April 19, 2017 News & Press Releases · Press Releases and Announcements

What’s Last Night’s Victory Means for Democrats in the Fall


by Christina Freundlich

Jackie Smith “Beat long odds”... “Prince William county has long been friendly territory for Republicans” .... “Should be a wake up call for Republicans in Virginia”

Last night’s results -- both in Prince William County and in Georgia -- are further proof that grassroots energy within Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office can translate into electoral progress here in the Commonwealth and across the country.

Jackie Smith's victory is a referendum on Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Richmond -- and is a further testament to the rising tide of the resistance.

Virginia Democrats are energized and organized, and last night Democrats outperformed a state legislator with more than six times as much money as Smith.

From Fauquier Times:

Prince William County has long been friendly territory for Republicans when it comes to off-year special elections. Not this time.

Democrat Jacqueline Smith beat long odds and big money today when she emerged victorious in the special contest for Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk, a low-profile, eight-year post that rarely gets much attention amid other races in Virginia’s off-off-year local elections.

From the Huffington Post:

Backlash to President Donald Trump in the state has already enabled Democrats to field challengers in an unusually high number of Republican-held legislative seats, including 17 GOP-controlled districts that Hillary Clinton won.

Case in point: organizing wins and the Democrats running for governor know it:

Northam phone banked with Smith and Perriello knocked doors for the candidate.

GOP candidates for governor Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, and Ed Gillespie, the GOP front-runner for governor urged support for Miller.

This is the beginning of the end: the age of Trump didn’t even last 100 days.