Democrats are piling still more money into their bid to expand their 51-49 edge in the this year, with a $1 million pool of funds from the
It follows $3 million from Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, and $1.5 million from the Democratic National Committee for a coordinated campaign in House races, where Democrats are, for the first time in years, contesting all 100 seats.
Scott called the funding the largest early investment ever in a Virginia legislative campaign effort.
鈥淥ver a million dollars on the ground means one thing: We鈥檙e taking the fight to Republicans in every battleground district,鈥 said Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, the House Democrats鈥 campaigns chair.
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In this April photo, Speaker of the House Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth, talks to Gianni Snidle and Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, in the House chamber in Richmond. Scott and Helmer touted the additional $1 million investment in House races Democrats are targeting in November.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not backing down 鈥 we鈥檙e turning up the pressure and building momentum all the way to November,鈥 he said.
The money will be used for ads, get-out-the-vote efforts and canvassing.
Democrats are targeting 14 districts that Republicans currently represent and four districts where they are defending Democratic incumbents.
The targets include several districts that voted for Republican Glenn Youngkin in the 2021 election for governor but swung last year to Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee.
These include four districts around Richmond, currently represented by Dels. David Owen, R-Goochland; Mark Earley, R-Chesterfield; Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield; and Kim Taylor, R-Dinwiddie. They also include the district of Republican House caucus chair Amanda Batten, which includes New Kent County.
So far, early help from the House caucus has included $22,598 for a campaign manager鈥檚 salary and benefits for May Nivar, challenging Owen in a western Henrico County-eastern Goochland County district. It has provided a similar amount for the campaign manager for Leslie Mehta, who is challenging Earley in Chesterfield County. Kimberly Pope Adams, who is challenging Taylor in a Petersburg-anchored district, received $21,136 for her campaign manager.
Some of the Democratic targets are districts in areas that trend Republican, including the area represented by the House鈥檚 most senior member, Del. Bobby Orrock, R-Caroline. The Democrats鈥 list also includes Del. Paul Milde, R-Stafford, and Del. Chad Green, R-York. The Democrats鈥 list also includes Dels. Chris Obenshain, R-Montgomery, and Tony Wilt, R-Rockingham. They represent deep red valley districts that include thousands of college voters at Virginia Tech and James Madison University.
Democrats are playing defense in four districts represented by Dels. Josh Cole, D-Fredericksburg, Nadarius Clark, D-Suffolk, and Michael Feggans, D-Virginia Beach, as well as the district represented by Del. Josh Thomas, D-Prince William.
Thomas was one of the leaders of a General Assembly push to rein in the growth of data centers, which are a sore point in his area, as in those of two other Democratic targets: Dels. Ian Lovejoy, R-Prince William, and Geary Higgins, R-Loudoun.
Lovejoy was part of the General Assembly coalition pushing for tighter control of data centers, but his district gave Harris a slight edge after voting for Youngkin in 2021. Higgins represents an area that slightly favored President Donald Trump last year.
House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, could not be reached immediately for comment.
Here are the races Democrats are targeting:
House Di Del. Ian Lovejoy, R-Prince William, vs. former Del. Elizabeth Guzman, D-Prince William
House Di Del. Geary Higgins, R-Loudoun, vs. John McAuliff
House Di Del. Tony Wilt, R-Rockingham, vs. Andrew Payton
House Di Del. Chris Obenshain, R-Montgomery, vs. Lily Franklin
House Di Del. David Owen, R-Goochland, vs. May Nivar
House Di Del. Paul Milde, R-Stafford, vs. Stacey Carroll
House Di Del. Bobby Orrock, R-Caroline, vs. Nicole Cole
House Di Del. Chad Green, R-York, vs. Mark Downey
House Di Del. Amanda Batten, R-James City, vs. Jessica Anderson
House Di Del. Mark Earley, R-Chesterfield, vs. Leslie Mehta
House Di Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield, vs. Lindsey Dougherty
House Di Del. Kim Taylor, R-Dinwiddie, vs. Kimberly Pope Adams
House Di Del. A.C. Cordoza, R-Hampton, vs. Virgil Thornton
House Di Democrat Karen 鈥淜acey鈥 Robins Carnegie vs. Republican Mike Lamonea for the district of retiring Del. Baxter Ennis, R-Chesapeake
Here are the four contests with Democratic incumbents:
House Di Del. Josh Thomas, D-Prince William, vs. Gregory Lee Gorham
House Di Del. Josh Cole, D-Fredericksburg, vs. Sean Steinway
House Di Del. Nadarius Clark, D-Suffolk, vs. Felisha Leffler Storm
House Di Del. Michael Feggans, D-Virginia Beach, vs. former Del. Tim Anderson, R-Virginia Beach
From the Archives: The old Virginia State Penitentiary
听July 1990: Cells in the death row section of the State Penitentiary.
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July 1990: Life in the Pen- Inmate artwork adorns an empty cell in A-Building, which was emptied of prisoners in April.
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11-09-1990 (cutline): Inmates miss organized sports on the athletic field inside the walled prison.
11-01-1990 (cutline): Cells that houses 1,200 prisoners last January are now home to fewer than 600.
The southeast side of B section where the inmate population is at its maximum and inmates still live. B-Building faces Belvidere Street.
11-01-1956 (cutline): Convict goes into world as prison gate shuts. At 43 years old, he had just spent 21 years in jail.
06-11-1991: Virginia State Penitentiary
09-19-1958: Virginia State Penitentiary chapel
July 1990: A steel cell, without bunk, in the now-empty A-Building.
Cells in original penitentiary, razed in 1928, were cold and damp.
January 1960: Inmates prepare food for 1,600 others in the big kitchen on ground floor. They also learn a trade that helps them get jobs after discharge.
Cell original to State Penitentiary built in 1800 and razed in 1928.
August 1991: Archaeologists found an old key while excavating the old State Penitentiary. Ethyl Labs funded the dig. The original building was designed by Benjamin Latrobe, who also drew plans for the U.S. Capitol.
November 1990: Cell
10-01-1948: Aerial view of Virginia State Penitentiary
07-17-1955 (cutline): Truck (center) in which prisoners escaped was parked between two prison buses.
09-30-1958 (cutline): Wall where prisoners escaped--Howard Lang, a State Penitentiary guard, points to spot where two prisoners dropped off the prison wall yesterday. Lang was guarding the men in a work detail atop the wall. Arrow shows guard box where he was when it occured.
07-17-1936 (cutline): Where one was killed, six wounded in prison break--This is a staff artist's conception of the prison break late yesterday afternoon at the State Penitentiary. Eight prisoners seized two guards, a trusty and a truck in the prison yard and drove at the gateway in an attempt to batter their way to freedom. Guard C.H. Smith (arrow) halted them with gunfire from above.
February 1975: Paintings by members of the Academy Art Club of the State Penitentiary were to go on display today at the offices of the State Commission of the Arts and Humanities for a three-month period. The commission, located on the 12th floor of the Old State Office Building in Capitol Square, recently made a $1,000 grant to the club which is made up of prison inmates.
July 1974: Director Ron Greenfield, right, works on 'Zoo Story' script with Robert Hettinger and Ray Woodhouse. They are a part of the prison's theater program.
February 1973: Making license plates if one of prisoners' jobs.
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July 1990: A female guard at her post.
