Democrats Are Buying Virginia

Currently, the GOP is looking in relatively good shape, financially, for next year’s presidential election. But that doesn’t change the fact that in races around the country, Democrats almost always have more money than Republicans. A case in point is Virginia, whose legislative elections are tomorrow. A reader writes that “Democrats have $11.3 million in recent donations, compared to only $4.4 million for Virginia Republicans.” That sort of disproportion is hard, if not impossible, to overcome.

At Liberty Unyielding, Hans Bader writes (links omitted):

You may not be following Virginia’s legislative elections, which will occur on November 5. But left-wing billionaires across the country are. They are spending millions to help progressives take control of the Virginia legislature. Heaps of money are flowing into Virginia political campaigns, giving Democrats a big edge.

A lot of this is energy-related. Investors in fake “green” wind and solar energy projects are making billions, and they are willing to spend some of those profits to keep the money flowing their way:

As John Massoud notes, a left-wing hedge fund manager and his wife have given $3 million to Democratic candidates. This is to elect a legislature that imposes California-style alternative-energy rules. Such rules enrich investors in alternative-energy schemes by requiring utilities (and their customers) to pay for them. Massoud notes that such schemes are not “able to power a modern day economy. If allowed to have their way, we will soon be having the same blackouts that California is having.” …

A group called Beyond Carbon is funded by an out-of-state liberal billionaire. It is spending $335,000 this week alone on TV ads to defeat a single Republican member of the House of Delegates, Delegate Chris Stolle of Virginia Beach. …

…Beyond Carbon wants Stolle’s progressive challenger to win so the legislature will impose alternative-energy mandates similar to California’s.

Hans has written several times about the baleful effects that will flow from a far-left takeover of Virginia. Democrats are crowing that tomorrow’s elections promise to install the first-ever left-wing government in a Southern state. More here; again, links in the original:

The Democrats are favored to take control of both houses of the state legislature, especially the state senate. But many races are very close — for example, a recent poll of four districts found Republican and Democratic candidates neck and neck, so close as to be within the margin of error.

A Democratic takeover will have far-reaching economic and social consequences for Virginia. It will likely be the first time in history that the progressive wing of the Democratic Party controls a southern legislature in the U.S.

In Virginia, the legislature is very powerful. It even selects the state’s judges. The state has a Democratic governor, who is unlikely to veto even highly-controversial progressive legislation.

The Democratic takeover is likely to lead to major tax increases. That is both because of the size of the new state spending they support, and because Democrats’ labor policies will shrink the size of the state’s economy, eliminating at least 100,000 jobs. That will result in a large shortfall in revenue. …

Democrats are likely to make major changes to labor policy, such as repealing the state’s right to work law, which has attracted tens of thousands of jobs to Virginia. …

The Democratic legislature is also likely to expand government funding for abortion; make it easier to get a third-trimester abortion; abolish the death penalty even for the worst murderers; and restrict religious freedom.

The state Democrats’ version of the “Green New Deal” could easily double Virginians’ electric bills.

If you live in Virginia, be sure to vote tomorrow. Your state’s future is at stake!