Endorsements for progressive candidates come as Republican state lawmakers attack abortion and voting rights nationwide
WASHINGTON, D.C.—People For the American Way’s Next Up Victory Fund today announced its first slate of Virginia General Assembly candidate endorsements for 2019. As the Alabama legislature moves to decimate abortion rights and the Florida legislature moves to undermine the restoration of voting rights to the formerly incarcerated, overriding the will of their voters, the importance of winning state legislative seats has never been clearer. Democrats are one seat away from a tie and two seats away from flipping the chambers and taking control.
“We saw last cycle that control of the state house was determined by pulling a name out of a bowl due to the vote being tied in one district. One vote can decide who controls the legislature, and that can have major real-world ramifications,” PFAW Political Director Lizet Ocampo said.
“One of our endorsed candidates, Joshua Cole, is fighting to flip a seat held by a Republican who promised to bring an Alabama-style anti-abortion bill to Virginia,” Ocampo continued. “Cole came within 73 votes of beating that same republican and flipping the seat in 2017 . Today, we are endorsing a set of exciting young progressives who will fight to protect people’s rights and well-being and promote policies to improve Virginians’ lives.”
PFAW’s Next Up Victory Fund endorsed the following candidates today (in district order):
Virginia House of Delegates
- Jennifer Caroll Foy, candidate for Virginia House District 2
- Chris Hurst, candidate for Virginia House District 12
- Danica Roem, candidate for Virginia House District 13
- Eric Stamps, candidate for Virginia House District 14
- Jennifer Lewis, candidate for Virginia House District 20
- Kelly Fowler, candidate for Virginia House District 21
- Jennifer Kitchen, candidate for Virginia House District 25
- Joshua Cole, candidate for Virginia House District 28
- Dan Helmer, candidate for Virginia House District 40
- Kathy Tran, candidate for Virginia House District 42
- Lee Carter, candidate for Virginia House District 50
- Morgan Goodman, candidate for Virginia House District 55
- Sally Hudson, candidate for Virginia House District 57
- Lashrecse Aird, candidate for Virginia House District 63
- Karrie Delaney, candidate for Virginia House District 67
- Schuyler VanValkenburg, candidate for Virginia House District 72
- Alex Askew, candidate for Virginia House District 85
- Ibraheem Samirah, candidate for Virginia House District 86
- Jay Jones, candidate for Virginia House District 89
- Michael Mullin, candidate for Virginia House District 93
- Rebecca Leser, candidate for Virginia House District 96
- Phil Hernandez, candidate for Virginia House District 100
Virginia State Senate
- Zachary Brown, candidate for Virginia Senate District 10
- Amanda Pohl, candidate for Virginia Senate District 11
- Flo Ketner, candidate for Virginia Senate District 19
- Qasim Rashid, candidate for Virginia Senate District 28
In 2017, candidates endorsed by PFAW’s Next Up Victory Fund flipped eight seats in the Virginia statehouse, and we are re-endorsing those candidates today.
Virginia’s primary election will take place on June 11, 2019, and the general election will take place on November 5, 2019.
Next Up endorsed candidate Joshua Cole and Delegates Jennifer Carroll Foy, Danica Roem, and Kathy Tran are available for interviews, and we may be able to facilitate interviews with additional candidates.
For photos, follow-up interviews, or questions, please email [email protected]
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and defend constitutional values including free expression, religious liberty, equal justice under the law, and the right to meaningfully participate in our democracy.
People For the American Way’s Next Up Victory Fund helps young progressive candidates win races for state and local offices across the country. The goal of Next Up is to build a deep bench of progressive candidates well positioned to control state legislatures, win statewide, and run for federal offices in the years and decades to come.