Latest news with #DemocraticLegislativeCampaignCommittee
The Hill
07-04-2025
- Business
- The Hill
State Democrats launch 7-figure investment in Virginia
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) announced on Monday it is investing seven figures in the battle to keep the Democratic majority in Virginia's House of Delegates. The committee made the announcement in its 'Roadmap to Victory in Virginia' memo, which included its first batch of House of Delegates target races in 2025. The initial target list includes the 21st, 65th, 84th, and 97th House of Delegates races. Additionally, the committee announced it is adding the state's lieutenant governor's race to its target map. The lieutenant governor could play a pivotal role in casting tie breaking votes in the state Senate, which is not on the ballot this year. In the memo, the DLCC accused Virginia Republicans of mirroring President Trump and federal Republicans' agenda in Washington. 'As we gear up for November, legislative Democrats in Virginia have been on the frontlines of responding to Trump's chaos and havoc while advancing Democratic policies that support working families,' the memo reads. That stands in stark contrast to Republicans like Governor Glenn Youngkin, who has blocked much of the agenda passed by the Democratic legislature to uplift families while expressing support for DOGE cuts that resulted in Virginians losing their jobs.' Virginia is one of the two major statewide elections taking place in 2025, along with New Jersey. In addition to the House of Delegates, lieutenant governor, and attorney general races, the governor's race is also up for grabs. Last week former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) was confirmed as the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, teeing up a matchup against Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears (R ). On Sunday, Sears was confirmed as the GOP's gubernatorial nominee.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State Democrats launch 7-figure investment in Virginia
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) announced Monday it is investing seven figures in the battle to keep the Democratic majority in Virginia's House of Delegates. The committee made the announcement in its 'Roadmap to Victory in Virginia' memo, which included its first batch of House of Delegates target races in 2025. The initial target list includes the 21st, 65th, 84th, and 97th House of Delegates races. Additionally, the committee announced it is adding the state's lieutenant governor's race to its target map. The lieutenant governor could play a pivotal role in casting tie breaking votes in the state Senate, which is not on the ballot this year. In the memo, the DLCC accused Virginia Republicans of mirroring President Trump and federal Republicans' agenda in Washington. 'As we gear up for November, legislative Democrats in Virginia have been on the frontlines of responding to Trump's chaos and havoc while advancing Democratic policies that support working families,' the memo reads. That stands in stark contrast to Republicans like Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who has blocked much of the agenda passed by the Democratic Legislature to uplift families while expressing support for DOGE cuts that resulted in Virginians losing their jobs.' Virginia is one of the two major statewide elections taking place in 2025, along with New Jersey. In addition to the House of Delegates, lieutenant governor and attorney general races, the governor's race is also up for grabs. Last week, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) was confirmed as the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, teeing up a match-up against Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R). On Sunday, Earle-Sears was confirmed as the GOP's gubernatorial nominee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Virginia elections will test the backlash against Musk – and Democrats are ready with a plan
Democrats have begun plotting the next phase of their electoral revival with a seven-figure spend in Virginia ahead of a vote they hope will turn into a referendum on Elon Musk. The party, which had been despondent since Donald Trump's victory last year, got off the canvas last week with a convincing win in a Wisconsin supreme court race and two strong congressional performances in Florida. Now all eyes turn to Virginia as the next battleground. In November voters are set to choose a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and house of delegates. The election will be a bellwether not only for Trump's presidency but tech billionaire Musk's unofficial 'department of government efficiency', or Doge, which has hit Virginia hard because of its proximity to the federal government. Related: Wisconsin and Florida races give jolt of energy to Democrats in fight against Trump 'It is his work and efforts that are going to be litigated in this election,' said Heather Williams, the president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), which focuses on building power at state level. 'We see the Doge efforts take on a local spin, meaning they're not just talking about the machete that he wielded without any care or concern but the very real local impact and how it is affecting individuals.' Republican victories in last year's elections for the White House and both chambers of Congress plunged Democrats into recriminations and soul searching. An NBC poll last month found that just 27% of registered voters have positive views of the party, its lowest rating since the question was first asked in 1990. Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, recently described the Democratic brand as 'toxic'. But the party's favoured candidate, Susan Crawford, overcame $25m in spending from Musk last week to defeat a conservative opponent for a seat on Wisconsin's state supreme court. Democrats also slashed Republicans' margins in two ruby red congressional districts in Florida, while in Washington DC, Senator Cory Booker delivered an epic 25-hour speech that suggested a party rediscovering its mojo. Democrats see state legislators as crucial in pushing back against harmful policies emanating from the White House and have been thriving in special elections so far this year. They have defended majorities in five chambers and over-performed by 10 points on average, flipping two districts that Trump won by double digits. On Monday the DLCC will attempt to build on the momentum by launching a Roadmap to Victory in Virginia memo, including a list of target races in November and an ongoing seven-figure investment in the house of delegates, where Democrats have a narrow 51-49 majority. Unusually, the DLCC is also adding the highly consequential lieutenant governor's race to its target map to secure the ability to win tie-breaking votes in the state senate, where Democrats currently have a one-seat margin. The memo describes legislative Democrats in Virginia as being on the frontlines responding to Trump's chaos and havoc, while Republicans such as the governor, Glenn Youngkin, expressed support for Doge cuts. State Republicans unanimously voted against a constitutional amendment to protect abortion access and voted nearly entirely in lockstep against a ban on assault weapons. Democrats claim to be seeing mounting enthusiasm and have launched campaigns in 97 of 100 districts, whereas Republicans have recruited candidates for just 63 districts. The memo observes: 'Opportunities to move policy and build power aren't happening in Washington – they're happening in the statehouses.' Youngkin is ineligible to run in November because Virginia bars governors from seeking consecutive terms in office. Instead Winsome Earle-Sears, the current lieutenant governor, will be the Republican nominee in the gubernatorial race while Abigail Spanberger is the presumptive nominee for the Democrats. Related: North Carolina judges back Republican colleague in bid to toss votes and overturn election Williams said: 'Democrats have been winning elections again. Voters made it clear in 2024 that their issues were around the economy and affordability and economic opportunity, and they asked their elected officials to pay attention to that. 'What we are seeing in these election results is an understanding that Republicans are unfocused and harming communities when they needed support and government to work on their behalf. Voters are not standing for it.' The DLCC advocates a back-to-basics approach of grassroots organising and face-to-face conversations with voters, addressing issues such as housing, US healthcare prices and wages. Williams said: 'You've got Democrats in the legislature or candidates who are putting forth agendas around the economy and affordability and trying to address the very real, honest issues that Americans are dealing with.' Last week's election results were ominous for Republicans in Virginia, a state that Democrat Kamala Harris won by six percentage points. Trump's slashing of the federal government, chaotic tariffs and threats to social security could galvanise Democrats while turning off independent and moderate Republicans. Williams commented: 'Yes, Trump is responsible for this, Elon Musk is responsible for this, but local Republicans are also complicit. They are falling in line with a reckless approach to government and a reckless political party with Donald Trump at the helm. They don't get off the hook.' Musk burst onto the political stage last year, spending nearly $300m supporting Trump and other Republican campaigns, according to Federal Election Commission filings. On Wednesday, the world's richest person donned a cheesehead hat and gave out $1m cheques to two Wisconsin voters, declaring them spokespeople for his political group and claiming that the supreme court election was vital to 'the future of civilisation'. But conservative favorite Brad Schimel's 10-point defeat implied that Musk could become an albatross around Republicans' necks. Gleeful Democrats pleaded for him to come to their districts and campaign for their Republican opponents in next year's midterms. Wisconsin congressman Mark Pocan told the Axios website: 'I'll pay for his coach flight.' Musk's indiscriminate and unconstitutional assault on the government has had an outsized impact on Virginia, which is home to thousands of federal workers who commute to Washington as well as some key military bases. Williams observed: 'Government is very present in Virginia and it has served them historically well. You've got hard workers doing good things, protecting our country, and they're being tossed around as if nothing matters and that is going to have a big impact.' But having become addicted to Musk's patronage, Republicans will struggle to untether themselves. 'He committed to buy elections and he's not getting out of that because Republicans are going to need money to save themselves in these races. 'They're going to be up against voters who are unwilling to be bought or have that level of assumption about what can move them. Musk is going to be a part of this. Republicans are going to need his resources and we're going to continue to hear about this all election cycle.' Don Scott, a Democrat who last year became the first Black speaker in the Virginia house of delegates' 400-year history, agrees that Musk will continue to cast a long shadow. 'I think Republicans are begging him to come to Virginia because they have not gotten the memo from Wisconsin and Florida and Pennsylvania that voters don't like the policies,' he said. 'Because they haven't gotten the memo yet, they continue to embrace him and they will not tell him to go away because he's out of touch. They're going to find out, I believe, in November how out of touch they are in Virginia.' Scott noted that whereas Democrats in Washington are shut out of power, their counterparts in the Virginia house of delegates passed resolutions in January enshrining rights to abortion, voting and marriage equality. Related: She's a waitress raised on a farm – can Rebecca Cooke win a key Wisconsin seat? 'We've got to stop whining,' the speaker said. 'There's no whining in this state. There's no need to do any handwringing. You don't get to have a pity party. If you really believe that this is an existential threat, do the work. We have to continue to show folks how we deliver, what values we stand for. Our values are not losing. 'That's why I'm tired of people talking about the message. We don't need a hero. We don't need someone to come in with a cape. Get over Michelle Obama and Barack Obama. We need every day normal Americans to come to the forefront.' Scott added: 'Virginians know exactly who Donald Trump is and we'll have the opportunity to be the canary in the coal mine for the rest of the country here in November. We'll be sending a message of hope to the rest of the country that we haven't been snowed by this guy.'
The Guardian
07-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Virginia elections will test the backlash against Musk – and Democrats are ready with a plan
Democrats have begun plotting the next phase of their electoral revival with a seven-figure spend in Virginia ahead of a vote they hope will turn into a referendum on Elon Musk. The party, which had been despondent since Donald Trump's victory last year, got off the canvas last week with a convincing win in a Wisconsin supreme court race and two strong congressional performances in Florida. Now all eyes turn to Virginia as the next battleground. In November voters are set to choose a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and house of delegates. The election will be a bellwether not only for Trump's presidency but tech billionaire Musk's unofficial 'department of government efficiency', or Doge, which has hit Virginia hard because of its proximity to the federal government. 'It is his work and efforts that are going to be litigated in this election,' said Heather Williams, the president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), which focuses on building power at state level. 'We see the Doge efforts take on a local spin, meaning they're not just talking about the machete that he wielded without any care or concern but the very real local impact and how it is affecting individuals.' Republican victories in last year's elections for the White House and both chambers of Congress plunged Democrats into recriminations and soul searching. An NBC poll last month found that just 27% of registered voters have positive views of the party, its lowest rating since the question was first asked in 1990. Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, recently described the Democratic brand as 'toxic'. But the party's favoured candidate, Susan Crawford, overcame $25m in spending from Musk last week to defeat a conservative opponent for a seat on Wisconsin's state supreme court. Democrats also slashed Republicans' margins in two ruby red congressional districts in Florida, while in Washington DC, Senator Cory Booker delivered an epic 25-hour speech that suggested a party rediscovering its mojo. Democrats see state legislators as crucial in pushing back against harmful policies emanating from the White House and have been thriving in special elections so far this year. They have defended majorities in five chambers and over-performed by 10 points on average, flipping two districts that Trump won by double digits. On Monday the DLCC will attempt to build on the momentum by launching a Roadmap to Victory in Virginia memo, including a list of target races in November and an ongoing seven-figure investment in the house of delegates, where Democrats have a narrow 51-49 majority. Unusually, the DLCC is also adding the highly consequential lieutenant governor's race to its target map to secure the ability to win tie-breaking votes in the state senate, where Democrats currently have a one-seat margin. The memo describes legislative Democrats in Virginia as being on the frontlines responding to Trump's chaos and havoc, while Republicans such as the governor, Glenn Youngkin, expressed support for Doge cuts. State Republicans unanimously voted against a constitutional amendment to protect abortion access and voted nearly entirely in lockstep against a ban on assault weapons. Democrats claim to be seeing mounting enthusiasm and have launched campaigns in 97 of 100 districts, whereas Republicans have recruited candidates for just 63 districts. The memo observes: 'Opportunities to move policy and build power aren't happening in Washington – they're happening in the statehouses.' Youngkin is ineligible to run in November because Virginia bars governors from seeking consecutive terms in office. Instead Winsome Earle-Sears, the current lieutenant governor, will be the Republican nominee in the gubernatorial race while Abigail Spanberger is the presumptive nominee for the Democrats. Williams said: 'Democrats have been winning elections again. Voters made it clear in 2024 that their issues were around the economy and affordability and economic opportunity, and they asked their elected officials to pay attention to that. 'What we are seeing in these election results is an understanding that Republicans are unfocused and harming communities when they needed support and government to work on their behalf. Voters are not standing for it.' The DLCC advocates a back-to-basics approach of grassroots organising and face-to-face conversations with voters, addressing issues such as housing, US healthcare prices and wages. Williams said: 'You've got Democrats in the legislature or candidates who are putting forth agendas around the economy and affordability and trying to address the very real, honest issues that Americans are dealing with.' Last week's election results were ominous for Republicans in Virginia, a state that Democrat Kamala Harris won by six percentage points. Trump's slashing of the federal government, chaotic tariffs and threats to social security could galvanise Democrats while turning off independent and moderate Republicans. Williams commented: 'Yes, Trump is responsible for this, Elon Musk is responsible for this, but local Republicans are also complicit. They are falling in line with a reckless approach to government and a reckless political party with Donald Trump at the helm. They don't get off the hook.' Musk burst onto the political stage last year, spending nearly $300m supporting Trump and other Republican campaigns, according to Federal Election Commission filings. On Wednesday, the world's richest person donned a cheesehead hat and gave out $1m cheques to two Wisconsin voters, declaring them spokespeople for his political group and claiming that the supreme court election was vital to 'the future of civilisation'. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion But conservative favorite Brad Schimel's 10-point defeat implied that Musk could become an albatross around Republicans' necks. Gleeful Democrats pleaded for him to come to their districts and campaign for their Republican opponents in next year's midterms. Wisconsin congressman Mark Pocan told the Axios website: 'I'll pay for his coach flight.' Musk's indiscriminate and unconstitutional assault on the government has had an outsized impact on Virginia, which is home to thousands of federal workers who commute to Washington as well as some key military bases. Williams observed: 'Government is very present in Virginia and it has served them historically well. You've got hard workers doing good things, protecting our country, and they're being tossed around as if nothing matters and that is going to have a big impact.' But having become addicted to Musk's patronage, Republicans will struggle to untether themselves. 'He committed to buy elections and he's not getting out of that because Republicans are going to need money to save themselves in these races. 'They're going to be up against voters who are unwilling to be bought or have that level of assumption about what can move them. Musk is going to be a part of this. Republicans are going to need his resources and we're going to continue to hear about this all election cycle.' Don Scott, a Democrat who last year became the first Black speaker in the Virginia house of delegates' 400-year history, agrees that Musk will continue to cast a long shadow. 'I think Republicans are begging him to come to Virginia because they have not gotten the memo from Wisconsin and Florida and Pennsylvania that voters don't like the policies,' he said. 'Because they haven't gotten the memo yet, they continue to embrace him and they will not tell him to go away because he's out of touch. They're going to find out, I believe, in November how out of touch they are in Virginia.' Scott noted that whereas Democrats in Washington are shut out of power, their counterparts in the Virginia house of delegates passed resolutions in January enshrining rights to abortion, voting and marriage equality. 'We've got to stop whining,' the speaker said. 'There's no whining in this state. There's no need to do any handwringing. You don't get to have a pity party. If you really believe that this is an existential threat, do the work. We have to continue to show folks how we deliver, what values we stand for. Our values are not losing. 'That's why I'm tired of people talking about the message. We don't need a hero. We don't need someone to come in with a cape. Get over Michelle Obama and Barack Obama. We need every day normal Americans to come to the forefront.' Scott added: 'Virginians know exactly who Donald Trump is and we'll have the opportunity to be the canary in the coal mine for the rest of the country here in November. We'll be sending a message of hope to the rest of the country that we haven't been snowed by this guy.'
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A Sinister Montana Bill Would Charge Women With 'Abortion Trafficking'
Montana women could soon be unable to receive abortion care anywhere. A new bill sponsored by state Representative Kerri Seekins-Crowe would ban 'abortion trafficking' across state lines, effectively criminalizing anyone who receives or helps someone receive the medical procedure, even if they access it outside of Montana. 'A person commits the offense of abortion trafficking if the person purposely or knowingly transports or aids or assists another person in transporting an unborn child that is currently located in this state either to a location within this state or to a location outside of this state with the intent to obtain an abortion that is illegal in this state,' reads the text of Montana House Bill 609. Conviction could come with a sentence of up to five years in prison. The bill seeks to restrict a woman's ability to travel—similar to how Republicans have pushed to restrict minors' ability to leave their state for gender-affirming care. It's also unclear how local authorities would be able to identify people who had received abortions outside of the state, raising questions of whether state lawmakers would also push for a registry of pregnant Montanans. 'Had a bill like this been law at the time, I wouldn't just be a grieving mother, I'd be a felon,' Anne Angus, a 35-year-old Montanan who received an abortion at 24 weeks in 2022, after her fetus was diagnosed with a fatal condition, told Jessica Valenti. Under H.B. 609, she would be in prison. 'All for fleeing the state to give my son the compassion and dignity he deserved,' Angus said. Democrats are currently mobilizing against the bill. 'Beyond attacking Montana voters who voted decisively to protect abortion rights, state Republicans are once again abusing state legislatures as a testing ground for their most extreme policies,' Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee communications director Lauren Chou told The New Republic. 'Voters across the country are watching as Republicans take an ax to their rights, and they won't forget this when it's time to head to the ballot box.' In November, Montanans voted to enshrine abortion protections in their state constitution, but that hasn't prevented conservative state lawmakers from continuing to chip away at the protection. Earlier this month, Republicans in the state legislature advanced House Bill 316, a fetal personhood bill that would confer constitutional rights to a fetus from the moment of its conception. The bill would also effectively nix in vitro fertilization access in the state and undermine abortion access, according to the Daily Montanan, though it will require the approval of two-thirds of the state legislature before being advanced to the ballot for Montanans to vote on. But Montana's recent anti-abortion legislation is just more moves in a multipronged attack on reproductive rights happening nationwide, despite the fact that the vast majority of Americans do not support such restrictions. In Missouri, a similar effort to track women is underway. Missouri House Bill 807, called the 'Save MO Babies Act,' is intended to target people 'at risk for seeking abortion services' and to 'reduce the number of preventable abortions.' If passed, the registry would start on July 1, 2026, and would be managed by the Maternal and Child Services division of the state's Department of Social Services, according to the bill text. But the bill does not specify the scope and scale of such a registry, or exactly how 'at risk' individuals would be identified. Lacking access to abortion care has actually made pregnancies drastically less safe. In Texas, where abortion hasn't been permitted despite the legislature's medical emergency clause, sepsis rates have skyrocketed by as much as 50 percent for women who lost their pregnancies during the second trimester, according to an investigative analysis published last week by ProPublica. That's left women in the state, like Kate Cox, with few other options than to flee Texas for emergency care—a reality that could be stripped from the table for women in Montana.
