Mission

Activate Virginia began in late 2016 as a vehicle to address the lack of competitive elections and the corrupt campaign finance system in Virginia through candidate recruiting, activism, and public education. Activate Virginia now serves as an all-volunteer network of researchers and activists who focus on uncovering corruption in Virginia and taking on undemocratic features of Virginia government.

Competition:

As part of a grassroots effort in 2017, we helped to recruit and educate an amazing field of candidates. This recruitment effort - largely independent from the state party - resulted in House of Delegates competition unseen in over 20 years. 

Campaign Finance:

We put together coalitions against accepting money from Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power - as well as in favor of banning contributions from public service corporations.

Public Education:

It's been our priority to inform the public about the structure and machinations of Virginia government, Virginia politics, special interests, and the rights and powers of citizens. Follow us on Facebook, X, and Bluesky. Subscribe to our Substack. See our document uploads at Scribd.

What's Next? 

As we continue to fight for democratic reform in Virginia, our focus has shifted to fighting corruption through public education and encouraging Virginians to speak up, act out, and actualize the power inherent in democratic citizenship. Activate Virginia was constituted nearly a decade ago to address an undemocratic status quo that, sadly, remains the status quo.

Behind the Curtain

Once we shut down our political action committee in early 2018, Activate Virginia became an all-volunteer entity that depends on a network of researchers and activists across the Commonwealth.

For more information, please contact:

Josh Stanfield, Executive Director [josh@activatevirginia.org]

Rob Waters, R&D Director