Democrats pour $400K into Virginia House races as key battlegrounds emerge

With control of the Virginia House of Delegates hanging in the balance, national Democrats are pumping another $400,000 into the fight — and putting their weight behind candidates they see as crucial to flipping Republican districts this November.

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), an arm of the Democratic National Committee focused on state legislative races, announced the new funding Wednesday along with a fresh slate of endorsements for candidates running in competitive districts. 

Lindsey Dougherty will challenge Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield, in the 75th District. Leslie Mehta is taking on Del. Mark Earley, R-Chesterfield, in the 89th, while. May Nivar will face Del. David Owen, R-Henrico, in the 57th District. And Kacey Robins Carnegie is up against Republican Mike Lamonea for the open Hampton Roads seat in the 89th District, following Republican Del. Baxter Ennis’ decision to not to seek reelection. 

All candidates recently won contested primaries and now enter general election matchups in districts labeled “competitive” by the Virginia Public Access Project — prime battlegrounds Democrats hope to flip and Republicans aim to defend. 

Though the DLCC backs candidates nationwide, Virginia is a centerpiece of its 2025-2026 Target Map of battleground states. Other states in the mix include North Carolina, Georgia and Arizona, where Democrats are looking to flip legislatures or strengthen their footholds in GOP-leaning terrain. 

“We’re backing hardworking and authentic candidates in the toughest battlegrounds who are out in their communities every day, talking to voters about how they’ll fight the chaos in Washington and put working families’ opportunities first,” DLCC President Heather Williams said in a statement. “This investment will fuel them as they continue working on the ground to protect and expand Democrats’ razor-thin majority this fall.”

The new funding is part of a seven-figure investment the DLCC plans to make in Virginia this cycle. The DNC also announced earlier this year it will transfer $1 million per month to its state and territorial parties over the next four years. 

The goal, DNC Chair Ken Martin said, is to help build a stronger Democratic bench at the state and local levels — a strategy that could also yield future candidates for Congress and beyond.

“When we organize everywhere to compete everywhere, we can win anywhere,” Martin said in an April press call. 

Meanwhile, the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) is sharpening its focus on Virginia and New Jersey, the two states holding gubernatorial and legislative elections this year. Virginia’s off-year elections are often viewed  as a referendum on the White House —- and with President Donald Trump back in office, the RSLC is warning against a repeat of the 2017 Democratic wave. 

In a recent memo, the organization noted that Virginia has a history of electing governors from the party opposite the sitting president — a trend Republicans are eager to break this year.

To that end, the RLCC and the House Republican Campaign Committee have launched two six-figure digital ad campaigns. Republicans are also embracing early and mail-in voting to mobilize low-propensity voters — a shift encouraged by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, despite past GOP resistance to expanded absentee voting laws.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correctly state Ken Martin’s title as the Democratic National Committee’s chairman.

This article first appeared on Virginia Mercury and is republished here with permission. Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence.