FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Contact: press@runforsomething.net

Run for Something Candidates in Virginia Are Generating Democratic Momentum Across the Ballot

Virginia’s off-year elections are once again taking center stage this November, and Run for Something’s slate of young, diverse, community-rooted candidates are redefining how Democrats win and building momentum up and down the ballot.

Virginia has always been a bellwether, and this year, the energy is resonating from the bottom of the ticket to the top. With every seat in the Virginia House of Delegates up for election, Run for Something endorsed 14 young leaders across the Commonwealth whose races will help determine the chamber’s majority and turnout voters for Democrats during a critical election year:

This year, it’s not just the top-of-the-ticket defining or shaping the outcome; it’s the surge of reverse coattails—the idea that Democrats who run for down-ballot seats, whether or not they win, help increase Democratic turnout that in turn helps elect Democrats at the top of the ticket. 

That means that young candidates running for school board, supervisor, commissioner, and the House of Delegates are building the kind of local enthusiasm that’s fueling statewide energy and giving us a glimpse of the political landscape heading into 2026. With a chance to secure a Democratic trifecta in Virginia, these candidates driving voters to the polls could be part of what makes the difference between passing progressive policies into law or Republicans further eroding Virginians’ rights. 

Over the past several months, RFS has endorsed close to 20 young candidates—all under 40 and many first-time candidates. These leaders are organizing in every corner of the state, from urban centers to rural counties, and expanding the Democratic base.

Together, they’re building the infrastructure Democrats need to win this year and to sustain power heading into the 2026 midterms and beyond. When young people run, more young people vote. That’s the reverse coattails effect at work — and Virginia is ground zero.

Reporters interested in discussing the importance of local and state legislative races in Virginia — and what they signal about voter enthusiasm heading into 2026 — should contact press@runforsomething.net. 

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Run for Something (RFS) recruits and supports young progressive candidates for down-ballot offices. Since its founding, RFS has helped elect nearly 1,500 candidates across the country, including 18 candidates in red-to-blue seats in the 2024 election cycle. Today, RFS has the largest database of any other Democratic organization, with 70,000 people reaching out since November with interest in running for office.