“Build the Bench” Touts “Historic Number of Democrats” – Including Women, Candidates of Color – Running for Virginia House of Delegates

Historic Number of Democrats Running for House of Delegates

Build the Bench Coalition and Grassroots Organizers Drove Recruitment Efforts to Run Everywhere

“As Democrats, we need to run everywhere, and for the first time in modern history we have Democratic nominees in 99 out of 100 House of Delegates districts, and one more pending approval,” said Audra Archuleta, spokesperson for Build the Bench. “Hardworking people in every corner of the commonwealth are concerned about the cost of living, especially when it comes to health care, and these candidates will fight to build a strong middle class. To be clear, this recruitment effort was not due to one single person or organization, but rather was driven by the collaboration of many groups, volunteers, local party chairs, and grassroots leaders. We are ready to stand with these candidates to make sure they have the training and support they need to run strong campaigns and make an impact in their communities.”

The diverse line-up of qualified candidates will help achieve a more reflective democracy, which is a top priority for Build the Bench. Notably:

• There is a Democratic woman nominee in 30 of the 49 seats (61%) currently held by a Republican.

• Democratic candidates of color are nominated to run in 14 seats (28%) of those 49 Republican-held seats, including 10 women of color.

The Build the Bench coalition includes the Virginia House Democratic Caucus, Virginia Coalition for Progressive Values, Rural Ground Game, We the People for Education Fund, Virginia Education Association, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, Emerge Virginia, Virginia’s List, Run for Something, and EMILY’s List.

On behalf of Build the Bench, Archuleta is available for media interviews and podcast appearances to discuss this historic effort in Virginia.

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Build the Bench is a coalition of Virginia-based and national organizations dedicated to identifying, training, and supporting a diverse pipeline of Democratic and progressive leaders to run for office in Virginia. Through strategic partnerships and targeted resources, we aim to build a strong, inclusive bench of candidates who represent the values and diversity of our communities.