Ready to Fight for Virginia (1/19/25)

As we step into 2025, we recognize how much you’ve given—your time, energy, and resources—in the fight for democracy. The outcome of November’s election, especially at the top of the ticket, was devastating, and the challenges ahead are daunting. Whether you watch or not (and we’re not) knowing that Donald Trump will take office tomorrow, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, is painful, given all that we worked to protect.

We know many of you are tired. We are tired too. The disappointment of 2024 still lingers. But history shows that progress isn’t always linear, and the moments when we feel most discouraged are often when action matters most. Together, we’ve built something powerful: a community that refuses to give up, even when the road is steep.

Many of us are asking the same question: What can we do? The answer is to come together and fight back, starting with defending the Virginia House of Delegates, which is up for election in 2025. While billionaires funnel millions into Trump’s agenda, we have the power to push back by pooling our smaller donations to make a big impact. This is where we, as members of Markers For Democracy, can continue our fight and resistance.

The Virginia House of Delegates holds one of the narrowest Democratic majorities in the nation. This majority has been a firewall against Glenn Youngkin’s right-wing agenda, protecting reproductive freedom, voting rights, and more. Glenn Youngkin is term-limited so if we can help hold the Democratic majority in the House, and Virginians elect a Democratic Governor, Virginia will have a blue trifecta and can be a bulwark against extremism, right across the Potomac from Washington, D.C. In addition, if Democrats can maintain a majority in both chambers in 2025 and 2026, they can pass a slate of proposed constitutional amendments that would enshrine voting rights, reproductive freedom, and marriage equality in the Virginia state Constitution. (Like NY and other states, in Virginia the legislature must pass both chambers two years in a row before appearing on statewide ballots in November 2026.) The power of State Legislatures could not be more important than right now. This is where we can make a real difference, but only if we come together once again.

This year marks the seventh election cycle of The Markers For Democracy Giving Circle and our fourth time supporting Virginia House of Delegates candidates in partnership with The States Project. In 2025, every dollar you give will help safeguard Virginia’s progress, ensuring it remains a state where rights are protected and lives are improved. Starting January 20th, your donations will have double the impact thanks to a dollar-for-dollar match.

Let’s channel our frustration and fear into action. Let’s prove we can rally together even in the hardest times to protect what matters most.

If you’re ready to fight for Virginia and keep this critical majority, please donate today any amount. With today’s match, your contribution will have twice the impact.

Thank you for staying in this fight. Together, we are stronger, and together, we will continue to make a difference. We are endlessly grateful for every member of our community—your love, support, and determination will guide us as we face the challenges ahead, lifting each other when the weight feels too heavy and reminding us that together, we can persevere.