A major Democratic PAC is pumping $5 million into Virginia to help Democrats win House races as Democrats look to gain full control of state government.
The States Project is hoping to expand the narrow one-seat majority they hold in the Virginia House, while also flipping the Governor’s seat for former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, who has dominated her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.
“As attacks on democracy escalate nationwide, state legislatures are the last line of defense to safeguard our fundamental freedoms,” Mandara Meyers, executive director of The States Project, said in a statement. “Our historic spend in Virginia sets the tone for the rest of the cycle and is the first in our national effort to build and defend pro-democracy legislatures across the country.”
Democratic state Representatives say they would pass constitutional amendments protecting abortion rights, reproductive rights, and marriage equality, if they expand or maintain the party’s majority, after passing proposed amendments in both chambers this year to get on the ballot in the 2026 Midterm Elections.
The Democratic National Committee has also provided $3 million for races. And the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) has donated more than $2 million and has worked to elevate Virginia Democratic candidates through its Spotlight campaigns.
“Right now, Virginians are heading to the polls to hold Republicans accountable for shutting down the government, eliminating Virginia jobs, and raising prices for working families,” said Heather Williams, president of the DLCC.
Cuts to the federal workforce implemented by President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which disproportionately affect Virginia’s 320,000 civilian federal workers, have become a flashpoint exacerbated by the current government shutdown.
Democrats are hoping to seize the opportunity to mobilize voters toward their party and are running candidates in all of the state’s 100 districts.
The States Project was founded by Democratic donor Adam Pritzker and former New York state Sen. Daniel Squadron, who have invested in battleground states to help Democrats. In 2023, the group invested $4.5 million in Virginia elections.
