What, you thought we were done with elections? LOL nope.
The 2019-2020 cycle is already underway, and one of the earliest elections is happening in Virginia just over a month from now, on Jan. 8, 2019.
Del. Jennifer Boysko is running to keep the state Senate seat of U.S. Rep.-elect Jennifer Wexton in Democratic hands—an essential hold if Team Blue is going to flip this closely divided chamber, which Republicans control by just a 21-19 margin, next November. Daily Kos is pleased to endorse Boysko in this special election.
Contribute $3 today to elect Jennifer Boysko to the Virginia Senate!
Down just one seat in both the state House and Senate, Virginia Democrats have a landmark opportunity to win complete control of the commonwealth in 2019 for the first time in a quarter century. But Republicans, who’ve enjoyed control of at least one legislative chamber here for over 20 years, will not go quietly into the minority. With no statewide race on the ballot to help drive turnout, the fight to turn Virginia blue all the way down the ballot will be difficult and expensive in next year’s off-off-year elections.
Electing Boysko to Virginia’s 33rd Senate District is not only crucial to positioning Democrats for success next fall; it also keeps a progressive fighter in this seat. Boysko is a staunch champion of reproductive rights and healthcare access, and she’s worked for years to reinstate Virginia’s one-handgun-a-month policy and close the gun show loophole. She’s also been outspoken in favor of fair redistricting, sponsoring, and supporting legislation that would establish a nonpartisan commission to redraw Virginia’s congressional and legislative maps.
The Republican in this race is Joe May, a former 20-year member of the House of Delegates until his defeat in a 2013 primary. His ignominious record includes sponsoring and supporting Virginia’s restrictive voter ID laws, advocating for taking money from public education and shunting it to private schools, and supporting the state’s constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage.
Maintaining Virginia’s progressive trajectory depends on keeping Republicans like May out of the legislature, and establishing Democratic majorities in the legislature depends on electing progressives like Boysko. If we win, then Democrats need to pick up just a single seat to capture the Senate next year. But if we lose, then we’d need two, making the task twice as hard, especially since Republicans will do everything they can to cling to their last shreds of power.
A Boysko victory on Jan. 8 is the first step toward Democratic majorities in the legislature in 2019—and a blue Virginia for years to come.
Can you give $3 to support turning Virginia blue?