There's still time for each of us to make a difference in next month's legislative elections.On Saturday, Arlington's 21/51 Coordinating Committee sent more than 25 canvassers to Fairfax County on behalf of Democrats challenging for State Senate and House of Delegates seats. The group included Arlington, DC and Maryland residents, as well as Young Dems and Elected Officials. Efforts like this are popping up around the Commonwealth, but we can do more.
The fact is that the optimistic projections regarding Senate and House pickups are far more likely to come to fruition if Democratic volunteers take action. Campaigns around Virginia are working tirelessly and have done most of the heavy lifting, but their work will produce only so many voter IDs, only so many lit drops and only so many GOTV calls.
Simply put, they need our help.
Thomas Edison once said, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Anyone who wants change in Richmond has a choice: talk or action. Making conversation about the need for change in the General Assembly is fine, but making voter ID calls is better. Knocking the transportation funding bill is also fine, but knocking on doors is better.
There is no shortage of competitive races. Anyone with a desire to help their nearest campaign can do so. Whether canvassing, making calls or stuffing envelopes, even just five volunteer hours from each of us between now and November 6th could make the difference. I know from recent canvasses that many "Leans Dem" voters simply don't know there's an election this year-much less who their Democratic challengers are. In these instances, a piece of literature on the doorstep might be enough to get them to the polls.
In sports, we hear of teams "giving themselves a chance to win," meaning that they stay competitive and are ready to make the most of their opportunities, which can be precious few. It is clear that for Virginia Democrats, such an opportunity exists right now. It is equally clear that our candidates cannot do it alone.
With only 3 weeks to go, the contest for the General Assembly-and hence the future of transportation, redistricting and general common sense-is well into its fourth quarter. Its outcome will not be decided by those who stand on the sidelines, but rather by those who choose to get in the game.
[To find a candidate near you, go www.vademocrats.org and click on the state party's volunteer page. If you'd like to get involved with 21/51 in Arlington, Alexandria or Falls Church, go to www.2151virginia.org.]