Well, as many of you might know, I have spent the last 6 months or so lighting up the campaign trail in my home state of Virginia. In August I received an incredible offer to go back to my home turf and organize in Norfolk, VA with the Democratic Coordinated Campaign and I took it. I worked for three men that I believed would make my state better and whom I respect with every fiber of my being. Those three men are Terry McAuliffe, Ralph Northam, and Mark Herring, the current holders of ALL THREE Statewide offices in Virginia. After that, I worked with a woman running for State Senator whom I respect and admire more than any candidate or person I have met so far in my life, Jennifer Wexton. It's been a hell of a ride and I am going to tell you all about it.
Above is a picture that will forever be burned in my mind. When I joined the campaign in August I was not sure that this would ever happen. Being a lifelong resident of Virginia and having lived in multiple parts of the state I had my doubts that, even with all the work we were doing, we could pull it off. In August I joined a Field Staff like none other in the world. Every person was amazing and competent and determined. We built neighborhood teams, recruited volunteers, knocked thousands upon thousands of doors, make tens of thousands of calls, and kept on doing it right up until 7pm on November 5th. I got the privilege to organize the Westside of Norfolk, VA and work with some of the most incredible and dedicated volunteers I have ever met. I was a part of a 6 organizer team in Norfolk that took on the entire city of Norfolk AND 2 universities. This team was the best in the state. Hands Down. I know I made friends that will last a lifetime there.
When it came to election night, we were all exhausted, but we found a way to all be in the office together to watch the results come in. We watched Ralph Northam easily sweep through and become Lieutenant Governor-elect, followed by Terry McAuliffe being declared the next Governor of Virginia. Unfortunately, that night it was found too close to call on Mark Herring's race for Attorney General. Barely a month later, Herring was declared the decisive victor of the Attorney General race and we had done something that had not occurred in Virginia for over 40 years. All three Statewide seats under Democratic Control. It still blows my mind that we did it. I don't think I will ever be happier than the day I sat in the rain in Richmond and watched Terry, Ralph, and Mark take their oaths of office and then later that night went to the Inaugural Ball and Staff After Party. Celebrating with the most amazing team in the country is the only way to go and we crushed it.
The next step, of course, after we won all three seats was to replace Northam and Herring in the State Senate so that their districts could retain representation. I ended up joining the team on Jennifer Wexton's campaign to succeed Mark Herring as State Senator in the 33rd District, but before I talk about that I want to mention my small part in the 6th District's campaign.
That guy right there is Lynwood Lewis. He is a long time Delegate in Virginia and recently ran and WON the race to replace Ralph Northam as State Senator in the 6th Senate District. Many of my former coworkers from the Democratic Coordinated Campaign joined that race and worked tirelessly to make sure he won. I thank them for that wholeheartedly.
Here's my story though. I am registered to vote in Norfolk because that is where I have spent the better part of 5 years living and organizing. I knew that the election was incredibly important and had requested to know when the absentee deadline was so I could eek in my vote amidst all the work I was doing up in Loudon County and Fairfax. Unfortunately, I was working so hard I totally forgot to request and send in a ballot to be reminded the night before Election Day when I received a call from a volunteer in Norfolk reminding me to vote. I was, obviously, in the middle of my own call time which means EVERY other person in my vicinity heard me on the call and soon, my coworkers Collin and David were trying to persuade me to DRIVE down to Norfolk and vote in the morning. Collin even went and told our campaign manager, who prompted told me I had to go. The word 'civic duty' was thrown out and I was peer pressured in the best way possible into a 4 hour drive down that night. I told Collin he had to come with me for moral support and keeping me awake. What followed was an adventure through subzero temperatures, hurricane force winds, and exhaustion. We went down to Norfolk and stayed with my good friend, Corbin who was organizing on Lynwood's race, woke up too early in the morning and I was the FIRST person to vote in the Chrysler Museum precinct before promptly jumping back into my car and driving four more hours back to Sterling for work where we spent the better part of the day making phone calls into Norfolk convincing people to get out and vote like I had. In the end, Lynwood Lewis won his seat by a mere 9 votes. NINE. Never has my vote counted more and NO ONE can ever say to me again that their vote does not count because it does. So much.
The next step on my campaign journey started once I returned to Fairfax. I found myself quite bored and remembered that Mark Herring's district was nearby so checked in to see what was going on with the campaign. Lo and behold the Campaign Kick Off was set to happen a few days after I returned home and the Field Director was someone I had met on Terry's campaign so I went. A week later while I was volunteering on the campaign I got a job offer and the rest is history. When I joined this team I joined the best damn team of organizers I have ever had the pleasure to work with. Every last one of them was the best of the best and I would work with every one of them again ten times over. I came in knowing it was going to be hard work and that I was going to do a lot of it myself, but I believed in Jennifer Wexton so I did it. We knocked over 100,000 doors and made over 90,000 phone calls. We did all this through two Polar Vortexes and insane conditions and we swept the race 53% to 37%. When we all came together that night in Sterling it was perfect. By 9pm (the earliest I've ever received results) we knew we had won and we celebrated like no other time I have experienced. I would truly have it no other way.
That was two days ago now and I can honestly say I miss the campaign trail already. It took a day for me to miss work and the people. Post-Campaign Depression is something that happens to every organizer in some form. I tend to get nostalgic for the life and want to jump right back in. This year is going to an interesting one in Virginia and I can't wait to be a part of it.
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