, in and around the area have quickly organized since November 2016.
Grassroots groups like the Liberal Women of Chesterfield County and Beyond, Indivisible, and Together We Will rallied behind candidates, hosted postcard parties to get out the vote, volunteered countless hours canvassing and phone banking, and hosted public forums to introduce people to the candidates and the issues.
But the other BIG reason why so many people voted for Dawn Adams specifically, I believe, relates to the healthcare crisis we are having at the Federal Level and the failure to expand Medicaid at the State Level. Looking at all 100 Seats in the House, only 9 are held by healthcare professionals – and 7 of those are Republicans. Democrats essentially do not have a voice in the House when it comes to healthcare. Electing Dr. Dawn M. Adams to the House will help change this.
Grassroots Campaigns Need Funding NOW to Get Out the Vote
Now more than ever, candidates like Dr. Adams in District 68 need donations to afford yard signs, mailers, and other communication literature.
Despite their real prospects of winning, like many other races, there is organized Party support. All of the money comes from people like you — people who want to see real change in government and understand that it takes money to get the word out.
Several districts are up against Republican incumbents with secret money from the Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity. This “dark money” is the worst kind, because despite Virginia’s Wild Wild West approach to campaign finance — meaning anyone can give any amount as long as its transparent- the Republican incumbents, like in District 68 and District 13 (Danica Roem’s District), choose secrecy and deceit. They don’t have to file or report these funds to the Virginia Department of Elections and their campaigns essentially have deeper pockets with this potentially unlimited supply of Koch Brother money for mailers and advertising.
Investing in District 68 will give you A BIG BANG for your buck. With the average cost per vote in the Hillary 17 Districts at nearly $13, we were able to get out the vote with under $4 per voter. Now more than ever is the time to invest in candidates who are likely to win in November.
To learn more about Dr. Dawn M. Adams, visit her website at www.adamsfordelegate.com
Contact the Adams for Delegate Campaign
Hila Arbell, Campaign Manager
(202) 570-2430
hila@adamsfordelegate.com
Maureen Hains, Communications & Media Director
804-839-5934
maureen@adamsfordelegate.com
Maureen Hains serves as Communications & Media Director for the Adams for Delegate Campaign. A lifelong Virginian, she is passionate about working for a Virginia that allows its citizens to have access to affordable healthcare, fully-funded public education, jobs that pay a living wage, and clean air, water and land for generations to come.