Virginia special elections tomorrow will decide legislative control in both chambers and set the foundation for November’s election when the full House of Delegates is on the ballot
WASHINGTON— On Friday evening, Spotlight candidates JJ Singh and Del. Kannan Srinivasan joined MSNBC’s The Last Word to discuss the stakes of tomorrow’s must-win special elections. These races in Loudoun County will decide legislative majorities in both the House of Delegates and Senate, shaping the agenda for upcoming legislative sessions and setting the tone ahead of November when the full House of Delegates is on the ballot. Given the stakes, the DLCC recently announced a $100K investment in the Virginia caucuses to build infrastructure and groundwork for the year ahead.
Democratic majorities in states like Virginia will be the strongest firewall to defend against extremism under the incoming Trump administration – particularly as Project 2025 and the MAGA agenda will likely send more powers to the states.
To watch the full video click here.
Check out some key excerpts below:
- Symone Sanders: America’s policy, folks, is made in our state legislatures. Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin is actually term-limited, so Democrats have a real chance of winning the governor’s race in November. But the success of a potential Democratic-led government in Virginia actually starts with winning these special elections and keeping control of the state legislature.
- JJ Singh: We’ve knocked on thousands of doors so far, and I want to tell you what I’m hearing. The first is, I have two daughters who are in public school, and I care about reducing gun violence. Gun violence is the number one cause of death for kids. The second thing is, we talk about reproductive freedom, my two daughters have fewer rights than my wife did before the Dobbs decision… And so when we talk about voters about these issues, it’s getting them excited. It’s getting them enthused. It’s getting to see the states. It’s getting to see the importance of coming out. And so we’re going to keep doing it.
- Del. Kannan Srinivasan: The stakes are very high. It is a thin majority that we have in the General Assembly. In the Senate, it’s 21 to 19…We have the chance to have a trifecta next November, but it starts with this important election. That’s why I’m running. I’m a son of two school teachers. I’m the first Indian American immigrant elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. I am very excited about this. I’ve been knocking thousands of doors… People are concerned about many things, including the new administration.
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