I am enormously proud of my friend James Walkinshaw and  his victory in his congressional election this week. The 11th District will have a strong advocate in the halls of Congress. We all will.

James’ election shows what is possible for Virginia this year and why we all need to pay attention to EVERY race around Virginia. Walkinshaw won with a historic margin, running 16% ahead of Kamala Harris and receiving one of the largest vote shares in political history.

This race shows there is a lot of momentum for Democrats, and we have the chance to be competitive all across the state! Be sure to check out and consider supporting these races, especially the competitive and potential flip seats. They need your support to harness this momentum for victory this November.

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 in any way 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.

Leslie Mehta is running to win it in one of the most anticipated races of 2025.

A lawyer with a proven bipartisan background, Leslie is uniquely suited to win in a seat that is rapidly shifting toward Democrats. As the former Legal Director of the ACLU of Virginia, she fought for civil rights and constitutional protections. Her commitment to service led to appointments by both Democratic and Republican governors—Governor Northam’s Commission on Racial Inequity in the Law and Governor Youngkin’s Rare Disease Council—because doing what’s right isn’t about party lines; it’s about people.

On the campaign trail Leslie is fighting for families and focused on solutions. She’s a proud Democrat, but also a proud pragmatist. She’s running to deliver results that will make life better for all Virginians.

Located entirely within Chesterfield County, House District 73 is one of the most anticipated races in 2025.

After years of voting for Republicans, the seat went blue for the first time in 2024, narrowly voting to elect both Vice President Harris and Senator Kaine.

Leslie is taking on freshman GOP incumbent Delegate Mark Earley, Jr. Earley is spending big to hold on to his seat, but his voting record paints a striking story. The Delegate voted with GOP party leaders on 89% of all recorded votes in his time with the GA.

Cindy Green isn’t a career politician. She is a mother, grandmother, sister, neighbor, and citizen who believes that democracy only works when we all participate. She is stepping up to run for the Virginia House of Delegates because she believes District 44 deserves to have a choice on the ballot this November.

Having worked in Finance and Economic Development for three decades, Cindy has real world experience helping to revitalize rural communities and connect small businesses with the economic resources they need to grow.

Located along the North Carolina border in southwest Virginia, House District 44 is one of the reddest in Virginia.

A Democrat has not run in this District since Israel O’Quinn was elected in 2011. Tim Kaine struggled to get 30% in this District in 2024. Cindy is doing us all a great service by contesting the Republican Deputy Minority Leader.

O’Quinn will actually have to run a general election this cycle– something he has never done.

Cindy is set to take on incumbent GOP Delegate Israel O’Quinn. He has represented the area since 2012 and is one of the most conservative members of the House of Delegates, voting along party lines on 97% of all recorded votes.

Yvonne Rorrer is a child victim advocate who first got involved in politics while supporting a bill that would change easement laws. Now she’s running for office to better represent the community she calls home.

Yvonne is aiming to break through in a conservative seat by prioritizing common ground and practical solutions.

Yvonne’s campaign prioritizes fundamental human rights, social justice, strong mental health advocacy, education, affordable and sufficient housing and healthcare, the well-being of children, veterans and seniors, and the protection of both parental and reproductive rights.

House District 47 is located on the North Carolina border west of Martinsville.

President Trump received over 75% of the vote here in 2024, so a Democratic victory will require traditionally-conservative voters to break from party lines in November.

Yvonne is running against incumbent GOP Delegate Wren Williams. Williams was first elected in 2021. He was part of Trump’s legal team to deny the 2020 election results in Wisconsin and is a staunch ally of his. He is known to be one of the closest allies in the Virginia General Assembly.

We’re closing out this week’s newsletter with Hampton’s own Delegate Jeion Ward, who has represented the region since 2004.

Jeion is a trailblazer and dedicated public servant with a rich background in education, advocacy, and community engagement. After graduating from Christopher Newport University, she began her career as a middle school teacher before transitioning to serve as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates in 2004, representing the 87th district in Hampton. Notably, in 2020 and 2021, Del. Ward made history as one of the first Black women to chair a committee in the Virginia House of Delegates. She is Chair of the powerful Labor and Commerce Committee.

Located entirely within Hampton, high turnout in House District 87 will be key to any statewide Democratic victories this November.

Democrats have received over 73% of votes in the district in every single election for the last decade.

Delegate Ward is being challenged by GOP nominee John Chapman in a re-match of their 2023 race, in which Jeion swamped Chapman with over 77% of the vote. We need her to run it up again. As of July, Chapman did not have a functional campaign website and had reported less than $1,000 in total funds raised.

That’s it for Volume 15 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