Virginia Democrats set to pick new leader ahead of key elections – Washington Examiner
Virginia Democrats are preparing for significant upcoming elections while looking to elect a new leader. Susan Swecker, who has chaired the Virginia Democratic party since 2015, recently announced her resignation, effective upon the selection of her successor on March 22. The party aims to maintain momentum from their recent successes in the House and Senate as they compete for statewide offices, including governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general in the November elections.
State Senator Lamont Bagdy is currently the only declared candidate for the chair position, soon after Swecker’s declaration. He emphasizes the importance of unity for the party’s mission to retake leadership positions and confront what they view as extreme policies from Republicans. Bagdy has garnered support from prominent party figures,indicating a robust backing for his candidacy.
While Virginia Democrats hold majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, they are contending with a resurgent Republican Party, led by popular Governor Glenn Youngkin, which has gained ground in recent elections. The party plans to leverage issues such as federal workforce reductions, heavily impacting Northern Virginia, as part of their campaign strategy in the looming elections.
Virginia Democrats set to pick new leader ahead of key elections
Virginia Democrats are looking to generate momentum in the 2025 statewide elections after maintaining their majorities in the House and Senate, but before November they must pick a leader to guide them through the looming campaign.
Susan Swecker abruptly announced last month that she would be stepping down as chairwoman of the Virginia Democratic Party, a role she has held since 2015, once a new chair is elected. The party will elect her successor on March 22.
“As I step down, I do so with pride and confidence, knowing that our party is in capable hands. The solid foundation we’ve laid will ensure Virginia remains a beacon of Democratic strength for generations to come,” Swecker said in a statement.
Only one candidate has publicly declared his candidacy, but NOTUS reports that the party is aware of at least one other contender ahead of Saturday’s deadline to file. The lone public candidate, state Sen. Lamont Bagdy, announced his bid shortly after Swecker said she would step down.
“Now more than ever, we need to be united in our mission to retake the Governor’s Mansion, expand our House majority, and push back on the extreme, chaotic agenda we are seeing in Washington,” Bagdy, who chairs the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, said in a post announcing his candidacy.
He has received endorsements from high-profile Democrats in the Old Dominion, including Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), state House Speaker Don Scott, state Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, among others.
The newly elected party chair will lead Virginia Democrats into a campaign to reclaim all three statewide offices on the ballot in November: governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.
After winning a trifecta in the commonwealth for the first time in decades in 2019, Democrats faced a bruising 2021 election in which they lost control of the state House and got swept by Republicans in statewide offices.
The Virginia GOP, once thought to be on its way out, mounted a comeback led by popular Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) in the 2021 election, gaining ground across the commonwealth — a trend that continued into the 2024 presidential election.
TIGHT VIRGINIA GUBERNATORIAL RACE ‘FAVORS’ REPUBLICAN EARLE-SEARS
While Democrats are still the stronger party in Virginia, holding majorities in both state houses, the next chair faces an opposition that appears to be gaining ground.
Virginia Democrats have made President Donald Trump’s downsizing of the federal workforce, which affects a significant portion of the northern part of the state, a key part of their campaign against Republicans. The matter could become a defining issue in the looming campaign.
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