Happy New Year and Thank You

Joel McDonald, Chairperson

A Democratic Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and Democratic majorities in the Virginia House and Senate – that’s what you accomplished in 2025! It will make 2026 a much happier new year. Because of your efforts, Virginia will not only be more resilient throughout the remaining days of the Trump Administration, but we will shape a future that protects personal freedom and provides economic opportunity for all.

I’m grateful that our caucus continues to increase in our numbers, activities, and presence throughout the Commonwealth. This year, we held our first in-person events in several years with a Meet & Greet and General Membership Meeting in March and a Blue Commonwealth Gala Welcome Reception in June. We’ve continued to represent Democrats at Pride events throughout Virginia, including Fredericksburg, Roanoke, Prince William, Arlington, Culpeper, Pulaski, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Richmond, Westmoreland, and Staunton. I also had the privilege of speaking to Democrats in Virginia Beach and Hanover about the history and meaning of Pride.

We proposed and guided changes to the Party Plan to include transgender and non-binary Democrats within language about encouraging Party participation and voter registration, non-discrimination, and equal division in delegate selection processes. The Central Committee approved these changes at its October meeting. This not only reflects changes adopted by the Democratic National Committee, but also is an expression, in black and white, of our inclusive values as Democrats.

We are well-poised in the next year to finally remove marriage discrimination from the Constitution of Virginia and to enshrine marriage equality, along with reproductive freedom. These are wins for self-determination and autonomy; wins for personal freedom. We must ensure that these amendments make it onto the ballot this year and that we do all we can to work toward their passage.

Thank you to all the outstanding candidates who carried the Democratic banner in this year’s election. Having a Democrat run in every single Virginia House district, giving all voters a choice, was an incredible feat. To successfully defend every incumbent Democrat, including seven openly LGBT+ delegates, while flipping thirteen seats to give our Party a historic majority reflects the very best in coordination at all levels of the Party, the hard work and discipline of our candidates and their campaign staff, critical funding from donors, and the tireless effort of thousands of volunteers. Thank you to everyone who made it happen.

I hope that the LGBT+ Caucus will continue to be, and be even more so, an effective and impactful part of the Democratic Party of Virginia in the new year. We can only do that with your continued support. Please stay tuned for new opportunities to do so.

Thank you and Happy New Year.