It is great to see Abigail on the trail taking the offensive on education, reminding folks that Virginia Democrats are the party ensuring all children have the opportunity to succeed.

I know this message will be something candidates across the state in House of Delegates races will be hitting home as well.

Republicans have coalesced behind policy positions of taking money out of public schools, attacking the most vulnerable students in our schools, and denigrating public school teachers and administrators. We need to elect leaders like the ones highlighted in this email who will ensure those kinds of policies don’t see the light of day.

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.

The doctor is in. In the middle of a competitive election that is.

Dr. Mark Downey is a lifelong Williamsburg resident and trusted pediatrician seeking his first term in the House of Delegates. At a time when Medicaid and medical institutions are under attack, there is not a single physician serving in the House of Delegates.

Dr. Downey is running to change that, and to bring his decades of medical experience to the General Assembly to defend and protect health care and medical institutions in Virginia.

With no promises from Virginia Republicans, including his opponent Chad Green, to safeguard Medicaid, Dr. Downey knows the Commonwealth might not dedicate the necessary funding. That would mean fewer benefits, more paperwork, and potentially thousands of people in District 69 losing access to doctors, prescriptions, and hospital care. In the General Assembly, Dr. Downey promises to be a knowledgeable advocate and steady hand capable of cleaning up the mess Washington Republicans have made.

Mainly located along I-64 between Williamsburg and Hampton, with parts of Gloucester and Newport News in the district, House District 69 is poised to go blue after years of growing Democratic enthusiasm.

Senator Kaine came within 50 votes in 2024. With stronger conditions this cycle, all eyes will be on the district until the last vote is counted.

Mark is set to take on incumbent Freshman GOP Delegate Chad Green. Having run unopposed in his first race, Delegate Green is utterly unprepared for a competitive election, especially one in a purple district. Instead of positioning himself as a moderate, Delegate Green has been a reliable vote for his GOP bosses in Richmond, voting along party lines in 90% of all recorded votes.

Donna Littlepage is a lifelong Virginian who has called Roanoke home for the past 25 years. Now, she’s ready to fight for a better life in Richmond on behalf of her community.

Donna earned her undergraduate degree in Accounting and my MBA from Virginia Tech, which laid the foundation for a 35-year career at Carilion Clinic. For 25 years, she served in finance roles, including as Vice President of Finance, overseeing hospitals, physician services, retail services, insurance companies, and administrative operations. She knows the operations of Medicaid from beginning to end.

Later, Donna spent a decade as Senior Vice President for Population Health, working to expand access to care and improve health outcomes across her region. She also served as Chief Financial Officer of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, helping to shape the future of medical education in the Commonwealth. After retiring in October 2024, her passion for service is stronger than ever

Wrapping like a crescent around Roanoke, House District 40 has seen growing Democratic enthusiasm since 2021.

Senator Kaine came within 5 points last year, and Democrats are looking to finally close the gap this November.

Donna is looking to unseat GOP incumbent Delegate Joe McNamara. A small business owner who has represented the area since 2018, McNamara is singularly focused on cutting taxes at the expense of critical state services.

Delegate Irene Shin is a longtime community organizer seeking her third term in the Virginia House of Delegates.

The daughter of Korean immigrants, Delegate Shin has been a tireless advocate for Fairfax’s thriving immigrant communities.

In the General Assembly, Delegate Shin has introduced legislation to expand healthcare access, improve energy affordability in the commonwealth, improve Virginia’s care infrastructure, and ensure fair wages for Virginia workers. Put simply, Delegate Shin has devoted her career to making democracy more accessible and government more representative of everyone.

Delegate Shin serves as chair of the Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus.

Just west of Reston, House District 8 is entirely within Fairfax County and fully outside the Beltway.

Having voted for Vice President Harris by over 35 points, strong turnout here is needed to power statewide Democratic victories.

Delegate Shin is ready to take on GOP nominee Indira Massey in the General Election. A vocal Trump and Musk supporter, Massey is making a name for herself as a Fairfax County GOP place filler. Locals may remember her 2023 race for Fairfax County Supervisor, in which she lost by a whopping 40%.

A Virginia native who grew up in a family of teachers, Delegate Rodney Willett has dedicated his career to public service.

Delegate Willett has been instrumental in passing laws related to healthcare access, health workforce recruitment, early childhood educational opportunities, mental health programs, environmental protection, voting rights, prescription drug costs, and gun violence prevention.

In addition to serving others in his professional and legislative career, Rodney is a current or former member of numerous community boards and committees, including The Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority, VCU Health System Authority Board, Family Lifeline, Rx Partnership, Richmond Performing Arts Alliance, Virginia’s Children’s Health Insurance Advisory Board, and the Nature Foundation at Wintergreen.

He is a former member of the Student Engagement and Leadership Advisory Board at the College of William and Mary, where he founded the Pulley Family Endowment in order to fund public service work by student volunteers worldwide.

Located entirely in western Henrico County, House District 58 is one of the greatest Democratic success stories.

Once a truly purple seat, the district has become firmly blue as the population has grown and employment and education opportunities have improved. Henrico County is home to Abigail Spanberger, and turning out voters here will be crucial to the success of the statewide tickets.

Del. Willett is set to take on GOP nominee Milad Mikhail in the General Election. A self-proclaimed “business owner” and an IT professional by trade, Milad is struggling to make inroads in the district as a first-time candidate, raising less than $4,000 this cycle.

That’s it for Volume 11 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