On to November!

7 min readJun 12, 2019

Take The Majority: DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker on 2019 Virginia Primary Results

RICHMOND, VA — Democratic Party of Virginia Chairwoman Susan Swecker released the following statement tonight following the Democratic primary in Virginia.

“We are going to make history this November. Tonight’s incredible Democratic energy and unity have set the stage for the first Virginia Democratic Trifecta in 26 years.

Virginia Democrats need just a few seats in both the Senate and the House to take control of the General Assembly. This will mean common-sense gun reform, a raise in the minimum wage, protection from an Alabama-style abortion ban, increased access to health care, and a better, fairer economy for ALL Virginians.

We thank all candidates who ran in today’s primary. All the candidates who participated in this process have made our Party and our democracy stronger. We have the momentum and Virginians agree with us on the issues. Now we must do the work to take the majority on November 5th.”

The Primary Election is over and the General Election is just five months away! Wondering how to get involved?

We need volunteers across the Commonwealth knocking doors, talking to voters, making calls, and more to make sure we turn the General Assembly BLUE this November!

You can also donate to the DPVA to help secure the resources needed to flip the House AND Senate this November!

Invest in turning the General Assembly BLUE this November here.

3 Days until the Blue Commonwealth Gala!

We are only 3 days away from Virginia’s largest political event of the year, the Blue Commonwealth Gala! We are excited to welcome over 1700 guests this year who will be hearing from an incredible lineup of speakers (see below!). The Blue Commonwealth Gala is officially sold out and we are now accepting names to add to our waitlist for Supporter Dinner Tickets.

For those who have already purchased their tickets, we look forward to seeing you at Main Street Station on Saturday!

Thank you to the following generous sponsors for being a Blue Commonwealth Gala Sponsor and supporting the Democratic Party of Virginia’s efforts in the November 2019 election.

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#WearOrange for National Gun Safety Awareness Day

On Friday, June 7, we wore orange to honor the lives of those taken by gun violence. Scroll down to see how Virginia Democrats recognized this important day and how Governor Northam is calling a special session to take up gun control.

DPVA staff wearing orange on June 7 in honor of gun violence victims

Northam sets date for Virginia Legislature’s special session on guns (Politico)

Northam sets date for Virginia Legislature's special session on guns

Virginia's governor has set a July 9 start date for a special legislative session on gun-related legislation after last…

www.politico.com

Virginia’s governor has set a July 9 start date for a special legislative session on gun-related legislation after last week’s deadly shooting rampage in Virginia Beach.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced the date Friday.

The Democratic governor says the best way to respond to the May 31 mass shooting at a municipal building is with “votes and laws, not thoughts and prayers.” He wants the Republican-led General Assembly to consider gun-control measures including universal background checks and a ban on silencers . Police say the gunman who fatally shot 12 people used a silencer.

Northam can call the session but can’t dictate how it’s conducted. Republican leaders have given little indication they plan to follow his agenda.

Instead, they’ve said they’ll propose tougher penalties for those who use guns to commit crimes.

Gov. Ralph Northam will convene special session of Virginia legislature to take up gun control (Washington Post)

Gov. Ralph Northam will convene special session of Virginia legislature to take up gun control

June 4 Gov. Ralph Northam (D) is calling lawmakers back to Richmond for a special session of the General Assembly to…

www.washingtonpost.com

RICHMOND — Gov. Ralph Northam (D) is calling lawmakers back to Richmond for a special session of the General Assembly to take up a package of gun-control bills in the wake of Friday’s mass shooting in Virginia Beach.

“We must do more than give our thoughts and prayers,” Northam said Tuesday, indicating that he will schedule the session for late June. “We must give Virginians the action they deserve.”

Joined by Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) and Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) at a news conference with more than a dozen other Democratic lawmakers, Northam challenged Republicans to find common ground in the effort to prevent gun violence. The GOP-led legislature has repeatedly stifled any bills seen as limiting gun rights.

Virginia Beach employees returned to their jobs at the municipal center Tuesday for the first time since a co-worker gunned down 12 people Friday afternoon. Police said they were still searching for a motive.

“Let Virginia show the nation that we can respond to tragedy with decisive action,” Northam said. A pediatrician and military veteran who treated troops in Desert Storm, the low-key Northam seemed unusually emotional as he spoke about the lethal power of guns.

“As an Army doctor, I have seen firsthand what a bullet does to a body,” he said, his voice shaking. “And I saw it again this weekend. . . . It is wrong, it is outrageous, it is unforgivable to turn our municipal centers, our schools, our churches, synagogues and mosques into battlefields. . . . That’s what our society has come to because we have failed to act on gun violence.”

Northam said he wants Republican leaders to bring gun-control bills to the full General Assembly instead of quashing them through the committee process.

“I will be asking for votes and laws, not thoughts and prayers,” Northam said, urging voters to call their lawmakers. “Business as usual, with leadership shielding most of their members from taking tough votes by setting early morning hearings before small subcommittees, won’t cut it. . . . The nation will be watching.”

The move puts Republicans on the spot just months before November elections that could determine the balance of power in the legislature, injecting the volatile issue of gun control into an already high-stakes political season. GOP leaders immediately accused Northam of pandering for votes.

Click here to read the full article.

DVPA Chair Susan Swecker’s Statement on Gov. Northam’s Call for Special Session

RICHMOND, VA. — Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Susan Swecker issued the following statement on Governor Ralph Northam’s call for a special legislative session to combat gun violence.

“The time for political debate is over. Virginians should not fear for their lives when they go to work or worry about whether their child will make it home from school. I applaud Governor Northam’s call to take action in Virginia on the gun violence epidemic crippling our country. This past Friday our Commonwealth witnessed unspeakable horror — horror that we can and must take action to prevent from happening again.

Let us not turn this into the same partisan tit-for-tat we have seen so many times. Democrats and Republicans must come together in Richmond and pass the common-sense, public safety measures Governor Northam spoke about this morning. Lives are at stake.”

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