Democrats target Virginia as key battleground state for 2025 and 2026 elections
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The Virginia State Capitol in 2023. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
The national Democratic Party arm for state races said Tuesday it's targeting Virginia as a battleground state "we must win and defend before the end of this decade."
Why it matters: It's a sign that Virginia's November elections, which include all 100 House of Delegates seats being up for grabs, are being eyed as an early national political test ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The big picture: Virginia was one of six states the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee listed as a battleground in the 2025 and 2026 election cycle for Democrats' narrow two-seat House majority.
- The other states mentioned in the memo include Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Alaska.
- Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire and North Carolina are listed as "power building chambers" and Maine is on the watchlist.
Zoom in: The DLCC says these states are "where resources can secure the most power during an era of total GOP power in Washington."
Between the lines: While President Trump didn't win Virginia last November, he performed better in nearly every part of it compared to 2020.
- And in 2021, Virginians elected Republicans Gov. Youngkin, Attorney General Jason Miyares and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears — who is running for governor — and showed the GOP can still win the state.
Yes, but: Virginia has a track record of electing a governor who is the opposite political party of the sitting president, per the state elections database.
- There's only been one time in the past 50 years when that wasn't true: The year after Barack Obama's re-election, former Democrat Gov. Terry McAuliffe won against Republican Ken Cuccinelli.
The Republican State Leadership Committee, the DLCC's GOP equivalent, didn't immediately respond to Axios about whether they saw Virginia as a target state, too.
- But a spokesperson for the Republican Party of Virginia told Axios the DLCC making Virginia a top target is "no surprise."
- "Democrat leadership knows what we know," the spokesperson said. "That Virginia Democrats are too extreme for our Commonwealth, and voters are ready to reject them this November."