The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is making a $400,000 investment in the Virginia House Democratic Caucus, the group announced Wednesday.
The funding is part of an ongoing seven-figure campaign to protect Virginia Democrats’ majority in the House, with hopes of expanding that majority in this election cycle.
The DLCC says it will continue to invest in must-win races.
“We’re backing hardworking and authentic candidates in the toughest battlegrounds who are out in their communities every day, talking to voters about how they’ll fight the chaos in Washington and put working families’ opportunities first,” DLCC President Heather Williams said. “This investment will fuel them as they continue working on the ground to protect and expand Democrats’ razor-thin majority this fall.”
The DLCC also announced an additional four Spotlight races in Virginia.
Kacey Carnegie is running to flip House District 89, which consists of parts of Chesapeake and Suffolk and is currently represented by Republican Baxter Ennis.
Carnegie is focused on building a community-first economy, lowering the cost of living, ensuring safer communities, and investing in public education.
“Having grown up, built my career, and raised a family here, I understand our community’s challenges. I’m running to lower costs for working families, create safer neighborhoods, and strengthen schools,” Carnegie’s campaign website reads.
Lindsey Dougherty, a Senior Research Administrator at Virginia Commonwealth University, is running to flip District 75, which consists of Chesterfield and Prince George Counties, the City of Hopewell, and is currently represented by Republican Carrie Coyner.
Dougherty announced her campaign bid in March and said in a statement she will fight for Virginia’s working families.
“I’m running because working families need a representative that will listen and act for them, not someone who will interject themselves in private and personal medical decisions and basic constituent healthcare rights,” Dougherty said.
Leslie Mehta is an attorney who is running in District 73, which covers parts of Chesterfield County. She’s trying to unseat Republican incumbent Mark Earley Jr.
If elected this November, Mehta plans to champion access to affordable health care, an issue she strongly advocates for after losing her daughter to an illness in 2021.
“I was raised to believe in the power of the middle class, in standing up for the underserved, and in the responsibility of giving back. Public service isn’t just something I do—it’s who I am,” Mehta’s campaign website reads. “I’m running for the House of Delegates because I believe in a Virginia where every voice is heard, every opportunity is within reach, and every family can thrive.”
May Nivar is running for District 57, which consists of parts of Henrico and Goochland Counties and is currently represented by Republican David Owen. Nivar is a business leader and the daughter of immigrants who works as an advocate for women, Asian Americans, and other underrepresented communities.
“As a 20-year Richmond resident, I’ve witnessed the challenges Virginians face — economic inequality, inadequate healthcare, underfunded schools, unaffordable housing, and the erosion of hard-won reproductive and civil rights. Seeing these challenges, I knew I had to act,” Nivar states on her campaign website.
