How important is it to elect Democrats this November? Frequently touted as the #1 state for business, Virginia has tumbled to #4 in the most recent rankings, mainly because of the attack on the federal government by the Trump administration.

We need leaders in Virginia who will stand up to this administration (not act as a rubber stamp) when our hard working federal workers and our economy are under attack. Keeping and building on our majority in the Virginia House of Delegates is crucial to accomplishing that.

We have four more great candidates to highlight for you in this week’s Flip and Defend-a-District. I hope that you can take a moment to learn more about them and support them however you can.

At Project Blue Dominion, we are committed to uplifting every Virginia Democratic candidate with our Flip and Defend-a-District newsletter. This week, we are highlighting:

With Virginia in the national spotlight, the stakes are higher than ever—and you have the power to help elect Democrats. Every candidate highlighted in this newsletter deserves your support. As we race to election day, we need to stay energized, stay united, and seize this historic opportunity.

After coming within 53 votes in her 2023 race, Kimberly Pope Adams is back on the ballot this year and ready to win in the 82nd District.

Kimberly is a lifelong Virginian who loves calling Dinwiddie County home. The daughter of a union worker and a school crossing guard, Kimberly was born and raised in Hopewell.

Kimberly is a product of the Hopewell City Public School System, afterwards earning her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Information Systems from Virginia Tech. As a working mother, she earned her Master of Business Administration in 2017.

A skilled accountant and auditor for nearly two decades, Kimberly will bring accountability to the Virginia House of Delegates. Her deep love for the area she grew up in is the cornerstone of why she’s running to serve the 82nd District. Kimberly will stand with public school educators, farmers, local businesses, and community leaders to help her district thrive.

Spread across one independent city and three counties, District 82 has a diverse geography and constituency.

But across the district there is one consistency: a growing Democratic voter base. While Youngkin carried the race in 2021, Democrats have taken it back in every major race since.

In November, Kimberly will once again take on Dinwiddie resident and two-term Delegate, Kim Taylor. With the backing of the Republican Party, Taylor rode Governor Youngkin’s coattails in 2021 and narrowly held on when the seat was redistricted in 2023.

Makayla Venable is a lifelong Shenandoah Valley native and a proud working-class activist.

As a former healthcare provider, she has stood by people through some of the most pivotal moments in their lives—celebrating the joy of new life, grieving unthinkable losses, and supporting them as they faced deeply personal decisions.

These experiences have shaped her commitment to advocating for those who are often overlooked by the system.

Last year, Makayla worked to get out the vote for Kamala Harris, connecting with young voters across the community. The conversations she had with them—their hopes, frustrations, and dreams—fueled her decision to step up and run for Virginia’s 36th House of Delegates seat. She’s running because she believes our voices matter, and we deserve a representative who understands the struggles of everyday people.

House District 36 contains the entirety of Staunton and Waynesboro as well as portions of August and Rockbridge counties along the I-81 corridor.

In strong Democratic years, the partisan gap has been less than 10 points. This November, we are hoping to finally close that gap.

Makayla is ready to face Freshman Delegate Ellen Campbell in this year’s general election. A reliable vote for the GOP, Campbell has voted in lockstep with her party 93% of the time, including on key votes to protect reproductive freedom, defend voting rights, and overturn Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage.

Scott “K” Konopasek has spent his life in the service of the country, his community, and his faith.

Scott served our nation for 14 years as an Army Intelligence Officer with overseas and combat tours and was awarded the Bronze Star.

Scott is a dedicated voting rights and democracy advocate. For more than 30 years, he served as a local government public official responsible for managing and protecting electoral integrity and the right of all eligible citizens to have their voice heard. He is a committed foe of corruption, fraud, political influence and is relentless in identifying, investigating and prosecuting those who manipulate, defraud, and betray the public trust.

He consults with the Carter Center on democracy and elections projects and serves on numerous national election focused boards. He is an active member of several democracy focused national veteran organizations. He is a sought-after expert on all things related to elections.

In service to his faith, Scott dedicated two years to full-time, volunteer missionary service in foreign lands which foundationally influenced him to pursue a lifetime of service.

After this long career of service and in this time of manufactured political chaos, Scott again feels the need to serve–this time as the 59th District’s member of the Virginia House of Delegates.

Nestled between Richmond and Charlottesville north of I-64, House District 59 is a mix of bucolic farmland and rapidly growing exurban communities.

Democratic performance in the area will rely on turning out big numbers in Henrico and flipping GOP voters in Hanover and Louisa.

Scott is set to take on six-term GOP Delegate Buddy Fowler. Fowler has proven to be an almost unwavering yes-man for the GOP, siding with his party 92% of the time—including opposing key amendments to protect reproductive freedom, defend voting rights, and overturn Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage.

A proud Veteran and father of five, Del. Fernando “Marty” Martinez became the first Latino to represent Loudoun County in the Virginia House of Delegates when he was first elected in 2023. Marty’s lifetime of service spans 20 years on Leesburg Town Council and eight years in the United States Air Force, as well as decades of involvement with local athletic and community groups.

Even before he was elected to the General Assembly, Marty was focused on uplifting Virginians across the Commonwealth to ensure that everyone had a seat at the table. As a Freshman Delegate, he’s introduced legislation to improve healthcare coverage, address chronic student absenteeism, and support youth mental health.

Marty lives in Leesburg with his wife, Doris. He has five children, ten grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Located entirely within Loudon County, House District 29 will be a key bellwether on election night.

In 2018, a banner year for Democrats nationwide, Senator Kaine carried the district by 27 points. Contrast that with 2024, when Kaine’s 17 point victory pointed towards a difficult electoral environment.

If we are hoping to retake the Governor’s mansion and expand our majority in the House of Delegates, we will need to see Marty run up big numbers on election night.

In the general election, Marty will take on Army veteran Scott K. Thomas. While Thomas will appear on the ballot, it is unclear how seriously he is taking the campaign. As of July 3, he had raised only $1,000 and his campaign website contained no information. Social media accounts registered in his name were also devoid of any posts (though he does appear to use an AI-generated profile picture on his twitter account).

That’s it for Volume 6 of our Flip and Defend-a-District Friday series. We’ll be back next week and every week until Election Day to share more about our great candidates. In the meantime, I encourage you to review this email and future editions to find a candidate or candidates whom you would like to support with your time or financial resources.

Project Blue Dominion is committed to supporting Democratic candidates in every corner of the Commonwealth. Join us. The fight to protect and expand our House majority is on.

Best,

Rip Sullivan