See below for a press release and video (of Sen. Tim Kaine, Rep. Jennifer McClellan and Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi) from Virginians for Fair Elections (the YES campaign):
Sen. Tim Kaine – “It’s time to align our actions with our state motto, sic semper tyrannis, we stand up against tyranny, particularly when tyrannical efforts are essentially punching Virginians in the face, especially the most vulnerable Virginians. So, I encourage everybody to vote [YES] if you haven’t already.”
Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04) – “Republicans are surprised that Democrats are fighting back, but that’s what we’re doing. But unlike Texas and Missouri, California and now Virginia are leaving it to the voters to decide. We are leaving it to the voters to decide. Do we let Donald Trump and congressional Republicans on their own with the stroke of a pen change the map so that they can keep the House even though their policies and the president’s performance is incredibly unpopular? Or do we vote to level the playing field? And that’s why I’m voting yes.”
LG Ghazala Hashmi – “Our Virginia voters get to decide. It’s not Donald Trump telling people what to do as he did in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, and so many other states. It’s actually our voters who have the opportunity to respond to the dangers that we are seeing at a national level and making the case that Virginia is going to again be the leader for the next few years here as we navigate what Donald Trump has put into motion…This is an opportunity for Virginia to speak loudly for our Commonwealth, but it’s also an opportunity for Virginians to lead the rest of the country, and that’s what we’re going to do in these next few weeks here.”
Sen. Tim Kaine on the new districts and people of color: ” I’ll go back to what what Jen said. The Republicans would would pack every minority voter in as few districts as possible. They have zero credibility in making this claim. And remember who were the driving forces in this, including the maps. It was folks like the Speaker Don Scott, the president pro tem of the Senate, Louise Lucas. It was not as if African-American leadership was on the sidelines in coming up with these maps. This was something that was heavily supported by the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries. So, I think the folks who were who really had the pen in hand in making these decisions were were very sensitive to this issue. And I haven’t looked at the districts enough to to really say with statistical precision, but I would begin rejecting the notion that any of the new districts would be hard to win for an African-American candidate. Particularly what you see in districts like some of the ones that are on the table is there will be multiple Democrats running, and we’ve seen in primaries where multiple Democrats run. I’ll use Suhas’s primary in Northern Virginia a couple years ago. He won the primary with less 30% of the vote because of the multiple candidates. So, primaries of that kind actually really open the door for people of color, young candidates, newcomers, other minority candidates to win. So, I don’t concede that the maps make it harder for people of color to win these races. And I’m given confidence by the fact that the folks who were principally engaged in drawing the maps are our African-American leadership and voters were very heavily influential in that process.”
Rep. Jennifer McClellan on the new districts and people of color: “…the Legislative Black Caucus in Virginia history who voted for these maps. And you have all kinds of lawyers who looked at them, including the former attorney general of the United States [Eric Holder], who was Black, look at them and they were satisfied that these maps meet the Voting Rights Act requirements.”
Rep. Jennifer McClellan on right-wing lies – “[Redistricting amendment opponents] are the people that are trying to eliminate altogether majority minority districts in Missouri and in other states. They’re the same people that are hoping that the Supreme Court puts the death knell in the Voting Rights Act by striking down maps in Louisiana that created a second majority majority seat. And so now they’re claiming falsely that the voters of color will be diluted here in Virginia. And that’s just not true. If they had their way, they would pack all of the Black voters in one district and be done with it. That’s not what this map does. This map will would would meet any test under the Voting Rights Act. And this is just yet another effort, just like they’re lying about President Obama and where he stands on this this referendum, they’re lying about Governor Spanberger and where she stands on this referendum. And this is just another lie.”
YES CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES STATEWIDE “SUPER SATURDAY” BLITZ AS EARLY VOTING SURGES
Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Former Attorney General Eric Holder, Senator Mark Warner, and top Virginia leaders to mobilize voters ahead of largest early vote expansion in the Commonwealth
Richmond, Va. — With early voting already underway and Election Day just 11 days away, Virginians for Fair Elections — the YES campaign — is launching a coordinated, statewide “Super Saturday” blitz on April 11 to drive turnout and capitalize on the largest single-day expansion of early voting access in Virginia.
On Saturday, more than 30 new satellite early voting locations will open across the Commonwealth — dramatically increasing access for voters in the final stretch of the election. In response, the YES campaign is deploying a full-scale mobilization effort, with rallies, canvass launches, and voter engagement events featuring national and state leaders.
Headlining events across Virginia will be House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Senator Mark Warner, Speaker Don Scott, Congressman Eugene Vindman, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, Congressman James Walkinshaw, and other elected officials.
SATURDAY, APRIL 11 — SUPER SATURDAY EVENTS
EVENT #1
WHAT: Saturday Voting Kickoff w/ Eugene Vindman and PWC Dems
WHO: Congressman Vindman; Delegate Rozia Henson; Delegate Margaret Franklin; Chair Deshundra Jefferson; Supervisor Andrea Bailey; Supervisor Vic Angry; Prince William Democrats
WHEN: 9:30 AM ET
WHERE: DMV Woodbridge, 2731 Caton Hill Rd, Lake Ridge, VA 22192, Prince William CountyRSVP LINK: https://www.mobilize.us/
va26cc/event/931283/ EVENT #2
WHAT: Richmond Vote YES Rally, Canvass Kickoff with Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan
WHO: Congresswoman McClellan; Henrico Democratic Committee
WHEN: 12:00 PM ET
WHERE: 120 Cedar Fork Rd, Richmond, VA 23223RSVP LINK: https://www.mobilize.us/
virginiansforfairelections/ event/931292/ EVENT #3
WHAT: Arlington Super Saturday Kickoff Rally & Canvass Launch with Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
WHO: Former AG Holder; Congressman Don Beyer; Virginia Democrats
WHEN: 12:00 PM ET
WHERE: 1309 S Monroe St, Arlington, VA 22204RSVP LINK: https://www.mobilize.us/
virginiansforfairelections/ event/930787/ EVENT #4
WHAT: Charlottesville Vote YES Rally with Senator Mark Warner and Speaker Don Scott
WHO: Senator Warner; Speaker Don Scott; Senator Creigh Deeds; Delegate Katrina Callsen; other leaders to be announced
WHEN: 4:00 PM ET
WHERE: Random Row Brewing Co., 608 Preston Ave # A, Charlottesville, VA 22903RSVP LINK: https://www.mobilize.us/
va26cc/event/926268/ SUNDAY, APRIL 12
EVENT #5
WHAT: Canvas Kickoff with U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries
WHO: Leader Hakeem Jeffries; LG Ghazala Hashmi; Rep. Jennifer McClellan
WHEN: 12:30 PM ET
WHERE: RICHMONDRSVP LINK: https://www.mobilize.us/
virginiansforfairelections/ event/934228/ EVENT #6
WHAT: Canvas Kickoff with Congresswoman James Walkinshaw
WHO: Congresswoman Walkinshaw
WHEN: 12:00 PM ET
WHERE: 9202 Ponce Pl, Fairfax, VA 22031RSVP LINK: https://www.mobilize.us/
virginiansforfairelections/ event/931113/ A full list of Super Saturday events is available HERE, with dozens of activations all across the Commonwealth Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, visit www.
virginiansforfairelections.com . ###
About Virginians for Fair Elections
VAFE is the YES campaign mobilizing Virginians to stop Trump’s power grab and level the playing field in the 2026 midterm elections.
