Virginia Peoples PAC Makes Significant Investments In Key Virginia Races 

by Nick Rathod

Virginia Peoples PAC Makes Significant Investments In Key Virginia Races 

Former White House official and Virginia based operative, Nick Rathod will direct the work of the PAC which is focused on expanding the electorate in VA with a special emphasis on AAPI and South Asian voter engagement and turnout.  

Arlington, Virginia, October 31, 2023 – Virginia Peoples PAC, a re-constituted Political Action Committee (PAC), is making a six-figure investment in key Virginia races to help support Get Out The Vote activities for Democrats in the final weeks of Virginia’s critical elections. The group is working to strengthen Democratic representation while helping to keep Governor Youngkin and the Republican Party from winning full government control. Nick Rathod will direct the effort, sourced from and in collaboration with business leaders in Northern Virginia as well as national donors. Nick is a known operative who has spent his career working, in Virginia and nationwide, to build state and local power for Democrats from the ground up.  

“There is a lot on the line this cycle in Virginia,” Rathod said of the importance of getting involved. “Going into this last week before the election it is critical for voters to understand what this election says about 2024, what it says for abortion rights or gun safety across the South and what it would mean for Youngkin to get full power to treat Virginia like a GOP experiment until he runs for President. It will all come down to voters understanding the stakes and turning out.”  

The Virginia Peoples PAC is committed to investing in Virginia’s races and expanding the electorate for Democrats, with a primary focus on engaging Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and South Asian voters. Over the last ten years, the AAPI population in Virginia grew by 45%, more than six times the overall population growth rate. Additionally, eligible AAPI voters in Virginia increased by 62%, compared to 11% growth statewide.  

To bolster AAPI representation in key electoral areas, the Virginia Peoples PAC has already made six figure investments in key Senate and House races and will continue to make investments in key races through this cycle and beyond. Some of the PACs target races include Senate Candidates Delegates Schuyler VanValkenburg (14% AAPI concentration) and Danica Roem (11% AAPI concentration) and Russet Perry (11% AAPI). Additionally, the PAC has allocated resources to support Delegate Kathy Tran’s efforts through the VA AAPI Caucus Fund, aimed at reaching and engaging AAPI voters. 

“We see in district after district that AAPI turnout can be the difference between a win and a loss,” Rathod continued. “Slim majorities – in Virginia and across the country – mean every seat counts. Outreach to the fastest-growing minority group must be part of any campaign, not just across Virginia but across the country.”  

Targeted outreach to a growing voting bloc can improve voter turnout and help build progressive power across Virginia. The PAC is poised for rapid scaling in the upcoming electoral cycles, further reinforcing its dedication to broadening democratic engagement in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Through targeted AAPI outreach across Virginia, the PAC hopes to model ways Democrats can properly build power, winning seats and communities for now and into the future.  

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Nick Rathod has been deeply invested in the Virginia community. He played a pivotal role in establishing and building the Commonwealth’s donor table which helps to provide funding to progressive groups across VA. He serves on the board of the Virginia Poverty Law Center, where he has been active for years in anti-poverty work helping lead the organization’s community-based efforts to address housing issues in the Commonwealth. Nick also serves on the board of Roe Your Vote VA, where he recently co-hosted a successful fundraiser with Governor Northam and Rep. Jennifer McClellen (VA-04), contributing significantly to the organization’s fundraising efforts this cycle. Nick is also a well-known national political leader having served as President Obama’s liaison to the states in the White House, Director of State Campaigns at Everytown for Gun Safety, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the CFPB, and the founder of the State Innovation Exchange (SiX). Most recently, Rathod was the campaign manager for Beto O’Rourke.