A Historic Night in the Commonwealth: The Largest Virginia Climate Majority in the Modern Political Era Is Here
By Victoria Higgins, CCAN Action Fund’s Virginia Director
If you’re like us, today you’re breathing a sigh of relief. A sigh that maybe you’ve been holding for four years.
We WON. And we just made history in Virginia!
Now we can celebrate and look forward to a clean energy future because…
Abigail Spanberger will be our next governor. She secured a decisive victory with a commanding 15-point margin, proving the voting power of Virginia’s climate majority. Spanberger will be joined at the helm by climate champions Lieutenant Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi, and our next attorney general, Jay Jones.
They didn’t just win; they shattered glass ceilings –Virginia’s first woman elected to the governorship in Virginia, the first Muslim woman elected to any statewide office, and the Commonwealth’s first Black Attorney General.
The victories don’t stop there. The next House of Delegates will have the largest climate majority we have seen in the modern political era. This is no small matter. The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the oldest continuous representative legislative assemblies in the Americas, first convened as the House of Burgesses in Jamestown in 1619. And like much of our country, its history has often been dark and tragic. We see and feel too much of that history in the violence, policies, and rhetoric of the Trump administration.
Yesterday, Virginia fought back. And today, we welcome a new constituency of the House, one that is powerful, diverse, and focused on standing up for people and democracy at a time when our need for leadership has never been greater.
Meet the climate champions leading the charge in the House:
Read more about what they have to say about climate change at this link and below.
This is a clean sweep for our clean energy champions in the House. Their message resonated deeply across diverse districts, from Henrico to Chesapeake to Blacksburg. The growing climate majority in our House of Delegates is the largest seen in decades, ensuring momentum for bold policies on energy, justice, and economic opportunity.
Our Campaign, Our Impact
As supporters of CCAN Action Fund, you are also part of this story. This summer, we endorsed six challengers to anti-climate incumbents in the House, as well as the historic top of the ticket. And for the last several months, we have put everything we’ve got into building that majority and ushering in state leadership that will deliver on the promise of a stable, affordable, clean energy future.
Here’s what we achieved together:
- Elected 9 of the 9 candidates we endorsed to office.
- Knocked on almost 7500 doors
Made over 25,000 calls to voters as a staff and volunteer base - With professional support, called over 66,000 additional voters, helping them make a voting plan and then reaching them again to execute that voting plan
- Reached nearly 50,000 people by mail with messages that emphasized lowering costs through clean energy.
- Reached almost 3,000,000 people via social media, with a focus on younger and lower-propensity voters.
- Co-sponsored three total fundraisers for Abigail Spanberger and Ghazala Hashmi.
- Contributed over $23,000 to climate champions directly.
Through a combination of in-kind and direct support, contributed over $220,000 to elect Spanberger, Hashmi, Jones, and pro-climate House candidates.
That’s a lot to get done for a small and scrappy group with a limited budget! And we couldn’t do it without tons of volunteer hours at the doors and on the phones, as well as the generous support of CCAN Action Fund donors.
Breathe deep. Take it in. Be proud of the role you played.
What’s next
And stay with us, because elections are just the first step to progress. The new legislative session is just around the corner. Join us for our lobbying training on Tuesday, November 11 at 7:00 PM to learn how to talk to your legislators and persuade them to pass climate and clean energy legislation.
After this training, you’ll be prepared to join meetings with your representatives in your hometown this fall and in Richmond in February. We will give you everything you need to tell your representatives in the Virginia legislature to take strong climate action. Join CCAN Action Fund on Zoom on Tuesday, November 11, at 7:00 PM for our virtual Virginia Lobby Training.
Statements from our newly elected officials:
GOVERNOR: Abigail Spanberger
Abigail Spanberger represented Virginia’s Seventh Congressional District in the U.S. House for three terms. Abigail began her career of public service as a federal law enforcement officer then joined the CIA, working undercover and overseeing high-profile programs to combat terrorism. In 2018, Abigail became the first Democrat since 1968 — and the first woman ever — to be elected to serve the Seventh District, where she served on the House Intelligence Committee and the House Agriculture Committee.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: Ghazala Hashmi
“I am honored to receive CCAN Action Fund’s endorsement. CCAN Action Fund has been a consistent and strong advocate in the work to combat climate change, and this work is more important now if we are to have true and meaningful responses to the climate crisis. I am eager to partner in collaborative efforts with CCAN Action Fund to ensure that we leave an environmentally-safe and healthy earth for our children and grandchildren.”
ATTORNEY GENERAL: Jay Jones
“I’m thankful to be endorsed by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund. Being a fourth-generation Virginian from Hampton Roads – the second most vulnerable place to rising sea levels in the entire country – I’ve always been committed to tackling Virginia’s environmental crisis. As Attorney General, I look forward to working alongside CCAN to hold polluters accountable and ensure Virginia leads the way in building a clean energy future for our children and generations to come.”
HOUSE DISTRICT 57 (HENRICO, GOOCHLAND): May Nivar
“We must protect our planet for generations to come and preserve Virginia’s unique natural assets such as the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, as well as our rich and diverse wildlife.”
HOUSE DISTRICT 82 (PETERSBURG) Kimberly Pope Adams
“Growing up in Hopewell, VA, I understand the importance of clean air and water in our community and am more determined than ever to win this race so we can make sure our community is sustainable and thriving!”
HOUSE DISTRICT 75 (CHESTERFIELD): Lindsey Dougherty
“As Delegate, I look forward to working with CCAN Action Fund and key stakeholders in order to advance environmental policies that help the Commonwealth move towards a greener future.”
HOUSE DISTRICT 22 (PRINCE WILLIAM): Elizabeth Guzman
“I’m proud to have the support of the CCAN Action Fund. Their work to tackle the climate crisis and protect our environment is critical to the future of Virginia. We share a commitment to bold climate action, clean energy jobs, and protecting the Chesapeake Bay. I’m grateful to stand with them in the fight for a more sustainable and just future for our communities.”
HOUSE DISTRICT 41 (BLACKSBURG): Lily Franklin
“Several generations of my family live in SWVA, and I’ve spent the majority of my life in these mountains. I started my career as a high school math teacher in rural Appalachia. Later, as a staffer with Delegate Sam Rasoul, I pushed for a grant program for local food and farming infrastructure and legislation to establish maximum contaminant levels for the cancer-causing & deadly “forever” chemicals in drinking water. This is my home, and I’ll never stop fighting for it.”
HOUSE DISTRICT 89 (CHESAPEAKE): Kacey Carnegie
“As we face rising sea levels, intensifying storms, and environmental injustices, I know how urgent it is to protect our future. I’m committed to working with organizations like CCAN Action Fund to build a clean energy economy, promote environmental justice, and ensure Virginia leads on climate solutions.”
About the author: Victoria Higgins is the Virginia Director for CCAN Action Fund. Her career in environmental advocacy began with Green Corps, a rigorous training program for environmental organizers.
She worked on campaigns with Mighty Earth, Conservation Colorado, and Environment Virginia to hold corporate polluters accountable, pass state climate policy, and limit plastic pollution in Virginia’s waterways.
She received a Master of Science in Energy Policy and Climate at Johns Hopkins University.
