Virginia Senate President pro tempore Louise Lucas (D), a woman helping lead the charge to redraw the commonwealth’s congressional maps to favor Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, has used her donors’ cash to: bankroll her family business, fund her daughter’s political career, cut checks to churches who support her party, pay for casino events, support organizations where she is a member, and to cover tabs at restaurants dealing in steak and seafood.

Lucas brags that her redistricting effort, if successful, could result in the Old Dominion state having a congressional delegation of 10 Democrats and one Republican, costing the GOP four seats and possibly control of the entire House of Representatives. The Virginia lawmaker is no stranger to campaign finance controversy, as her approval for a casino project after receiving a $100,000 donation from the company proposing it drew scrutiny from the press in 2024.