After Our Huge Election Wins, What’s Next?
Virginia, way to go! We did the hard work, and it’s really showing. Spanberger, Hashmi, and Jones will be leading our state, and 13 seats flipped in the Virginia House of Delegates. There are only 100 seats! This is genuinely amazing! Now with a Governor who will actually sign the bills that the Virginia General Assembly (VGA) passes, we have a real opportunity for significant gun reform legislation in our commonwealth.
So what’s next? All of that energy we have poured into elections, where does it go now? First, we celebrate and acknowledge the win. There aren’t enough opportunities to feel joy and hope and elation, so we hope you can first really sit with those feelings and savor them. Next, we’ll be making sure that we keep making our voices heard--this time by engaging with our elected officials.
As an organization, Virginians for Change will be engaging with our legislators in a variety of ways. You as an individual do not need to join us for every single one of these initiatives! We all have different capacities and comfort levels. Please join us for what works for you personally, and give yourself a gold star for participating. While we’ll post a lot of different opportunities, we never want anyone to feel discouraged for not being able to take up every single opportunity for activism. This work is a marathon, and we encourage you to tap in when you can. Take breaks as you need, and we’ve got a spot for you when you’re ready to come back!
Advocacy Day
On Monday, January 19th (MLK Day), we’ll be going to the Virginia State Capitol to advocate for gun violence prevention legislation. We join a number of GVP advocates from dozens of groups across the state for a rally outside, and then we move indoors to drop off flyers and have meetings. No experience or special knowledge is needed! Your presence alone has a huge impact. It lets our legislators know that you care so much about GVP that you were willing to spend your day at the Capitol. Kiddos are welcome to join with the note that topics of conversation do center on g*n vi0lence. Save the date, and we'll have more info to come. We can't wait to have you join us there!
Weekly Calls to Action
The VGA will start its 60 day session on January 14th. Over the course of those weeks, we’ll put out calls to action on our Instagram and through our Village Square emails. They will direct you on how to call your legislator or email a committee or post a public comment. No need to get every one, but these can be some great entry points for activism. Some of the bill topics we’ll expect to see are: assault weapons regulation, ghost gun regulation, safe storage inducements, background check and waiting period legislation, protections for domestic violence survivors, allowing colleges to ban guns on campuses, and more. Be sure you’re following us on IG and that you’re signed up for our Village Square emails so you can stay in the loop.
Want to Do Something Even Sooner?
Ahead of the 2026 Session, let your delegates and senators know that GVP remains a high priority for you! Have just a few minutes? Use our template and send emails letting them know you want them to support GVP legislation. Have the time and interest to request a face-to-face (or virtual) meeting? Review our constituent meeting guide and then let us know when your meeting is set up. We can publicize it to other VFC members and gather a group to attend with you. VFC leadership is available to answer any questions - email volunteer@virginiansforchange.org with subject “Constituent Meeting.”