Virginia Democrats release ‘how we won’ memo touting strategy for Youngkin defeats

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee credited its early spending and sounding the alarm nationally for its 2023 election wins that will thwart Gov. Glenn Youngkin‘s (R-VA) legislative goals.

In a new memo, Interim DLCC President Heather Williams reiterated that “Virginia was the most important election of 2023” and highlighted several reasons for Democratic success despite a significant early voting push by Youngkin’s PAC.

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During last week’s off-year elections, Democrats picked up big wins over their Republican counterparts in states such as Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, and Kentucky — with the exception of Mississippi where Gov. Tate Reeves (R-MS) won reelection.

Republicans had been expected to see something of a red wave, similar to the one predicted during the 2022 midterm elections. This was due, in part, to several early voting efforts from the Republican National Committee, the Republican State Leadership Committee, and other groups. Additionally, President Joe Biden’s low approval rating was thought to dampen Democratic enthusiasm.

But, as was the case in 2022, the red wave didn’t materialize. This was especially the case in Virginia, where Democrats took control of the House of Delegates and retained control of the state Senate. And, according to the DLCC, this is because of the foundation it laid in Virginia with early spending, along with it elevating the state’s elections to the national stage.

“By mid-October, the DLCC set a new committee record for direct investment in Virginia this cycle at over $2.2 million,” the memo states.

Williams wrote that such early expenditures in Virginia were significant because they laid the groundwork for the candidates to become self-sustaining and equipped to take on competitors.

The Virginia races, aided by Youngkin’s central role in them, gained significant attention during the campaign cycle, which isn’t characteristic of an off-year state legislature election. The DLCC took credit for some of this, saying it “sounded the alarm on the national stage about the stakes of the election and what a Republican trifecta would mean for Virginia.”

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Williams said the DLCC “marshaled attention and resources to our Democratic candidates and races.” In September, Biden notably directed the Democratic National Committee to route more than $1 million to Virginia to compete with the Republican early voting efforts.

These electoral wins, according to the committee, prove that “regardless of what happens at the top of the ticket, 2024 will be the year of the states.”