Did We Forget About This November? Here’s Our Rally Cry.

The following was written by James Conway (@jamesforvadems), Campaign Manager for Josh Cole (HD-28); and Tonya James (@crasecol), Campaign Manager for Ronnie Ross (SD-27) 

Make no mistake, we are already organized for this November! Not just that, we started two years ago. We knew in order to flip the Virginia House and State Senate that our biggest advantage was energy. Everyone is engaged now. In 2017, we saw record-breaking turnout. In 2018, we only got better — better at activism, better at volunteerism, better at organizing, to the point where we have seen volunteers turn into skilled organizers ready to lead the charge in local elections.

This was the hope of “Obama for America” and LOOK! We did it Virginia!  Virginia had the third-highest turnout increase in the country between 2014 and 2018. What does this mean for 2019? A lot is at stake, as what happens right now will control Virginia politics for the next nine years because of the 2020 census and 2021 redistricting. So we have to see the national “forest” for the trees!

In 2019, we will focus on what we can control. What we mean by this is we need everyone to continue channeling your energy into local grassroots action. We see that when supporters show up to canvass launches and meet & greets; host Neighbor-to-Neighbors; and donate to candidates this early in the year, then our base of support only grows, becomes more organized, and more efficient. We all wish we could control what’s being reported in the news. But to be honest, we both are too focused on this November to let us become imprisoned or confounded by what we can’t control.

Starting tomorrow, we are going to knock those five extra doors; we are going to make those five extra calls; we are going to tell five more friends; and we are going to donate an extra five dollars. We have one goal and one goal only: flip the Virginia House and Senate. In addition to sending House of Delegates and State Senate incumbents back to do the work we need them to do, this time we are going to commit to sending them down with some more friends, so that we can – as our old boss Sen. Tim Kaine says – have a “Virginia that works for all,” by controlling the General Assembly and getting some meaningful legislation through the subcommittees.

Now, let’s get laser focused and get to work!