November 2016. Trump had just been elected. Stair Calhoun and Katherine White looked at each other and asked: “What are we gonna do?”

The answer came quickly — get organized, get moving, and get to work. The two women founded Network NOVA and threw themselves into organizing Virginia for the Women’s March. Somewhere in that whirlwind of buses and banners and phone calls and spreadsheets, they learned something that would change everything: there were 17 Virginia House of Delegates districts where Hillary Clinton had won — districts held by Republicans — that Democrats had never seriously challenged before.

Seventeen seats. Seventeen opportunities. Seventeen chances to change Virginia history.

The Church Basement Where It All Took Root

In March 2017, Luisa Boyarski — founder of the Virginia Grassroots Coalition — held a meeting that laid out the framework for what would become the Adopt a Candidate program. The Virginia Grassroots Coalition began gathering in a church basement in Arlington, and what started as a handful of committed activists quickly became a movement.

Katherine and Stair took Luisa’s framework and ran with it — organizing, building, recruiting, and connecting. All spring and summer, they held events at Clare and Don’s Beach Shack, where the energy kept building and the vision kept sharpening.

The lightning bolt moment came when Delegate Marcus Simon looked at the numbers and said it plainly:

“Yes, Stair — 17 plus 34 equals 51.”

Everyone knew about the 17 seats. But to hear it said out loud — that flipping those 17 could give Democrats a majority in the House of Delegates for the first time in a generation — that was the moment the possible became the mission.

The Virginia House Democratic Caucus was prepared to support five seats. The grassroots said no. They were adopting all seventeen.

June 24, 2017 — The National Conference Center, Leesburg

Eight women organized it. Twenty-three volunteers made it run. And hundreds of activists from across Virginia showed up.

The First Annual Women’s Summit for Political Engagement: Flip Virginia Blue opened its doors at the National Conference Center in Leesburg — originally built in 1974 as the Xerox Conference Center, now transformed into the unlikely birthplace of a movement. The program was printed on glossy purple and white paper with the pink WE VOTE WE WIN logo — a logo that would become one of the most recognizable symbols in Virginia grassroots politics.

The organizing committee was eight women listed alphabetically on the back cover as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world:

Stair Calhoun. Holly Hazard. Barbara Jones. Renice Leresche. Jane Materna. Vicky Moffitt. Robbin Warner. Katherine White.

Eight women. A borrowed conference center. A purple brochure. And an idea that was about to change Virginia.

The Program

Holly Hazard, our Emcee opened a day that moved from history to strategy to action.

Before the panels began, Dorri Scott — the group’s beloved poet laureate — took the stage and performed her original poem Ain’t I a Woman, a tribute to the strength, resilience, and power of women. The title echoed Sojourner Truth’s famous 1851 speech, and the room felt it. Dorri Scott is now Dr. Dorri Scott, and she is still fighting — these days on the front lines of the banned books movement.

The program continued with panels on women in political history, organizing to win, technology and messaging strategy, and — crucially — a workshop on winning the rural vote. In 2017. Before most national Democrats had even started that conversation.

Danica Roem — then a journalist running for the House of Delegates in Prince William County — appeared on a panel about unlikely victories and how commitment, organization, and strategy beat the odds. Months later she would become the first openly transgender person elected to a state legislature in American history. That day she was just another candidate betting everything on a long shot.

And then there was the candidate forum.

34 Candidates. One Hot Minute Each.

Everyone was a little nervous about this part of the program. Thirty-four delegate candidates lined up on stage, each given exactly one minute to speak. It could have been boring. It was electric. It was their hot power minute.

Senator Barbara Favola introduced them one by one. The crowd was not what she was used to — this was not a typical Democratic Party event. This was something rawer, louder, more alive. The room was packed. People were on their feet.

Kathy Tran of District 42 — one of the most watched candidates of the cycle — had arrived at the Summit with her newborn daughter, Elise Minh Khanh. Elise was named to honor her father’s family, who passed through Ellis Island fleeing anti-Semitism. Minh Khanh is Vietnamese for “bright bell,” inspired by the Liberty Bell. Neither of them knew it yet — but they were already part of the movement.

Danica Roem, who had already appeared on a panel earlier in the day, tried to steal the show during the candidate forum.

The Lunch

After the forum, everyone sat down to a lunch where the tables had been staged — one for each of the Adopted Delegate districts. Candidates, organizers, and volunteers gathered around tables that represented the specific piece of Virginia they were fighting for. It was not just a meal. It was a declaration.

A Surprise Guest

At the end of the day, Jill Caiazzo of the Virginia Democratic Women’s Caucus had arranged a surprise. Justin Fairfax walked in and spoke to the room. The energy was extraordinary. Photos were taken — the eight organizers and Justin, full of hope and possibility, standing together at the end of a day that none of them would ever forget.

He went on to win the Lieutenant Governor race that November. We will leave it there.

All Summer Long

The Summit was not the end. It was the beginning.

The grassroots supported seventeen candidates! Fundraisers. Canvassing. Phone banking. Postcard writing. All summer. All fall. Right up to November.

November 2017

Fifteen of seventeen seats flipped blue. Eleven were women. Virginia turned purple. Democrats picked up more House of Delegates seats in a single election than at any point in a generation.

One race did not go their way — and the story of how it was lost still makes the blood boil. Shelley Simonds ran in her district and won — or should have won. The race ended in a tie. It was decided by a draw of two film canisters from a bowl. Everyone watched. It took several minutes to learn about the fine bowl before drawing. Shelley lost the draw. She lost the seat by the contents of a film canister.

She came back in 2019. Won her seat. Has been connected with Network NOVA and the Women’s Summit ever since.

What They Built After the Wins

The team did not rest. They immediately started thinking about how to support the newly elected delegates — and how to build something that would last beyond a single election cycle.

They developed the VA Plan — a framework for encouraging everyone to contact their representatives. Over time that became the Calls to Action sent out during every legislative session. And the Working Groups of the Virginia Grassroots Coalition. The infrastructure that would power every fight that followed — Medicaid expansion, redistricting, reproductive freedom, labor rights, voting rights — was built in the months after November 2017 by people who refused to stop just because they had won.

The Sponsors on That Easel

One more detail worth noting. The easel on that stage at the National Conference Center listed three sponsors:

Women Effect Action Fund. Bledsoe and Associates. Humane Dominion.

Eight women put on a Summit. They found sponsors. They printed glossy brochures. They staged a candidate lunch. They brought in 34 delegates. They filled a ballroom.

And they did it for fifty dollars a ticket — which included a vendor table if you wanted one.

What started with the Women’s March has emerged as a grassroots movement rolling across Virginia, united in a single message for 2017: When we vote, we win.

They were right!

10th Annual Women's Summit for Political Activism - REGISTER NOW

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The 10th Annual Women’s Summit for Political Engagement volunteer meeting with Katherine White, Robbin Warner and the team leaders reminds me of my dharma. What unfolded was expansive. Big themes. Bold ideas. A vision unlike anything we have done before. Get your early bird tickets while they last & be a BADASS this year!

The SHOP, LIVE, VOTE Your Values Expo alone is going to change how you think about activism in everyday life. What if your shopping, your community, and your choices all pointed in the same direction? Values-aligned businesses, grassroots organizations, makers, authors, and advocates — all under one roof! Democracy is not only shaped at the ballot box. It is shaped by how we live, where we gather, and who we choose to support.

Hear more about it the Expo on Friday’s Power Lunch. The team leaders, Laura Mack and Laura Richardson from Viva La Resistance will further explain.

And if you want to be part of making this Summit legendary: the Buzz and Swag Crew has a spot for you. networkvirginia@gmail.com - Buzz Crew &/or Swag Crew in the subject line.

Over the next 13 weeks I will be sharing personal reflections on each year of the Summits leading up to August 21. Stay tuned. It started ten years ago and led directly to the 1st Annual Women’s Summit for Political Engagement, Flip Virginia Blue. If you were there, let’s talk.

Onward!

Stair

There are two important rallies in Richmond, VA tomorrow, Saturday, May 16, you can join for a day of action. This is an opportunity to show your support for two important issues we’re still fighting for: Reproductive Freedom and the Voting Rights Act.

It’s time to start work on the Reproductive Freedom Constitutional Amendment that Virginians will vote on this November. Roe v Wade was overturned, now it’s up to Virginians to pass this constitutional amendment to protect the right to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care - and protect both patients and providers from being punished for those decisions. For Black and BIPOC families who have long faced systemic barriers to reproductive healthcare, this amendment isn’t just policy, it’s protection. There is also a pattern of providers leaving areas which do not have these protections and have instituted punishments instead. Women’s lives are at stake when they don’t get proper healthcare for pregnancies that go wrong. Join the Kick Off Rally at Noon at the Capitol Grounds Bell Tower to hear from powerful speakers and special guests and march together through downtown Richmond.

Saturday, May 16, Noon - VRF Constitutional Amendment Kick Off Rally & March at the Bell Tower, Virginia Capitol Grounds, Richmond, VA

This November, reproductive freedom is on the ballot - and Virginians for Reproductive Freedom (VRF) is officially kicking off our campaign! Please join us in Richmond for powerful speakers, special guests, and opportunities to take action supporting the work ahead. The event will end with a short march, so bring your best homemade sign. Transportation available! RSVP here for more details

SCOTUS has upended the Voting Rights Act, which the Civil Rights Movement fought for. The ruling on Louisiana v Callais was a landmark decision allowing states to remove majority-Black districts, in an attempt to silence their votes in extreme gerrymandering efforts for control of the House. Join the NAACP Virginia State Conference, and partner organizations from all across the commonwealth for a day of action in Richmond demanding voting rights and voter protections. Participants will march at 2 pm followed by a voting rights rally at 2:45 pm at the Capitol Grounds Bell Tower.

Saturday, May 16, 2-5 pm - National Day of Action for Voting Rights - MARCH AND RALLY - All Roads Lead to Richmond VA

Join the NAACP Virginia State Conference, and partner organizations from all across the commonwealth for a day of action in Richmond demanding voting rights and voter protections. Participants will march at 2 pm followed by a voting rights rally. RSVP HERE

• 2 pm - March, starting at 7th & Broad St. Due to law enforcement shortages and quick turn around the march will be on the sidewalk starting at 7th and Broad St.

• 2:45 pm - Voting Rights Rally, Bell Tower at the Virginia Capitol Grounds (101 N 9th St)

Hope to see you there!

Network NOVA’s BADASS Blasts thrives with your support. Become a paid subscriber to strengthen our Virginia Grassroots Community!

There is a cartoon making the rounds that captures this moment perfectly.

Trump on his hands and knees, showing off blueprints for a billion dollar ballroom — while a working family lies crushed under the weight of a shopping cart overflowing with the cost of living.

It is funny in the way that only true things can be funny. And it is devastating in the same way.

Because that is exactly where we are.

The Ballroom Nobody Voted For

The Trump administration is spending an estimated $1 billion of taxpayer money to renovate the East Wing of the White House with a grand ballroom. This is not a national security priority. This is not infrastructure. This is not healthcare or housing or food assistance for the 47 million Americans who rely on SNAP.

This is a ballroom. For a man who already owns ballrooms.

Meanwhile, the same administration is pushing through the largest cuts to Medicaid in history, slashing food assistance for working families, eliminating housing programs, gutting the Department of Education, and telling Americans that the government simply cannot afford to help them anymore.

They can afford a billion dollar ballroom. They cannot afford your insulin.

They can afford to renovate a building Trump does not even live in full time. They cannot afford to keep rural hospitals open.

They can afford gold-plated fixtures and chandeliers. They cannot afford school lunch programs for hungry children.

This is not fiscal responsibility. This is kleptocracy — the systematic use of public power to enrich one person and his circle while ordinary Americans pay the price.

The Numbers That Tell the Story

Since Trump took office the second time, the cost of living has continued its brutal climb. Groceries are up. Rent is up. Utility bills are up. Healthcare costs are up. Tariffs have added hundreds of dollars to the cost of everyday goods, appliances, electronics, clothing, food, etc.

The administration’s response has been to cut the programs that help people survive those costs while simultaneously spending public money on personal vanity projects that would make a medieval monarch blush.

The East Wing ballroom. The gold decor. The self-glorifying portraits. The taxpayer-funded trips to Mar-a-Lago, where Trump’s private club charges the Secret Service market rate for the rooms protecting him. The family members profiting from foreign deals that would have ended any previous presidency in scandal.

The RAND Corporation study that Bernie Sanders has been citing for years shows that since 1975, $50 trillion was redistributed from the bottom 90% of Americans to the top 1%. Not by immigrants. Not by foreign competition. By deliberate policy choices that defunded the middle class while enriching the already rich.

Trump is not reversing that trend. He is accelerating it — while building himself a ballroom to celebrate the acceleration.

What Voters Actually Think

Polling consistently shows that voters strongly disapprove of the administration’s spending priorities. They see the contradiction. They feel it in their grocery bills, their rent checks, their medical bills, and their children’s school budgets.

The ballroom is not just a symbol. It is a test. It asks a simple question of every Republican in Congress: you voted to cut food assistance for hungry children. You voted to slash Medicaid for working families. You voted to eliminate housing programs for people on the edge. And you said nothing — nothing — about a billion dollar ballroom in a building your president uses as a backdrop for photo opportunities.

Whose side are you on?

Remember in November

This is not just about a ballroom. It is about a pattern — of corruption, of self-dealing, of treating public resources as a personal piggy bank while telling working Americans there is nothing left for them.

Every Republican who voted for these cuts owns this ballroom. Every senator who stayed silent owns this ballroom. Every representative who looked the other way owns this ballroom.

And in November, voters will hand them the bill.

Because that is what elections are for. Not just choosing leaders. Holding them accountable for what they did — and what they built — while the rest of us struggled to pay for groceries.

Trump wanted his ballroom. He got it.

Now we get our say. November is coming.

Network NOVA’s BADASS Blasts thrives with your support. Become a paid subscriber to strengthen our Virginia Grassroots Community!

Today's ruling is devastating. And we are not going to pretend otherwise.

But here is what the MAGA machine did not count on. We were just handed something they cannot take away in a courtroom.

They handed us each other.

Last weekend, nearly 300 Virginia Democrats gathered at the DPVA Rural Retreat — learning, strategizing, and building the relationships that win elections. This morning, Friday Power Lunch brought us together again to talk about exactly what comes next and the new opportunities ahead.

Over the past months, fighting for Vote YES, we built connections across every corner of this Commonwealth. We know each other now. We trust each other. We have each other's phone numbers. And we are more fired up than we have ever been.

The 6-5 Democratic map holds. Three Constitutional Amendments — reproductive freedom, marriage equality, and voting rights — are on the November ballot. Virginia Democrats have strong candidates, motivated volunteers, and a network that spans the entire state.

We are not retreating. We are expanding. Every district. Every race. Every door.

The MAGA machine thought this ruling would slow us down.

They miscalculated.

Virginia is our district. All of it. Every corner, every locality, every race on the ballot.

We are just getting started.

Network NOVA’s BADASS Blasts thrives with your support. Become a paid subscriber to strengthen our Virginia Grassroots Community!

The Supreme Court just struck down Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The maps show exactly what that means in plain terms: Democrats currently hold 24 seats across Southern states. Under a possible redistricting scenario, Republicans gain 12 more. Twelve seats. Gone. Before a single vote is cast.

This is not abstract. This is the map of your democracy being redrawn in real time.

And this is exactly why state legislatures matter more than ever.

Meet The States Project

The States Project mission is more urgent than it has ever been: electing Democrats to state legislatures across the country, because state legislatures draw the maps, set the rules, and decide what democracy looks like on the ground.

When the Supreme Court guts the Voting Rights Act, state legislatures are the last line of defense. When federal protections disappear, state laws fill the gap — or they don’t. It depends entirely on who is in those chambers.

This Year — NC and Iowa

The States Project is focusing on legislative slates in North Carolina and Iowa — two states where a handful of seats could flip entire chambers and change the balance of power heading into the 2026 midterms and the 2030 redistricting cycle.

These are not glamorous races. They do not make the national news. But they are the races that determine everything else.

What You Can Do Right Now

Support The States Project at statesproject.org. Give to the NC and Iowa legislative slates. Show up at the Women’s Summit in August. And never, ever let anyone tell you that down-ballot races do not matter.

They are the whole ballgame.

Network NOVA’s BADASS Blasts thrives with your support. Become a paid subscriber to strengthen our Virginia Grassroots Community!

The Virginia Grassroots as they have for 10 years are focusing on preparing voters not only for the primaries, yet for November by showing up at Network NOVA’s Big Ten Women’s Summit, August 21-23, 2026. Early bird tickets.

For a decade the Women’s Summit has been the place where grassroots activists from Virginia and across the county have Powered Up, Fought Back, and Showed Up. We have the victories to prove it! Now it’s time to celebrate our victories, lift each other up and get fired up for the next fight: we are going ALL IN to WIN the midterms!​ See you there.​ It’s gonna be legendary.

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Take these Calls to Action

Last week the General Assembly held a special session to review bills Governor Spanberger amended. Rather than accept changes they felt weakened the original language, legislators “passed by” key bills — sending them back to the Governor in their original form. She now has 30 days to sign or veto. Please take the calls to action below. We need her signature on these bills as written.

On the budget, significant disagreement remains between the House and Senate. Expect another special session in May — the deadline is June 30.

• Protected Spaces - Urge Governor Spanberger to protect people from unjust arrest in courthouses, schools, hospitals, and polling places. Take Action Here

• Unmask ICE; Display ID - Urge Governor Spanberger to stop on-duty law enforcement from concealing their identity and require them to display identification. Take Action Here

• Protecting Immigrants at Workplaces - Urge the Governor to sign this bill. Take Action Here

• Clean Up Dirty Data Centers - Urge your state legislators to pass data center reforms in the state budget. Take Action Here

This Friday is May Day, a national day of action demanding workers over billionaires. No school, no work, no shopping.

Through the legal fights, legislative battles, budget negotiations, and primaries ahead, the Friday Power Lunch is where we make sense of it all together, every week

Friday Power Lunch - May Day Mayday: No Business As Usual - Power, Pressure, and the Fight to Disrupt the Status Quo

This week’s Friday Power Lunch explores how power is built, challenged, and sustained in moments of disruption. Register HERE

Framed by the spirit of May Day, the episode examines the role of economic pressure, digital storytelling, and data-driven strategy in confronting the status quo - and what it means to step outside “business as usual” to demand change.

• Professor Robert M. McNab grounds the conversation in the history and real-world impact of economic disruption, asking what makes collective action effective and lasting.

• Nick Knudsen, DemcastUSA with the creators of Eleven Films, Jim and Tiffany Drastic, discuss the power of narrative and grassroots digital organizing through their new project, The Dangerous Ones, which highlights how storytelling can inform, connect, and mobilize.

• Tom Bonier brings insight into voter data, campaign efficiency, and how to ensure outreach efforts translate into real impact.

Across every segment, the throughline is clear: power is not passive, it is built through pressure, strategy, and connection. RSVP HERE

Thursday, April 30, 8 pm - Virtual Rapid Response Call: Louisiana v Callais Decision Update

Join the No Kings Coalition as we break down the ins and outs of the Callais decision on redistricting and the Voting Rights Act, what this means for you, and the future. You will hear from leaders from LDF, ACLU, and more. RSVP HERE

Friday, May 1 - May Day 2026

“Workers Over Billionaires” national day of action. Workers, students, and families will be marching, rallying, training, walking out and taking action together to make 3 demands. Take the pledge & find local events here

1. Tax the rich so our families, not their fortunes, come first;

2. No ICE. No war. No private army serving authoritarian power;

3. Expand democracy. Hands off our vote!

Friday - Sunday, May 1 - 3, 2026: DPVA Rural Retreat - Wintergreen Resort

Join the DPVA Rural Caucus for a jam packed weekend with Rural Democrats where we will learn, hear, speak and share with each other innovative strategies on how to work and win in rural areas. We will be joined by a host of Democratic speakers, organizations, and candidates from across the Commonwealth! Register Here

Monday, May 4, 5 pm - PA: Key to Winning the Midterms

Pennsylvania holds the key to winning the midterms. Join NOPE to learn how to help Dems win 3 toss-up PA races. Scranton Mayor and US House Candidate Paige Cognetti shares her insider view of the battle for House control. PA House Speaker Joanna McClinton discusses expanding the Democratic majority for free and fair elections. Make the Road Action PA Co-director Diana Robinson shares strategies for mobilizing underrepresented voters. RSVP HERE

Thursday, May 7, 5:00 pm - Fundraiser for Amy Acton and David Pepper Downtown DC

Meet Dr. Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for Governor of Ohio, and David Pepper, candidate for Lt. Governor. Dr. Acton is energizing folks across Ohio in ways we haven’t seen in decades. Recent polling shows Amy’s high job approval rating (+18) and Ramaswamy struggling, the Democratic ticket has pulled into a slight lead - and continue to see a strong lead with independents. Join our event in DC and help spread the word to local folks. RSVP HERE

Thursday - Sunday, May 7 - 10 Lowes Island Vigil at Trump National Golf Club

The LIV (“fifty-four”) Golf is a series of tournaments owned by the Saudi Government. We will use the tournament to celebrate the life and mourn the death of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist who was murdered by the Saudi government in 2018; he was our neighbor in Northern Virginia. Think ‘Tesla Takedown’ - but golf carts. More HERE

Saturday, May 9, 10 am - 1 pm - Save Democracy Summer at the Woman’s National Democratic Club

Summer is coming and we’ll head out across the country to events with friends and family - a great opportunity to talk about our crucial upcoming elections. Join us for energy-filled, information-packed sessions: how to inform and mobilize friends and family members, protect elections, reach rural voters, elect outstanding women, and more. Register HERE

Saturday, May 16, Noon - Richmond, VA Virginians for Reproductive Freedom Constitutional Amendment Kick Off Rally & March

This November, reproductive freedom is on the ballot - and Virginians for Reproductive Freedom (VRF) is officially kicking off our campaign! Join us in Richmond for powerful speakers, special guests, and opportunities to take action supporting the work ahead. The event will end with a short march, so bring your best homemade sign! Transportation available! RSVP for more details.

Wednesday, May 20, 10:30 am - ICE Out For Good Vigil, Fairfax County Circuit Court

Join Defend Democracy Indivisible NOVA to honor victims of ICE-related deaths and urge Fairfax officials to end cooperation with ICE. Monthly, on the 4th Wednesday. RSVP HERE

Network NOVA’s BADASS Blasts thrives with your support. Become a paid subscriber to strengthen our Virginia Grassroots Community!

Last week, the General Assembly reviewed legislation that had already passed both chambers and returned from the Governor with amendments. In many cases, legislators chose to “pass by” these bills—signaling that the Governor’s changes weakened the original intent and sending the bills back in their original form. We’re encouraged to see the General Assembly stand firm.

Now the clock is ticking. The Governor has 30 days to sign or veto each bill.

What happens next matters for workplace protections, safe community spaces, law enforcement accountability, and environmental responsibility.

This is where we show up.

Take a moment to act on the urgent calls below and urge the Governor to sign these bills into law as originally passed.

• Protecting Immigrants at Workplaces
  Urge the Governor to sign this bill.
  Click here to take action.

• Protected Spaces
  Urge Governor Spanberger to protect people from unjust arrest in courthouses, schools, and polling places.
  Click here to take action

• Anti-masking; display ID
  Urge Governor Spanberger to stop on-duty law enforcement from masking and require them to display identification. Click here to take action.

• Clean Up Dirty Data Centers
  Email your state legislators now. Urge them to pass data center reforms in the state budget!
  Click here to take action.

Treat yourself, check out our merch

Network NOVA’s BADASS Blasts thrives with your support. Become a paid subscriber to strengthen our Virginia Grassroots Community!

When we vote, we win. Virginia proved it this week!

We’re grateful for the many friends who showed up, fought back for democracy, and helped cut through a storm of misinformation. This victory belongs to all of you.

Yet the work doesn’t stop here.

Defending our democracy is an ongoing community commitment. Stay connected as we make sense of this moment and take action. The momentum is real. Now we build.

Looking ahead, May brings a series of community-building and nourishing events, beginning with the Annual Rural Retreat (May 1–3), featuring an outstanding lineup of speakers and presenters.

Make your plans. Stay engaged. Keep building.

Grab your We Voted. Democracy Won t-shirt. Watch for a special discount announcement on this week’s Friday Power Lunch. Let’s wear the win and keep the momentum going.

Friday, April 17, Noon ET | Virtual
Friday Power Lunch: From Detention to Dignity: The Fight We Cannot Ignore

This week connects Virginia’s grassroots win to the next national challenge.

Featuring Sam Shirazi (Federal Fallout) on the YES results, plus Luisa Boyarski, Andreina Malki, and Tannia Talento on immigrant rights, policy, and real-world impact.

Local action. National stakes.

Fighting back and defending our Democracy is a on-going community commitment, stay connected. RSVP

Friday, April 24, 2 pm - Virtual: Monthly UpVote Volunteer Call

Recruiting volunteers is one of the most powerful ways to grow your campaign’s reach—and UpVote makes it simple to do right from the app. You can invite friends to join your campaign as volunteers, track progress, and support outreach efforts over time. This feature empowers your supporters to become organizers, multiplying your impact. RSVP Here

Saturday, April 25, 4 pm - Alexandria: Dining for Democracy

This year, with redistricting on the table, more rural areas in Virginia will have a chance to vote for a Democrat, but rural Dems need our help to get the word out, to organize, and to persuade voters that the time is right to make a change in this country. Help Rural GroundGame in securing a deeper level of investment in every zip code to get Democrats elected. RSVP and invite your friends

Monday, April 27, 7 pm - Cinema Arts Fairfax: The Extraordinary Caterpillar - A Special Screening & Panel Discussion

Experience the enchanting world of The Extraordinary Caterpillar, a TVO Original documentary, with Climate Action NOW’s Monthly Film Festival. This captivating film reveals the crucial role of these tiny creatures in transforming parks and backyards, powering ecosystems that support everything from songbirds to grizzly bears. Free tickets HERE

Friday - Sunday, May 1-3 - Wintergreen Resort: DPVA Rural Retreat 2026 - Check out the line up on their Facebook Page

Join the DPVA Rural Caucus for a jam packed weekend with Rural Democrats where we will learn, hear, speak and share with each other innovative strategies on how to work and win in rural areas. We will be joined by a host of Democratic speakers, organizations, and candidates from across the Commonwealth! Register Here

Thursday - Sunday, May 7-10: Lowes Island Vigil at Trump National Golf Club

The LIV (“fifty-four”) Golf is a series of tournaments owned by the Saudi Government. We will use the tournament to celebrate the life and mourn the death of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist who was murdered and dismembered by the Saudi government in 2018; he was our neighbor in Northern Virginia. Think ‘Tesla Takedown’ - but golf carts. More HERE

Saturday, May 9, 10 am - 1 pm: Save Democracy Summer at the Woman’s National Democratic Club

Summer is coming and we’ll head out across the country to weddings, reunions, fun with friends and family - a great opportunity to talk about our crucial upcoming elections with all kinds of people. Join us for energy-filled, information-packed sessions on how to inform and mobilize friends and family members, protect elections, reach rural voters, elect outstanding women, and more. Register HERE

Saturday, May 16, Noon - Richmond, VA: Virginians for Reproductive Freedom Constitutional Amendment Kick Off Rally & March

This November, reproductive freedom is on the ballot - and Virginians for Reproductive Freedom (VRF) is officially kicking off our campaign! Please join us in Richmond for powerful speakers, special guests, and opportunities to take action supporting the work ahead. The event will end with a short march, so bring your best homemade sign! Transportation available! RSVP for more details.

Network NOVA’s BADASS Blasts thrives with your support. Become a paid subscriber to strengthen our Virginia Grassroots Community!

This is it. The big finish.

We are this close to 1 million calls — and we need you to help us crash through that finish line. Click here

We can’t do this without you. Join one of our final 3 phone banks:

• Today (4/19) at 4:30pm ET with special guest Glenn Kirschner [Register]

• Monday (4/20) at 3:00pm ET with special guest Rep. Lauren Underwood [Register]

• Monday (4/20) at 5:30pm ET with special guests Jess Piper & Michele Hornish [Register]

Why does this special election matter SO much? Simple: Virginia is voting for the entire nation.

This isn’t just our fight — it’s everybody’s.

YES to stopping Trump from rigging the midterms

YES to protecting Democracy (she deserves it)

YES to ending the chaos (we’re exhausted, you’re exhausted, everyone’s exhausted)

Join us. Bring snacks. Let’s reach a million calls together.

Click here for registration information about all 3 remaining phone banks.

One million calls doesn’t happen without everyone.

Join me in packing the Zoom room for our Big Finish. We Did NOT Come This Far to Stop at 999,999! CLICK HERE

We just added TWO phone banks for the Fight Back Vote YES campaign so epic, so electric, so absolutely history-making that we had to send an emergency email. You’re welcome.

FRIDAY (4/17 at 4pm ET) — The Legend Himself:

Ben Wikler isn’t just the great former state Democratic chair of Wisconsin — he’s THE greatest of our time! Come make calls with a living legend and soak up that winning energy. This is a full-on bucket list moment. [Register]

MONDAY (4/20 5:30pm ET) — & Game Changers in Red States

These two incredible women are out here doing what everyone said couldn’t be done — running Democrats in EVERY. SINGLE. SEAT. Red districts? RUNNING THERE. Long-ignored races? FLIPPING THEM BLUE! Jess and Michelle are rewriting the political playbook in real time and dragging overlooked communities back into the spotlight where they belong. They’re not waiting for change — they ARE the change. [Register]

So here’s the deal: history is being made RIGHT NOW with Virginia’s Fight Back Vote YES Redistricting Amendment Special Election on April 21, and you have a front-row seat (and a phone!) to be part of it.

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Start by joining us TONIGHT at 5:30pm with of Hopium Chronicles. [Register]

Let’s GO!

Stair Calhoun

PS: See you on the phones — bring friends, bring your heart, and bring ALL the good vibes! [full list of phone banks]

April 14, 2026

We are ON FIRE — record numbers of calls, record numbers of you showing up. But we’re not done yet. Democracy needs one more push, and you’re the one to give it. [Register]

Here’s why we’re calling Virginians to Vote YES on the redistricting referendum before the April 21st special election.

Trump is strong-arming red states into gerrymandering congressional districts to lock in Republican control for years. Virginia Democrats said absolutely not and launched a bold emergency redistricting referendum. Voting is already underway, with April 21st as the final day. And Republicans? They’re panic-flooding mailboxes with misleading, ugly mailers. When your policies are THAT unpopular, lying is apparently your whole strategy!

Drop what you’re doing (yes, even that), and sign up to dial for democracy with our amazing guest hosts! [Click here for full list] They’ll kick things off with the latest updates and a pep talk so good you’ll be pumped to dial before it’s even over.

This is it. Let’s finish strong.

Here’s the list of upcoming phone banks and guest hosts

• TODAY, April 14 at 4pmET - former Texas Rep. Colin Allred [Register]

• TODAY, April 14 at 5:30 pmET - Comedy night with Trae Crowder and Mark Agee [Register]

• Wed, April 15 at 5:30pmET - Reed Galen, co-founder of The Lincoln Project and President of The Union [Register]

• Thurs, April 16 at 5:30pmET - Simon Rosenberg, Hopium Chronicles [Register]

• Fri., April 17 at 3pmET - Virginia Rep. Jennifer McClellan [Register]

• Sun., April 19 at 4:30pmET - Glenn Kirschner, Podcaster and former Prosecutor [Register]

• Mon, April 20 at 3pmET - Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood [Register]

Indivisible’s Neighbor to Neighbor is LIVE

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Then ask your friends to do the same.

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It’s simple. It works. And it’s needed now.

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It’s crunch time for the April 21st Redistricting Referendum and we need YOU on the phones!

We are starting off the week with two powerhouse guests to fire you up: Justice Matters prosecutor-turned-podcaster Glenn Kirschner TODAY (4/10) at 4:30, and the one and only Jessica Craven (Chop Wood, Carry Water) TOMORROW (4/11) at 5:30 — bringing her trademark “here’s exactly what to do” energy. Don’t miss either one. [Click here for this week's phone bank schedule]

TODAY at 4:30pm ET — our special guest host is Glenn Kirschner of the Justice Matters podcast — a straight-talking former federal prosecutor who makes the law make sense and holds power accountable. He’s giving us a pep talk you won’t want to miss. [Register here]

TOMORROW (4/13) 5:30pm — join Jessica Craven, political activist and creator of the Chop Wood, Carry Water Substack, who turns outrage into action with daily, concrete steps you can actually take. [Register here]

Why this matters so much right now:

Trump is pushing red states to gerrymander congressional districts and lock in Republican control for years. But Virginia Democrats are fighting back with a bold emergency redistricting referendum — and voting is ALREADY HAPPENING ahead of the April 21st special election.

Meanwhile, Republicans are flooding mailboxes with misleading, downright ugly mailers to confuse voters. When your policies are that unpopular, apparently lying is your only play!

That’s where WE come in. All week long, we’re calling voters directly — cutting through the noise, setting the record straight, and making sure every Democrat knows what’s at stake. [Click here for the full schedule]

Never phone banked before? PERFECT. This is the most beginner-friendly phone bank you’ll ever join — we’re calling fellow Democrats who are already fired up and ready to act. Low pressure, high impact, and honestly? A lot of fun.

Our democracy is on the line — pick up the phone and fight for it.

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Come to Our Dialing Party!

Get ready for a Friday Happy Hour with a purpose — and a seriously fun crew: April 10 from 4pm-6:30pm ET. Register here.

We’re throwing a Dialing Party with four women who absolutely brought the house down at the Women’s Summit: Delegates Cia Price, Briana Sewell, Kathy Tran and Jackie Glass. (If you haven’t seen Delegate Price’s “Get Up Speak Up Act Up!” video, drop everything and watch it right now. You’ll be glad you did).

They’re bringing that same energy, passion, and joy to our Friday Happy Hour Dialing Party — and this time, we’re putting it to work. Register here.

Here’s what’s at stake: Trump is pressuring red states to gerrymander congressional districts and lock in a permanent Republican advantage. Virginia Democrats and many others are fighting back with a bold emergency redistricting referendum. Voting is already underway ahead of the April 21st special election.

Republicans are responding the only way they know how: flooding mailboxes with misinformation and ugly, racist mailers. When your policies can’t stand on their own, apparently that’s the move.

We have a better one. This Friday, we’re coming together to call Virginia voters, cut through the noise and set the record straight! Good company, great energy, and calls that actually matter. Register here.

And after you have so much fun at this phone bank, sign up for more. We have a phone bank every day with an all-star list of hosts including Simon Rosenberg, Jessica Craven, Reed Galen and more. Click here for the full schedule

Let’s get Virginia to YES!

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Ukraine experts are helping the United States intercept drone attacks. Meanwhile, Russia is helping Iran target American forces.

Read that again.

Our ally is protecting us. Our enemy is targeting us. And we just cut off funding to our ally.

This is not foreign policy. This is a betrayal of Ukraine, of our allies, and of every principle of national security this country claims to stand for. Russia is not a neutral party. Russia is not a partner. Russia is our enemy, and every day we withhold support from Ukraine, we hand Putin exactly what he wants.

And let’s be honest about the economics. The war in Ukraine has helped drive up global oil prices. Removing sanctions on Russia in a desperate attempt to lower gas prices does not solve that problem. It rewards the aggressor. It puts money directly into the Kremlin’s war chest.

Ukraine is not asking us to fight their war. They are fighting it themselves. In doing so, they are fighting ours too.

Fund Ukraine. Restore sanctions. Stand up to Russia.

Because right now, Putin is pointing at this moment and saying exactly what the image shows: “I’m doing that.”

#Ukraine #Russia #Oil #FightBack #NoMoreWars

Network NOVA’s BADASS Blasts thrives with your support. Become a paid subscriber to strengthen our Virginia Grassroots Community!

A group calling itself Justice for Democracy has been sending several deceptive mailers and texts to Virginia voters, particularly Black voters, using civil rights era imagery and language to urge a no vote on the April 21 redistricting referendum. (One of the mailers and text state that Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger supports voting no -that is a lie. Spanberger’s video makes it clear she is voting YES.)

Sounds legitimate, right? Let’s look a little closer.

Justice for Democracy is based in Williamsburg, Virginia. Its treasurer is Christopher Woodfin, an attorney whose firm has provided legal and compliance services to Republican candidates and committees in Virginia totaling more than $366,000. Justice for Democracy’s chairman is former Republican Delegate A.C. Cordoza, who has a public record of predatory behavior.

A second PAC, Democracy and Justice PAC, was quietly created on March 3 and shares the exact same Williamsburg address. Same chairman. Same treasurer. Different name. Interesting timing.

The mailers feature black-and-white photographs of civil rights marchers with the message “Our ancestors fought to represent us”, invoking the imagery of people who marched, bled, and died for voting rights, in service of a campaign to vote NO.

The NAACP called it out. The Virginia Attorney General called it out. All six Democratic members of Virginia’s congressional delegation called it out. Even another group opposing the referendum, No Gerrymandering Virginia, immediately fired Woodfin as their treasurer when the connection became public.

When asked who is funding these PACs, Woodfin initially declined to answer, citing attorney-client privilege.

So to summarize: a shadowy, Republican-connected PAC with a misleading name, created weeks before the referendum, run by a recently defeated Republican lawmaker, is sending mailers to Black voters using civil rights imagery to suppress the Vote YES campaign.

Nothing to see here. The NAACP and all of our Democratic leaders are voting YES!

Virginia, eyes open. Vote YES on April 21. Don’t let them fool you.

#VoteYES #FightBack

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There are moments in history when the right voice at the right time changes everything. This is one of those moments.

Timothy Snyder, historian, author, and one of the most important voices of our time, joins NOPE Neighbors for their 2026 kick-off, March 17, 5:00pm EDT - RSVP

On Tyranny, first published in 2017 as a roadmap for resisting authoritarianism, has never left the New York Times bestseller list. Because the warnings he wrote then are the reality we are living now.

Snyder will share his insight on our current political moment and what it will take to save democracy. Not in the abstract. Right here, right now, in 2026.

This is not just a talk. It is a call to action. RSVP

Following Snyder’s remarks, organizers will lay out a concrete strategy for winning the midterms, flipping the House, reaching for the Senate, mobilizing underrepresented voters in battleground states, and identifying the targeted House races where grassroots energy can make the difference.

This event is co-hosted by more than 25 grassroots organizations including Network NOVA, Friday Power Lunch, Indivisible National, Swing Blue Alliance, Chop Wood Carry Water, Third Act, and many more — because when this many groups come together, something important is happening. RSVP

All are welcome. Bring a friend. Share widely.

Democracy doesn’t save itself. We do.

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Support the Virginia Grassroots and Viva La Resistance, ‘ We have friends everywhere’ - On Tyranny: Do not obey in advance. BADASSBoutique.us

Network NOVA’s BADASS Blasts thrives with your support. Become a paid subscriber to strengthen our Virginia Grassroots Community!

Thank you to 31st Street Swing Left for this powerful image. It says everything. He told you: high gas prices are not a failure, they are the plan.

“When oil prices go up, we make A LOT OF MONEY!!!” That’s not a villain in a movie. That’s Trump. In his own words. About your gas prices.

This is not an accident. High energy prices are a feature, not a bug, of Trump and MAGA policy. While working families stretch every dollar at the pump, his billionaire oil and gas donors. Harold Hamm, who advised Trump’s energy policy, and the Koch network that has bankrolled Republican energy obstruction for decades are cashing in!

And it’s not just gasoline. Higher oil prices mean higher fertilizer costs for farmers, higher shipping costs for every product you buy, higher materials costs for construction and manufacturing. Every working person pays. Every donor to Trump profits.

But let’s be clear about something beyond the policy failures. This is a man with no compassion for his fellow human beings. A man with a well-documented history of racism, cruelty, and the treatment of women as objects. No empathy. No decency. No redeeming qualities as a human being. The policy failures are bad enough. The character failures are worse.

Add it all to the list: a botched pandemic response, January 6th, two impeachments, 34 felony convictions, an economy tilted toward the ultra-wealthy, and now deliberately stoking energy costs while his donors cheer.

Pathetic. Incompetent. Self-obsessed. A failure as a leader and as a human being.

The antidote is simple. Organize. Vote. Win in November.

#GreedyBillionaires #NoMoreWars #GasPrices #Failure #FightBack #VoteYes

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Network NOVA’s BADASS Blasts thrives with your support. Become a paid subscriber to strengthen our Virginia Grassroots Community!

We are back. And the stakes are higher.

Politicians are rigging the maps. They are drawing district lines designed to predetermine outcomes, silence communities, and hold onto power no matter how Virginians vote. This is not democracy. This is a calculated assault on it.

But Virginia is fighting back. #FightBack

On April 21, Virginians have one job: Vote YES. This special election is our chance to take redistricting out of the hands of politicians and put it where it belongs — with the people. No tricks. No rigged maps. Just fair representation.

We used this phrase in 2020 and we mean it even more today: it is the #OnlyOption.

Giving up is not an option. Staying home is not an option. Letting them win without a fight is not an option.

Most importantly, please watch and share the new Why Virginia Matters 2026. Love it. Share it everywhere. Comment on it. Make noise. Because Virginia has done it before and Virginia will do it again.

Virginians, take a stand. Push back April 21.

#VoteYES #FightBack #OnlyOption #OrdinaryPeopleBuildPower #Virginia

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