The Nov. 5 general election for the Virginia state assembly has attracted interest from beyond the state’s boundaries.
Hollywood liberals have been outspoken in their support of “flipping the state blue” and moving more Democrats into the state Senate and House of Delegates. People for the American Way, a liberal group focused on getting more liberal candidates involved in the government, has recruited Alec Baldwin to speak at their Oct. 22 event in northern Virginia to drum up interest in the elections.
Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus explained the liberal interest in Virginia in a recent Twitter video. The motivation, she claimed, was to make Virginia a Democrat-controlled state that would support the Equal Rights Amendment. Should Virginia flip two seats in each chamber and vote to ratify the amendment, she claims, they would become the 38th and final state that would make the legislation final.
Women don’t have equal rights in the US Constitution? That’s insane! If we can flip just 4 seats in Virginia, we can FINALLY ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution! Go to https://t.co/TCM3oAY4N4 to donate in one click! @ImpactSlates pic.twitter.com/yuk6msYmMc
— Julia Louis-Dreyfus (@OfficialJLD) October 14, 2019
Opponents of the ERA have noted the bill does not give more rights to women than 14th Amendment does, but gives more control to the federal government when dictating wages and other provisions. Pro-life advocates also note that the ERA would strengthen laws that allow women to abort babies at any point during pregnancy without restriction, which is a flash-point issue for many voters.
Liberal interest in local Virginia elections stems from a national interest in strengthening the federal government and passing laws such as the ERA. Republicans currently hold a slim majority in both the upper and lower chambers of the state legislature. Several county seats are viewed as vulnerable as the state heads into the final days before the Nov. 5 election.
