My Fellow Young Democrats-

I first and foremost want to say that the Arlington Young Democrats are continuing to monitor the situations both in Afghanistan and Haiti following the events of last week. We will work to support the refugees and those affected by these events anyway we can from Arlington. You can check out resources for both here and here.

We will also continue to do the work to elect Democrats and support our young Democrats in our county, our commonwealth, and our country:

This past week, Young Democrats from all over the country convened in Cincinnati, OH for our bi-annual Young Democrats of America convention. We had a strong showing from our Virginia delegation and we participated in different committee meetings and also elected a new national committee. Talking with people from right next door in the Mid Atlantic Region all the way to Alaska, VAYD took care of a lot of business, including electing some of our Virginia YDs to leadership positions in different caucuses and committees.

Thank you to the Ohio Young Democrats and Kentucky Young Democrats for hosting us both in Cincinnati and across the river in Kentucky. A big congratulations to all of the new officers and to the committee who put the convention together. I look forward to continuing our work on the local level to support YDA and our new leadership.

Now, I’m going to keep saying this as much as I can until November 2nd. While we’re out there campaigning this year and whenever people are feeling a little tired, we need to remind ourselves, “As goes Virginia, so goes the Nation.”

We cannot allow 2021 to be another 2009. After we won in 2008, electing the first Black President after 2 terms of disarray, we took our foot off the gas and ended up with a Republican administration. And it’s not out of the realm of possibility of happening again. New polling just dropped from VCU today putting Terry at 40% and Youngkin at 37% which is basically, as Governor Wilder put it, “a dead heat.”

We have too much on the line to stop now. We have fought too hard and have come too far to turn back now. They are looking to roll back everything we have accomplished. The attack on voter rights happening in Texas, Florida, and throughout the south could be here before you know it if we don’t act.

If you want to have campaign finance reform and ethics reform in Richmond, I’m asking you to knock on those doors. If you want to repeal our so-called right to work laws and have true economic equality here in Virginia, I’m asking you to make a few phone calls. If you want to protect the air we breathe and the planet we live on, text a few of your friends. If you want to make Virginia a place that will welcome you know matter who you are, what you look like, where you come from, who you love, what faith you serve, what you do, or how much money you make and make Virginia a commonwealth where wealth is common, get out there and elect democrats up and down the ballot.

Racial justice is on the ballot. Social justice is on the ballot. Environmental justice is on the ballot. Economic justice is on the ballot. If we keep up the momentum, we’re gonna be able to make even more progress in Virginia over the next four years, and I can’t wait to do that with y’all.

Make sure to stop by and see us at the Arlington County Fair this weekend at our shared booth with the Arlington Democrats. And don’t forget to come out to our General Membership meeting and campaign training event on Tuesday as we get ready to win this November.

Democratically yours,

Matt Royer