44 days left to flip Virginia blue this fall.
Every odd year the entire Virginia House of Delegates stands for election in the fall. There are 44 days left until this years election on November 7th. Currently, Republicans hold 66 of those 100 seats. That means we need to flip 17 seats to turn Virginia blue this fall.
Now, that may seem like a daunting task, but, take heart, there are many great Democrats stepping up across the commonwealth. In the 2015 cycle, only 57 Democrats stepped up to the plate to run for those 100 seats. That meant that Republicans only needed to win 8 contested races to secure a majority. This year, 88 seats are being contested by Democrats, meaning Republicans must win 39 contested races to secure a majority. That is great news, but these great Democratic leaders need our help.
They have heeded the call, they need us to have their backs.
The party largely seems to be focused on just 17 races. That is precisely the number we need to flip, and we will not win all of them. They picked these particular races because Clinton won the precincts in these districts, which is fine. That said, presidential races often do not translate into good midterm or off cycle results. As we saw in the Georgia 6th, it is not uncommon for lower ballot races to lag behind presidential results in the district.
Where we really have leverage and ground to gain rests in districts across the state, not just in those 17 races. Of course, there are a ton of great candidate in those 17 races already, but we need to support everyone taking the risk to run. It is with that in mind I am going to do a series of these posts featuring all of the Democratic candidates challenging currently red districts. There are 58 of those in total. Let’s take a look at some of the Northern Virginia Candidates first.
NOVA Candidates
Clicking on the District number will take you to a profile of the district. Clicking on the candidate name will take you to their web presence.
Like millions of other Americans in 2017, Wendy decided that she had to get off the sidelines. She co-founded an Indivisible chapter in the predominantly red Clarke County, and grew the organization to over 300 members. Now, she’s running for the Virginia House of Delegates to take her wide-ranging experiences and two decades in the district to advocate for us in Richmond.
She believes that our government should give everyone a fair shot. Virginia should be a place with job opportunities, safe roads, clean air, and equal opportunity. Wendy has the experience, perspective, and heart to represent District 10 in the Virginia House of Delegates.
I know how hard it is to be an entrepreneur in this area. Young people leave and rarely come back. We need to keep our talent here by expanding opportunity. I am one of the few younger people in this region who came back to run a business. It’s a primary reason why I decided to run for political office. Today’s disruptive economy and accelerating uncertainties demands young people develop the ability to see opportunities among the fog and have the courage to act. It is a skill set employers are looking for and communities need. Thinking deeper, learning faster and collaborating better is how we can make the Piedmont a home of opportunity for all.
It is time we focus on innovative programs designed to service the average family’s needs in an ever-changing Commonwealth. My commit- ment is to insuring that our special community stays well represented in Richmond and takes the lead on vocational training and skills for the “new collar” jobs that are coming into the state. I am committed to keeping the focus on strengthening our public schools while making sure that competitive pay for educators remains a top-tier priority. My commitment is to make sure that the middle class and working families of our community will take part in Virginia’s current and future prosperity before it is too late. I look forward to hearing your story and working with you to make sure your priorities are heard loud and clear in the Virginia House of Delegates.
We are fed up with “business as usual” in Richmond. We need to start changing whom we send to Richmond to advocate on our behalf.
We need to focus on bringing more quality, high-paying jobs to Loudoun County. Northern Virginia is quickly becoming the East Coast hub for technological innovation. We are at the center of core population areas. We have great universities and a well-educated population. Let’s take advantage of these resources to fully achieve our potential in space technology, alternative energy, advanced transportation solutions, biomedical research, and federal contracting.
In this tough political climate, Tia continues to find hope in her local community. She knows from experience that the families, small businesses, and farms here all work to lift each other up. Our community understands the value of living in a region that has both a growing economy and a rural tradition at its heart.
Tia is running for 33rd district delegate to be an advocate in Richmond. She will stand up for the rural small businesses that are the culture of this Blue Ridge region. Farms like hers, restaurants, wineries, breweries, distilleries, and all of the small businesses honor the tradition of agriculture here and make this a wonderful region to call home. She will also fight for strong public schools, so all of our children have access to an education that best fits their needs and abilities.
Donte is a husband, father, Air Force veteran, and small business owner here in Northern Virginia. Donte grew up in a family dedicated to public service. His dad served in the Navy, and later in the police force alongside Donte’s mom. His parent’s dedication to serving their country and community inspired Donte to do the same.
A product of Newport News public schools, Donte was accepted into the United States Air Force Academy in 1997. Donte rose through the ranks and became an Air Force Captain at the age of 25, where he served for four years, leading a team working on Space and Missile systems. During this time, Donte worked to make the military more efficient by delivering projects on time and under budget.
After moving to Northern Virginia, Karrie became the Communications Director for Shared Hope International, a non-profit dedicated to ending sex trafficking. There, she took her community engagement to new levels, working with local communities and international NGOs to end the brutal abuse of women around the globe.
After leaving Shared Hope to focus on raising her family, Karrie has since started her own small consulting firm and gotten even more involved in local Fairfax issues. Republican County Supervisor Michael Frey appointed Karrie to be a member and later a chair to the Fairfax County Citizen Corps Council, which focuses on emergency preparedness . She was also appointed to the Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees, where she currently serves as Chair.
Now Karrie is running to represent the people of Virginia’s 67th District; to stand up for our Northern Virginia values, put aside the political games, and bring about real solutions for our community.