RICHMOND, Va. — The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is congratulating Virginia Democrats on winning control of the commonwealth’s Senate — the ninth state legislative chamber Democrats have flipped since Donald Trump’s election.
“Flipping the Senate is a huge victory for Democrats and for Virginia voters,” said DLCC President Jessica Post. “All of our Senate candidates, supported by dedicated staffers and volunteers, ran incredible campaigns — larger than congressional races in many states. Their hard work has paid off, and, with a blue Senate, we will move Virginia forward.”
The DLCC spent more than $1.5 million in Virginia, including over $630,000 directly to the Senate Democratic Caucus to help hire staff, recruit candidates and communicate with voters. The committee’s data team determined target races and its political staff, including a full-time in-state staffer, helped coordinate messaging and field operations with more than a dozen national and Virginia partners.
“Democratic and progressive organizations understand how important state legislatures are to our democracy and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee was honored to work alongside them to flip the Senate,” Post said. “Democrats are laser focused on states and we’re going to keep fighting together to flip chambers across the country in 2020.”
Democratic Senate candidates ran on a unified message of protecting health care and passing gun safety legislation — positions Republicans attempted to adopt, despite all of their vulnerable incumbents having voted against Medicaid expansion and to kill the gun safety special session without advancing legislation.
“Our Senate candidates ran on a unified message of protecting health care and passing gun safety — and voters across the commonwealth agreed with them,” Post said. “It’s a clear message to legislators in Richmond, DC, and state capitals across the country: voters are tired of Republican obstruction and expect action.”
The DLCC has helped flip over 400 state legislative seats since Donald Trump’s election in 2016. The committee helped flip 15 Virginia House seats in 2017, but the Senate had not been up since 2015.
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