Let’s Win Virginia
Dear Game Changers Members and Friends,
When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, it felt like an earthquake. One day the solid, guarded, impermeable Wall was there; the next day it was being dismantled in large chunks and people were streaming from the East to the West. Average citizens rushed out that day to help tear it down and become a small part of history.
But political change—or an earthquake, for that matter—doesn’t happen overnight. Unseen, small fissures form; tectonic plates shift beneath the surface; attitudes change. Then one day…BOOM! Game Changers Giving Circle members are causing some of those small fissures now in the Virginia state campaign, laying the groundwork for bigger change. Progress, sometimes invisible, is being made:
We now know who the candidates will be. Strong, diverse Democratic candidates for 100 state voting districts were elected in the Virginia primaries, in addition to Abigail Spanberger for Governor, Ghazala Hashmi for Lt. Governor and Jay Jones for Attorney General.
The States Project has identified 10 “tipping point races”--where the balance of power will be won or lost--to support with our Giving Circle donations. With one exception, our 10 target districts went for Kamala in 2024, which is encouraging. But, but, but…in 2023, seven of the 10 districts elected Republican Congressional candidates, so anything can happen. These contests will likely be very close and every dollar will matter.
Media specialists retained by The States Project are at work, generating positive press on the Virginia candidates in local media. Ads prioritizing key issues are being designed and tested with focus groups.
Here are some ideas of how you can keep chipping away:
If you haven’t already contributed, please do. We’re roughly $13,000 away from our $40,000 goal, so over two-thirds of the way there. The initial match of $249,000 has already been claimed, but TSP has secured a new match of $251,000! Donations will be matched until August 31, 2025, or until the $500,000 runs out, which will likely be long before 8/31. The money is being strategically deployed and going directly to candidates and The States Project programs in our ten targeted, battleground districts. You don’t need to live or vote in Virginia; only 12% of our 2025 donations (so far) are from residents of the state.
Talk to friends or relatives about the Game Changers Giving Circle. The more who are active, the more successful we will be.
Host a small gathering in person or by Zoom to expand our circle, educating them about the important work that lies ahead. A member of our leadership team will gladly provide a presentation, either live or virtually.
If you have voting-age kids, make sure they’re registered to vote. Try to get them invested in these Virginia state races too. Theirs is a key demographic to motivate.
Make no mistake, these Virginia state races will send a message to the rest of the country about how strong or weakened Donald Trump is. We need to win decisively.
The change we want to see won’t happen overnight. But it will happen—if we keep chipping.
To the many who have already contributed, thank you for your generosity. You are making a difference. Please help us build our Game Changers Giving Circle by inviting your friends to support our work to make Virginia the country’s 16th Trifecta in 2025 by putting Democrats in control of the state House, Senate and Governor’s Office.
Committed and undeterred,
The Game Changers Leadership Circle*
Diane, Debbie, Ginny, Cindy, Carol and Beth