![[Series] On The Ground: New Virginia Majority](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59a9a78ee9bfdf3556aba41d/1572976166202-E8661WXV2IHULV3QFILR/1571886604946blob.jpg)
Post by Lorrie Goldin
(UPDATE: November 7th, 2019)
The results are in, and Democrats won big in Virginia last week! They now control the State Senate 21-19, and the House of Delegates by 53-41. Thanks to New Virginia Majority for their tireless efforts in helping achieve this great victory for the people of Virginia, and to Airlift donors who supported them. Onto 2020!
Check out this wonderful op-ed published in the New York Times by Tram Nguyen, NVM's co-executive director, about how their model of year-round grass-roots organizing is key. It's the model Airlift supports, in Virginia and other crucial districts throughout the country.
(ORIGINAL POST: November 4th, 2019)
The 2020 election is now a year away, but an early harbinger of which way the political winds will blow is right around the corner. Virginia holds statewide elections tomorrow, November 5th, for all 40 seats in the State Senate and all 100 seats in the House of Delegates. The outcome will determine not only important policy directions, but who controls the crucial task of redistricting following the 2020 census. New Virginia Majority (NVM), one of the groups Airlift proudly funds, is right there in the thick of it, working hard among communities of color and young people not only to register new voters, but to make sure they turn out to cast their ballots.
We got an early taste of the power of NVM’s and other groups’ grassroots organizing in Virginia’s 2017 elections, when the House of Delegates saw massive gains by Democrats, upending a 2-1 dominance by Republicans to draw nearly even. In fact, majority control was determined by drawing a name out of a bowl, since the vote was tied between the two top candidates (the Republican won).
In 2019, New Virginia Majority is hard at work again, leaving nothing to chance. Just two seats need to flip in both the State Senate and the House of Delegates to shift the balance of power. Already new voter registration statewide has increased by more than 70% compared to 2015. NVM has registered more than 13,000 new voters this year alone, on top of the thousands they registered and turned out for the 2017 elections. NVM’s ACE Collaborative, which focuses on turning out the vote among the several hundred thousand Asian American Pacific Islander residents in Northern Virginia, has led a massive canvassing effort.
NVM has also engaged another marginalized population—former prisoners, almost 200,000 of whom, had their voting rights restored by Democratic governors since 2016. Shawn and Mr. Nathaniel, two Norfolk residents who had never been allowed to vote before, will proudly cast their first ballot on November 5th now that NVM organizers Kymetta and Katie helped restore their civil rights and registered them to vote. New Virginia Majority has also focused on reaching out to people who do not use the Department of Motor Vehicles to make sure they are properly registered. By November 5th, NVM organizers and volunteers will have knocked on more than a quarter million doors multiple times to engage as many people as possible. “This is a generational election and will determine how Virginia is governed for years to come,” notes NVM’s Political Director, Maya Castillo.
Shana Boston, Regional Field Director for the Richmond area, is one of those tireless organizers out knocking on doors and talking to people. Being on the ground is extremely rewarding because she meets so many great people who share their stories and experiences. Boston got involved with NVM because she wanted to be a voice for those who look like her and to help educate community members about local problems and how they, too can get involved in politics so their voices can be heard. In this era of extremely close outcomes, she points out that their one vote can make or break an election.
“What motivates me is seeing different folks work hard and come together to help those around them. Helping others is essential to my life and being around such positive energy in the workplace just pushes me more as a person,” says Boston.
The issues most on people’s minds are health care, livable wages and affordable housing, and here’s where Boston’s connections with the community really shine. She shares a success story that really touched her: “I was out canvassing and ran into someone who had been in the system. They'd been working hard to get on the right track and do the right things, but their past was hindering them from getting to where they were trying to go. A candidate I was out knocking doors for was actually tackling a lot of those problems that person encountered. I was able to share the information with this individual as well as give him contact information to look more into these programs. Knowing that I've made a difference and being able to leave them with a little more knowledge than before makes it all worthwhile.”
This is the kind of commitment and deep engagement that turns a non-voter into a voter. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Boston and her fellow NVMers, they’ll make a crucial difference on November 5th and beyond.
After that, Boston says, it’s on to the legislative session and keeping voters engaged and active for the upcoming presidential race.
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Check back for more “On the Ground” profiles of Airlift-funded groups.