Dems Raise Over $350M as Delegates Turn to GoFundMe to Get to Chicago; Judge Compares Youngkin to a King on Voting Rights; VSU Seeks Data on Black Voters
➡️ 10 days until the DNC convention in Chicago on Aug. 19
➡️ 24 days until the Bobby Scott Labor Day Cookout on Sept. 2
🚩 42 days until early voting in Virginia: Sept. 20
🚩 88 days until Election Day Nov. 5
This newsletter covers the Black community in Virginia. We are thankful for the support of our subscribers! Please consider supporting an independent news source and becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter today.
As Democrats Raise Record Money, Their Delegates Take to GoFundMe to Attend DNC Convention
DEMS RAISE RECORD MONEY AS DELEGATES BEG ON GOFUNDME. The stunning turn of events on July 21 after President Joe Biden exited the race for The White House has sparked a record amount of fundraising for national Democrats.
In only six days in July, Harris’ new presidential campaign raised over $200 million. This week, after the announcement that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz would be her running mate, Democrats raised over $30 million.
RELATED: GoFundMe for Virginia Beach’s Maurice Hawkins
But for Democrats who are working in the party’s grassroots, it’s another story. Many delegates have taken to GoFundMe to afford the costs of traveling to the Democratic National Convention this month in Chicago. The DNC convention will begin on August 19 in Chicago, Illinois. Though delegates are made aware that they must pay all of the costs of their travel to the DNC, the city of Chicago is no bargain.
Jade Harris, a young leader in the Democratic Party wrote on GoFundMe that, “as the Valley Regional Chair of the Virginia Young Democrats, Treasurer of the Blue Ridge Young Democrats chapter, two time former candidate for the state legislature, former vice mayor of Glasgow, Va, and cradle to coffin Democrat, you’d be hard pressed to find someone my age more dedicated to the success of the Democratic Party’s policies,” as she appealed for assistance to Chicago.
Harris ran a spirited campaign for Virginia Senate last year in a part of Virginia Democrats can ill afford to ignore: Rural Virginia.
Maurice Hawkins, who is a Virginia delegate and an active Democrat in Virginia Beach, one of the most competitive locations in all of the Commonwealth of Virginia on Election Day, also has a GoFundMe. Hawkins has knocked doors, been featured in commercials in support of Democrats, and is an omnipresent political actor. Hawkins, who is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpa, has worked on grassroots campaigns up and down the ballot for several cycles.
“This will be my first time attending the DNC as a National Delegate and I hope you would consider donating to help offset my costs for this trip,” Hawkins wrote his GoFundMe.
“I am asking you to support my journey to Chicago as a Delegate by donating to my travel campaign. I need to raise $4,000 to ensure all my costs are covered,” wrote Keith Brannum, “a lifelong Democrat, campaign and party manager and current Committee Member at US Democrats Abroad. I am proud to serve as a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention.”
“I am excited to announce the honor of being nominated and elected for the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, IL, August 19- 23, 2024 as a member of the Temporary Platform Committee. This quite an honor to be appointed by the Virginia State Democratic Party Chairwoman as one of four that are appointed to this committee in each state,” wrote Patricia Harper Tunley, a prominent Democrat in
“I am thrilled to share that I have been elected by Democrats in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District to serve as a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago,” Baker continued.
“Like all of us Young Dems, I do not get paid for my involvement in VAYD or YDA and obviously have to work in my day job while taking care of my family and paying for expenses to these Democratic meetings all out of my own pocket,” wrote Matt Hoyer, the current President of the Virginia Young Democrats who is also a delegate.
Democrats have been breaking fundraising records for months, even before the excitement from Vice President Harris’ entry into the race began. But the recent fundraising after the Vice President entered the race is predicted to hit over half a billion in a few weeks.
Delegates from Virginia and beyond continue to ask for assistance to attend the most important political event for their party every four years.
None of the individuals mentioned in this article solicited Black Virginia News to be mentioned in this piece but we support their efforts to save our democracy.
Judge Compares Youngkin to a King But Rejects Lawsuit on Rights Restoration
“No one would suggest that Governor Youngkin’s ‘fully implemented’ system is transparent, or that it gives the appearance of fairness,” wrote U.S. District Court Judge John Gibney wrote in a August 7 opinion as he rejected a restoration of rights lawsuit against Virginia.
Judge Gibney denied George Hawkins’ lawsuit against Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s new restoration of rights process. In 2023, Gov. Glenn Youngkin changed how Virginians with past felonies could regain their right to vote. Youngkin put an end to automatic voting restoration.
“Much like a monarch, the Governor receives petitions for relief, may or may not rule upon them, and, when he does rule, need not explain his reasons. But transparency and the appearance of fairness are not the issues in this case,” he continued.
Virginia is the only state in America that permanently takes away the right to vote from those with felony convictions unless their voting rights are restored by the government. Currently only the Governor has the power to restore those voting rights. People with past felonies trying to vote are required to file an application and the Governor must approve that application for voting rights to be restored.
Virginia State University Political Institute Seeks Data from Black Voters
➡️ SUBSCRIBE TO BLACK VIRGINIA NEWS. “One had better die fighting against injustice than die like a dog or a rat in a trap.” —Ida Wells. 👨🏽💻 Send your press releases, submissions, tips, pitches, comments and corrections to BlackVirginiaNews@gmail.com.