RICHMOND, Va. - Democratic Party of Virginia Chairwoman Susan Swecker issued the following statement on Justin Fairfax’s victory in the primary for Lieutenant Governor:

“We’re proud to congratulate Justin Fairfax on his victory in the primary for Lieutenant Governor. Justin has fiercely fought to protect the people of Virginia, and his time spent leading prosecution against human traffickers and major narcotics operations is commendable. Justin will be a strong leader in Virginia’s Senate who can ensure the policies of Donald Trump aren’t implemented by the General Assembly, which is why we’re so proud he will be representing us. We would also like to thank Susan Platt and Gene Rossi for their dedication to the Commonwealth and for their principled campaigns over the past months.

"Along with our gubernatorial nominee Ralph Northam, Justin joins Attorney General Mark Herring, whom we thank for fighting for the safety of our communities, on our 2017 Democratic ticket. Our dozens of House of Delegates candidates also deserve our sincere gratitude - for their willingness to stand up after Donald Trump’s election and fight for the progressive Virginia we know we need. We’ve had a surge of candidates in every corner of the Commonwealth, and it’s because every one of them stepped up when they were called. We’re so thankful for their passion and dedication. Additionally, so many Democratic candidates for local and municipal office were elected across the Commonwealth last night, building out our strong Democratic bench at the local level."