Record number of incoming legislators refuse contributions from Dominion Energy

Clean Virginia: Voters reject corporate monopoly influence

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Kendl Kobbervig, Clean Virginia Advocacy and Communications Director
[email protected], 608-575-8798

Clean Virginia: Voters reject corporate monopoly influence
Record number of incoming legislators refuse contributions from Dominion Energy

CHARLOTTESVILLE – In response to the Virginia legislative election results, in which the majority of Clean Virginia’s supported candidates won their races, Clean Virginia’s Executive Director Brennan Gilmore said:

“Tonight voters ushered in a new era in Virginia politics by electing candidates who reject the subversive influence of corporate power in government. A record number of candidates from both parties refused to accept money from electric utility monopolies in this year’s election. In 10 out of 15 priority races, voters chose leaders who campaigned to lower the cost of everyday living, fight pollution and tackle government corruption.”

Clean Virginia invested $11.8 million total in the 2023 election cycle and supported 75 candidates in the general election, including $4.9 million invested in 15 priority House and Senate races. All of these candidates, including Democrats and Republicans, share a principled stance against accepting campaign contributions from Virginia’s largest energy monopoly, Dominion Energy. Over a third of the entire General Assembly, 58 members from both parties, refuse contributions from Dominion, including the vast majority of both House and Senate Democratic caucuses.

“Clean Virginia was founded to end the corrosive influence of regulated utility monopoly money in Virginia politics. Our investments helped elect a wave of candidates committed to a democracy that represents the public interest over the profit motives of corporations. Our priority going forward is to support the candidates elected tonight in passing bipartisan campaign finance laws that strengthen our democracy and ensure voters, not money or special interests, determine the outcome of elections,” said Gilmore.

Clean Virginia’s priority candidates who won their races:

  • Josh Thomas (House District 21)
  • Rodney Willett (House District 58)
  • Joshua Cole (House District 65)
  • Nadarius Clark (House District 84)
  • Phil Hernandez (House District 94)
  • Michael Feggans (House District 97)
  • David Suetterlein (Senate District 4)
  • Schuyler VanValkenburg (Senate District 16)
  • Danica Roem (Senate District 30)
  • Russet Perry (Senate District 31)

See a full list of Clean Virginia’s endorsements here.

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Clean Virginia is a 501(c)4 independent advocacy organization with an associated Political Action Committee, Clean Virginia Fund. The Clean Virginia team is motivated by a vision of Virginia in which power is distributed more equitably so that all Virginians benefit from a government and energy system that prioritizes people and the planet over corporate monopoly profit.