This is important. Address theant we pain and sorrow suffered may 31 in Virginia Beach. Here in virginia and across the country, we are all too familiar with this pain. We will take action to stop the scorch of gun violence. [cheers and applause] of gun vi. And we will take it immediately. We will honor the 12 members of our Virginia Beach community, who we love. Who we love, with our actions. I agree with the governor, he said bots and prayers are not enough. We need action. Room, i dot, in this ask for we have a lot of people from the Virginia Beach community with us tonight, please stand. I asked that you all please stand with them and follow the solidarity for a moment of silence in their memory. Thank you. Crowd. This there are 1800 democrats here tonight. [cheers and applause] one for every democrat running for president. [laughter] in all seriousness, help me say it one more time. There are 1800 fired up democrats in this room. [cheers and applause] the state of the Democratic Party of virginia is stronger than ever. To have two lucky of our president ial candidates with us this evening. Servantsible public would understand the importance of virginia, not just next year, but this year. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who will and senator Amy Klobuchar and their staff at it. Sure, there are a lot of roads that lead to washington dc, but lets be honest. Who wants to go through maryland or West Virginia . The best and smartest route to 1600 pennsylvania avenue is right here in virginia. Trust me, i know. I looked it up on google maps. To beyor and senator, helpful, i prepared three kits to help you with this crowd. With yourrks remarks with, you are happy at be here with the greatest elected official of virginia,. Every elected official here tonight will think you are talking about them. Especially Terry Mcauliffe and mark warner. When asked where you will be on super tuesday, the answer is virginia. Finally, the best way to make a lifelong friend is to add these eight words in your speech. Old. Oks great for 35 years not justwe celebrate our past, but also to commit to joining together to achieve our goal in winning the house and senate this november. Victory. Ot a this is not a victory just for vick three say. It is so we can make sure that the progress we have made under of chuck, jerry, doug, mark, tim kaine, Terry Mcauliffe, and Governor Northam continues. [applause] ms. Swecker we know whats at stake. We just need a few seats in the house and senate to take control of the General Assembly, and with control of both houses, we will raise the minimum wage. [cheers and applause] ms. Swecker we will stop a repressive alabama style abortion ban from coming to virginia. [cheers and applause] ms. Swecker we will pass the equal rights amendment and make it part of the United States constitution. [cheers and applause] ms. Swecker and we will fight like hell to get this done in july. With control of both houses in january, we will pass common sense gun reform. [cheers and applause] ms. Swecker i repeat again, whether it is in three weeks or in january, we will pass common sense gun reform. [cheers and applause] ms. Swecker no virginian should have to fear not returning home when they go to school, work, or worship. Now, our primaries are over. We are once again united by our common values and shared commitment to progress, and with your efforts, with your being here tonight, with your energy, and with your hard work over the next 143 days, we can make 2019 the greatest year in the history of the Democratic Party of virginia. [cheers and applause] ms. Swecker so, lets enjoy the evening and the fellowship, and tomorrow lets get up and go to work. [cheers and applause] announcer now please welcome, from the second district, congresswoman elaine luria. [dont stop believing plays] rep. Luria good evening. Im elaine luria, and i represent the second Congressional District, which includes the city of Virginia Beach. Two weeks ago yesterday, a gunman entered municipal blooming 2 and murdered 12 innocent people and seriously injured four others. Those 12 people went to work friday morning serving our communities, and we are looking forward to one of the first weekends of summer. A summer weekend filled with festivals, childrens sporting events, barbecues, and sunday worship. But instead, their families spent the weekend planning their funerals. One was tara gallagher, a mother of a 22 month old son. One was a native of belarus who wanted nothing more than to be an american. One of those killed was my friends son, keith cox, who led his colleagues to shelter, saving their lives. And once they were safe, he went back out of the room to save more people. Over the past two weeks, you may have heard many people say that this will not define us. That is a sentiment of a community that wants to tell the nation we are better than this. Over the past two weeks, i have prayed with our community, hugged neighbors at a makeshift memorial, clasped the hands of a survivor in a hospital, and shed many tears during nine funerals and wakes for the lives senselessly taken in this horrific act of violence. Today, as we look back over these two weeks, i want to say that we should let this define us. We should let keiths actions define us. Keith is a hero. As officers rushed in the building to save lives, keith was in the building saving lives. So, i do want this moment to define us. I want to be keith, and i want to be the first responders, and i want to be the grief counselors, and i want to be the stranger who cries at the memorial. We should let this tragedy define us, for in our darkest hour we see hope. We see we have more in common than differences. As the nation has moved on to the next big story, i want you to know that i will never stop talking about keith. In the coming weeks, our community and commonwealth need to have Difficult Conversations to see how we can be keith. We can be bold. We can be brave. We can save lives. As we do this, we will let keith define us. And if there are people in office that dont want to have those Difficult Conversations, then those people dont deserve to represent our communities across the commonwealth. Thank you, and god bless. [applause] announcer please welcome, from the seventh district, congresswoman Abigail Spanberger. [say my name plays] [applause] rep. Spanberger good evening, virginia. Do we have any democrats in the house . [cheers and applause] rep. Spanberger i know you are eating, but i am going to need this to be a little interactive for a minute. How many seats did we flip in 2017 . 15 how many seats did we flip in 2018 . Three how many seats are going to flip in 2019 . All all of them rep. Spanberger all of them im a bit of an optimist, i admit, but when you are in a seat that people say is unwinnable, you have to be an optimist. I will tell you this. This, virginia. If we have learned anything from 2017 and 2018, it is that there is no such thing as an unwinnable district, and there is no such thing as a seat that we cannot flip red to blue. [cheers and applause] rep. Spanberger and the reason we can do it is because of people like you. The reason we can do it is because we have engaged, excited people across virginia who believe that change is possible and who are willing to put the time and energy into realizing it. So let me ask you a couple questions. How many of you were volunteering before 2016 in virginia for Democratic Politics . Raise your hand. And how many of you were engaged in 2017, knocking doors, donating money, supporting candidates . How many of you did it in 2018 . [cheers and applause] rep. Spanberger and how many of you have ever put your name on a ballot . [cheers] rep. Spanberger this is how we win. We win when good people fight and work and donate their time and energy and enthusiasm. We talk a lot about flipping seats here in virginia, but it is about so much more than flipping seats. It is about the results that happen when we have people in our legislative bodies who are committed to making our communities better and stronger. And in 2019, we have an opportunity to fundamentally change virginia. In 2017, we got medicaid expansion. We got the increase in the felony larceny threshold. Because we got 15 new seats in the house of delegates. 11 of them won by women. [cheers] rep. Spanberger and in 2018, we fundamentally changed what the virginia delegation looks like when you all elected me and elaine luria and jennifer wexton. And in 2019, we are going to do it again. And in 2019, we are going to put the focus back on virginia, and we are going to win the house of delegates, and we are going to win the state senate because when we get behind good candidates and there are good candidates here tonight and there are good candidates running across the commonwealth of virginia, that is how we realize the focus of making our community stronger, our policies better, and we create opportunities. I will ask for one more thing. Everyone running in the commonwealth of virginia in 2019 who will have his or her name on a ballot, please stand up. [cheers and applause] rep. Spanberger thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It is because of the bravery and the excitement and the fierceness of candidates like you, whether you are running for school board or state senate, that we can foundationally make our communities stronger. One more time, ladies and gentlemen, please keep fighting, and donating your time, your energy and money, because here in virginia, we have proven time and time again that it is worth it, and we are living proof of that so thank you. [cheers and applause] announcer please welcome, from the 10th district, congresswoman jennifer wexton. Rep. Wexton hello, virginia democrats. Im jennifer wexton, and thanks to you i proudly represent virginias 10th district in the u. S. House of representatives. And i know what you are wondering. What is it like serving in this historic class in congress . Not going to lie, its pretty awesome. Being one of the women in white at the state of the union and looking out to see the amazing diversity on our side of the chamber is something i will never forget. I get to call john lewis colleague. And yes, aoc is really cool and nice. Seriously, we sit next to each other in financial services, and she has something of a sweet tooth, so she often has candy, and she always shares. She walks the talk when it comes to democratic socialism, aoc does. And if i do say so myself, abigail, elaine, and i have brought a serious upgrade to the virginia delegation. [cheers and applause] rep. Wexton it is great to be serving in the majority, and it is great to serve with so many women because it really does help shape our priorities. I am so proud we passed paycheck fairness in the house, that we are fighting for paid family leave, and that we voted to close the boyfriend loophole and extend the violence against women act. We are fighting to lower the cost of health care and make sure no family goes bankrupt because of a medical emergency. We are fighting to protect lgbtq americans and live up to the fundamental promise of this nation that all americans are created equal. Were fighting for dreamers to give them the fair pathway to citizenship they deserve. And as a mom of two schoolage boys, i am so proud that we took the first meaningful step to End Gun Violence in two decades by voting to pass universal background checks for firearm purchases. Yes, it is good to be in the majority, but i remember when it remember what it was like to be in the minority in richmond. As a lawmaker, it is not fun, and more important, it is bad for the commonwealth. When republicans hold the gavel in richmond, Gun Safety Bills are dead on arrival. Special interests and corporations, for our environment and virginian families. Womens access to Reproductive Health care comes under attack, and thats what the stakes are stake on whats at november 5, health care, clean water and air, knowing that our leaders in richmond are doing everything in their power to stop another mass shooting from ever taking place again in virginia. We have to keep all the seats that we flipped in 2017, make sure we elect all our delegates that the republicans are coming for this year. We all know that the best defense is a good offense. Luckily for us, we have amazing candidates who are going to help flip seats, like dan helmer is going to finally retire tim hugo from the house of delegates. And to our 2020 candidates, we love that you are visiting virginia and visiting with us tonight, but we would love it a lot more if you came to knock doors and campaign with us in the fall. So, senator klobuchar and mayor pete, thank you so much for joining us tonight, and i know you will be back to help us get out the vote in october. [applause] rep. Wexton thank you to our incredible 2019 candidates. I know it is not easy, what you are doing. Putting yourselves out there each and every day. Its hard work and it will only get harder as we get closer to election day. You are not in this alone. We have got your backs. I cant wait to come back next year and celebrate all the things we have accomplished with virginias new democratic majority. Thank you so much. Announcer please welcome from the 11th district, congressman gerry connolly. Good evening, fellow democrats. I thought this was going to be a quiet dinner. With a couple of thousand of my best friends. Fellow democrats, listen up a little bit. Up. Se, listen these are no ordinary times. And these elections this year and next year are not ordinary elections. Have toe opportunity we reclaim our democracy. We are in the fight of our lives, the soul of our country. 2017, showed in the way. And that was in order of things to come in the midterm elections. Why our election this year is so important. We need to win back the state house, to show america the way to 2020. [applause] it is time to retire the rationalize ors and the noblers who see and hear evil when it comes to donald trump. We have all but a criminal enterprise that came to the white house to the trump organization. We need to hold them accountable. In the majority, we are doing just that. And he does not like it. And we need more of us to pick that up. And virginia again has the opportunity to show us the way. Final point. Democrats, after we make our decisions, we must come together. We must be a united team going into battle next year. That is how we retire donald j trump. And restore the democratic value system and restore americas reputation in the world. So let us make sure that whoever we pick to be our nominee for president of the United States, that we get behind the nominee. And go into battle as a united party, open to all americans. Thank you for having me here today. And lets go into battle and win against this president. God bless you all. [applause] please welcome from the fourth district, congressman donald mceachin. They discriminate against tall people. I didnt know we have teleprompters appear. Good evening, my fellow virginia democrats. I am so excited to be here with you tonight. Look at this capacityfilled room. Give yourselves a round of applause. It reflects the enthusiasm and energy of democrats around our commonwealth. We have a big opportunity in this election to take back the General Assembly. What comes with that opportunity is a big responsibility. Each of us needs to knock on doors, to talk to our neighbors, to open our wallets, and to support our candidates. Lets talk about these. They have put aside their lives and priorities to run for office. We will have that opportunity to take virginia forward in a progressive and inclusive way. This past week we saw some emotional candidates in the primaries. Let me say thank you to the winners and those who do not quite succeed. Those folks all make us a stronger and better party because of their participation. Now is a time when we must come together. These elections this fall can make a huge difference. Remember, we cannot get the General Assembly to take away ban on gayable marriage out of the virginia constitution. Even though it is an illegal law. We need a virginia where you can love who you want to love and be who you want to be. And we cannot even get the General Assembly to pass a law for that e. R. A. Amendment in the constitution. We need to address Sexual Harassment and assault, and not pretend it is not happening. And we cannot get a simple, Legal Process for restoration of rights for the person who has served their time to become a productive citizen, with all rights and responsibilities. And our family, friends and neighbors continue to be victims of senseless gun violence. We have gone to too many food roles. We need commonsense sense gun safety and universal band round background checks. And limits on magazines. We cannot get an acknowledgment of Climate Change as it becomes more extreme and more dangerous. What happens to the responsibility we have to our children and grandchildren to leave the world a better place . And apparently, women cannot be trusted to make their own health care determinations. We need to trust women. We dont want to force them into dangerous back alleys and we , still live with the remnants of a 400 year history. We need to address these and address this in virginia to make this the Progressive Home we all want. We need to win these elections. I know we will. Your dedication, your commitment, your belief makes it possible and gives me confidence. Do not ever doubt that you make a difference. Every door every march, every , postcard. You are the true champions. Just know that i and all of us up here will be out there with you on this fall when we ride on your shoulders. For all you have done and all that you will do, i offer you a heartfelt thanks. And i would be remiss if i did not say thank you to one other of people. 400 years ago, came to our shores the first africans in chains. People who are Strong Enough mentally and physically to survive what we would call the middle passage. To them, we thank them here and we stand on their shoulders. To the ancestors known and unknown, god bless you. Look at what happened one of , your children is a United States congressman. God bless you. [applause] [cheers applause] announcer please welcome from the third district, congressman bobby scott. [applause] virginia democrats, good evening i would like to welcome senator Amy Klobuchar and mayor Pete Buttigieg for being with us tonight. With candidates like this, we know that we are going to take over and win the white house in 2020. Give them a round of applause. [applause] [cheers applause] virginia is already on the way to winning our country back in 2017 we flipped 15 seats in the house of delegates. Then, in 2018, we put three remarkably talented women into congress. Elaine luria, westin, and spanberger, along with donna don mceachin jerry conley, and myself. We can do it. And we are going to do it again. This year, we are going to repeat. We are going to take over the house of delegates and state senate, and then we will follow in winning back the white house, 2020 winning the senate, and holding the house of representatives. We know that when we elect democrats, we are putting the interest of working people over those of special interests. Over the years, republican obstruction in the General Assembly, we overcame that with your hard work. Democrats gained the house of delegates in 2017. Because of your hard work, we expanded medicaid to 400,000 virginians, who now have access to affordable, lifesaving health care. I want all of the members of the house of delegates and state senate to stand up so that we can show our appreciation for what you did. All of the members of the General Assembly and then, all candidates, join them. You will make the difference when we take over the house and the senate. Thank you. And the u. S. House of representatives, the new democratic majority passing legislation that is putting working people first. And moving an agenda that is actually for the people. In less than six months, we have already passed legislation to eliminate the pay gap. To ensure rights for lgbtq virginians and americans. We have reformed financial laws, passed legislation for a pathway to citizenship for dreamers. We passed legislation to make sure that the United States upholds its obligation to address Climate Change under the paris agreement. And we passed legislation to address gun violence. In the weeks and months ahead, just the democrats on the education and labor committee, will pass legislation to raise the minimum wage to 15 per hour by 2024. That would be the first increase in minimum wage in a decade. We are going to pass legislation to protect pensions. We are going to pass legislation to make college more affordable. We are going to make it easier to join a union. And we are going to create millions of jobs by fixing our crumbling infrastructure, and modernizing our public schools. These are the things that will make to difference in peoples lives or could make a difference if United States republicans take up the bills and consider them, instead of what they are doing, nothing. Have marks lucky to and tim and amy working for them, but they need help. In 2020, it is important for us to focus on the white house. And also focus on making sure that mark warner returns to the United States senate. So, virginia democrats, we have much to celebrate. We have a lot of work ahead of us. And we have to organize registered voters, knock on doors, and remind everybody that we have a critically important election in virginia. And the blood, sweat, and tears we put into 2019 make it easy to elect democrats and take over the house of delegates and the Virginia Senate. And make sure that virginians are once again in the democratic column for the white house in 2020. Virginians deserve a General Assembly that works for them. The American People deserve a congress and a president that works for them. And all of that work starts right here in 2019. So lets get to work. Thank you very much. In 2017, i saw the direction our country was going. I decided to change. My state had not been won by a democrat in 26 years. With the help of many of you, i was able to win my district. As a firsttime candidate. The Democratic Party virginia was there every step of the way. I felt like i had support from the party, i had support from democrats all around the state of virginia. Over the past decade, the Democratic Party of virginia has been on the front lines fighting. In 2017 staff and volunteers knocked on over 4. 5 million doors and contacted voters which contributed to flipping nearly 15 house seats. In we knocked on over 2. 7 2018 million doors and contacted to enter 32,000 voters in support of our candidates. During the 2018 election, we helped elect congressman bobby scott, donald mceachin, jerry connolly. We also helped elect three women into congress. Helene luria, Abigail Spanberger, and jennifer wexton. The Democratic Party of virginia is committed to electing Democratic Leaders from the courthouse to the statehouse to the white house. We have been able to expand medicaid to more than 400,000 virginians, ensuring they have access to Quality Health care. We have restored rights of 200,000 virginia citizens. We have done so much more. There is so much at stake in 2019 and 2020. You never know when your one vote can be the one vote that decides an election. Can you imagine the possibilities if i had just had one more field organizer, or one more person making phone calls . This is why one vote matters. One vote. Your vote. Could make that big of a difference. Lets make this the year that we empower women, people of color, and our lgbt brothers and sister. Lets make this the year that we take back the house of delegates. Lets make this the year that we take back the Virginia Senate. Lets make this the year we make every vote count. Lets make this the year we try even harder for virginia that works for us. Folks, this is an exciting Election Year here in virginia. For the first time in 26 years, we can win the housesenate and the governors mansion. Think of the great legislation that we can get done. The e. R. A. , protecting Health Care Social security, medicare, Gun Safety Bills. We cannot let this opportunity go by. This is a historic moment for the commonwealth of virginia. A historic moment for progressive democrats. We can change virginia forever. We need your help. We need it right now. This is the critical resource needed to make every phone call, to make sure we knock on every single door. We need the help of the party. With an additional 10,000, we can hire the field staff to knock on thousands more doors. You know that i once wrestled an alligator to raise money for the Democratic Party. I am not asking you to do that. But i am asking you to give money to the Democratic Party. Help us put the folks on the ground and do what we need to do. You can start right here, right now. Will you join us . Please welcome richmond mayor levar stoney. Levar stoney good evening virginia democrats i want to welcome you to the great city of richmond. A city that is putting children at the forefront of our agenda. Of being a more inclusive city. In the city of richmond we are building new schools. In the city of richmond, we have a record investment in Public Education. In the city of richmond we have expanded afterschool programs, so every Elementary School are and every middle school or has access. In localities like ours, we cannot do this by ourselves. We need a progressive majority in the virginia General Assembly. Tonight, we stand on the precipice of change in virginia. 10 years ago, we were reduced to 39 seats in the house of delegates. Two years later, we were at our lowest. They said our party was done. We came roaring back. Tonight, lets commit ourselves to finishing the job. And winning back the General Assembly. So we can pass the e. R. A. , common sense gun laws, and protect our rainbow community. Tonight we not only need your time, but also we need your treasure as well. So get out your phones. Get out your phones, everyone. And lets text 9779, so we can ensure that our candidates will win all over the ommonwealth of virginia. Please welcome delegate Jennifer Carol boyd. So clap twice if you can hear me. I said, clap twice. All right. Good evening. Hello. I said good evening. I represent Prince William and stafford. I would like to thank our hosts for giving me the opportunity to speak with you tonight. Im going to start with a brief story of a conversation that i had in 2017. As i was knocking on doors, and going to candidate forums, i met a woman named eunice. And when i tried to tell her about the things i wanted to do as her next delegate, she was a very short, petite woman with dark blackpper hair, deep swollen eyes. And before i could get started, she reached out her hand, and she said, i have done everything right. I have done everything that i was told to do. I have raised my kids and my three grandkids. I have worked every single day of my life. I have worked long and i have worked hard. And there is this narrative out there that poor people do not matter. That poor people want a hand out. That poor people do not want to work, and that is not true. She said, poor people are some of the most hardest working people i have ever met in my life. [applause] and it is expensive being poor. Higher interest rates. Higher taxes. No one looks out for the little man. Even when you do everything right. Eunice told me how she was at three, and she has had working at the same time, raising her three grandkids, when she started to get excruciating headaches. And she ignored these headaches, because she had no health insurance. And she could not afford to go see a doctor. So she popped pill after pill after pill. Until one day, eunice hit the floor. She crawled into the fetal position until the emergency medics were called. And when she arrived at the hospital, they told eunice that she had a tumor on her brain. This tumor would go on to take the site in one of her eyes. Now she is legally blind. So eunice leaned into me, and she said, this is my story. My eyesight loss could have been medicaid,if i had had if people would have stopped playing policy with my life. What are you going to do for me . Let me tell you what we did. We expanded medicaid to 400,000 virginians for people like eunice. That is what we did. Because that is who we are. We feed the hungry. We house the homeless. We give voices to the voiceless. And the faces of people that we will never see. Because we are a big tent party. We are inclusive and not exclusive. But i have to let you know that our work is far from done. We have to pass common sense gun safety legislation. We have to fully Fund Education 2008 levels. We have to care about clean air and clean water. And until women can stand in the sun as full equals, and our rights enshrined in the United States constitution, and pass the equal rights amendment, our work is not done. [applause] when we actually pass the 15 minimum wage, we can have a conversation. This is what i need you all to do. I need you to donate to the virginia Democratic Party, because it will donate to all of us. We have an opportunity to flip the house and flip the senate. We can only do it with your help. You cannot be on the bench. You cannot sit on the sidelines. We need all of you in the game, doing what needs to get done, in order for us to take the majority in 2019. Are you with me . I said, are you with me . Yes lets get this done. Thank you all. [applause] please welcome virginia senator jennifer mcclellan. Good evening virginia democrats are you ready to go . Are you fired up . Then i need you to do something for me. We are almost to our goal. I need you to text 97779 blue to get to our goal. You know why . I have been in the Minority Party my entire time in the General Assembly. And i am tired of it. I am tired of bill after bill that should not be partisan dying on a partyline vote. I am tired of bills to end discrimination in housing and employment on the basis of Sexual Orientation and gender, dying on a partyline vote, if they get heard at all. I am tired of the equal rights amendment dying on a partyline vote. I am tired of gun safety legislation dying on a partyline vote. I am tired of bills that will protect a womans right to choose dying on a partyline vote. So what are you going to do about it . We are going to knock on doors. We are going to make phone calls. We are going to flip the house and the senate. We are going to flip some of our local elections. We are going to get School Board Members who believe in fully funding education. We are going to get board of supervisor members to fully fund our education system. So we need your money. We need to reach our goal. We are not there yet. 10,000 tonight to help us flip all of these seats. So text blue to 97779. If you do that, we will do our part. We will flip the house and senate. Well have a blue wave in virginia that will lead the way to a blue wave in 2020. And then we will continue the blue wave on and on and on. Thank you all, virginia democrats [cheers applause] please welcome mark warner, the 69th governor, and your senior senator. Good evening virginia democrats mark warner i know it is a little loud in here. But from up here, you guys look marvelous. Tonight, virginia democrats, we are going to hear from two of our candidates for president. I first got to know mayor pete through the new deal organization, the organization of rising young, local and state officials from around our country. He brought energy, passion, and his unique story of a vision for america that we are all going to want to hear. Amy klobuchar and i have worked together for 10 years. Our families are friends. We socialize with her and john on a regular basis. She sits with me on Democratic Leadership meetings. She also brings a unique set of minnesota values that you need to hear about tonight, in terms of her vision for our country as well. I am going to start where others have already spoken. I want to say thank you, in particular for what you did not only in 2017. For what you did in 2018. You flipped three wonderful seats in the house, and now we have a democratic majority in the house of representatives. [applause] you also sent back my friend of 39 years, tim kaine, who, if he can never get off of highway 95, which we have all dealt with for decades will be here shortly. , his leadership and turning back the trump agenda, was an incredible message all across the nation. In virginia, mayor pete and amy, we never take a year off. So in 2019, as you have heard from earlier speakers, if you care about medicaid expansion, you will get out and work. If you care about the passage of the e. R. A. , you will get out and work. If you do not want virginia to fall in with the georgia and alabama and missouri for Womens Health care, you will get out and work. If you care about sensible gun legislation, you will get out and work. If you care about our right to vote, you will get out to work. If you believe that people ought to choose politicians, rather than politicians choosing their voters, so that we can have independent redistricting, you will get out and work. [applause] and part of when we change, we also change what our legislature looks like, to make it look more like the people of virginia. I want to acknowledge the leadership of a brand new pack , the one that supports women and women of color in local state elections. Would everybody at table 80 to stand up and take a quick shout table 82 stand up and get a quick shout out. As well, just one other item, one other brief item. Many of you today, or during the reception, have kindly come up and said, mark, or senator, thank you for what you are doing in washington. Standing up for the rule of law should not be viewed as extraordinary. We are at a moment in time in our politics in washington unlike anything any of us have seen in our lifetimes. We have a president who would rather pick a fight with canada, then stand up to vladimir putin. We have a president who believes it is better to have a trade war that hurts Virginia Farmers than to actually have an economic policy. We have a president that says it is all right to rip families apart at the border, and then tried to find every program that tries to help the poor and then cut it. In the world of trump, i thought things could not get any weirder until last week. How many of us in this room thought that we would need or have any ambiguity about if a foreign power tries to intervene in our elections, what the right thing to do is . Well, donald trump, the right thing to do is to not say thank you. The right thing to do, is to call the fbi. [applause] so what we need to do, if we are going to send that message, not only to flip our legislature, but we know the path to washington, the path to the white house, leads through virginia, we have to send a message to donald trump. This message is that respect for the rule of law is a minimum requirement. We need to pass legislation that says if a foreign power intervenes, call the fbi. We need to pass legislation that Amy Klobuchar and i are working on, that says, for every voting position in america, when you vote, you have a paper ballot trail, so nobody can interrupt that voting process. We need to make sure that the social Media Companies that lead to hatred and misrepresentation, as the russians used twitter, facebook, and google in 2016, put reasonable rules of the road on a Going Forward basis. Nothing less than our democracy is at stake. It all starts here in virginia in 2019. Lets get out there and win thank you. [applause] please welcome, his excellency, the governor of the ,ommonwealth of Virginia Governor mcauliffe good evening, fellow democrats. It is great to be back. Look at this crowd tonight i have never seen anything like this. And i want to thank Susan Swecker and the state party. If you are concerned, the line to call is 2027488000. I f you are not all that concerned, the line is 2027488001. I want to welcome amy and pete to the commonwealth of virginia, the greatest state in america. I know pete, and i know amy. And minnesota is a beautiful state, and so is indiana. But you are here in the action. We have it all going here. We got it all. We got lakes, we got mountains, we got oceans, you come to Virginia Beach, dolphins come up to the beach and give your children ride. They drop them back off. And pete and amy, while you are here, 382y wineries eight varieties of oysters, craft breweries you , come to virginia, you drink our wine, you drink our beer, you eat are oysters. Virginia is for lovers. You figure out the next step. Folks, a month and a half ago, i was running for president of United States of america. But i decided that you have got to go where you can make the biggest impact in life. And i decided that i had to come back to the commonwealth of virginia, to help us win the house and senate this year. [applause] for the first time in 26 years, we can win the house, the senate , and have the governorship. Now, think about this, i asked all of you fellow democrats, five years ago, when i took office, our state was mired in debt, a 2. 4 Million Dollar debt billion dollar debt left over by the republicans. Our state was a laughingstock. They pushed antiwomen, antilgbt legislation. Nobody wanted to come to this state. We got to work over the last four years. We got our state humming again. We have the largest surplus in the history of the commonwealth of virginia. Hundreds of thousands of new jobs. Billions of dollars in new investment. That is what you get with democrats. Fiscal responsibility, highpaying jobs. We also made sure that virginia was open and welcoming to everyone. I had to veto a record 120 bills passed by the Republican Legislature that would have allowed folks to carry loaded shotguns in their cars. Sell machine guns out of gun stores. And for an absentee ballot, you faxld have to ask have to in your drivers license. We vetoed all 120. And thanks to the democrats in the assembly, i never lost one veto, 1200. But folks, it was bigger than that. Over the last five years, we worked to get every Virginian Health care. We were the largest state proportional to get folks to sign up for the marketplace. After five years of struggle, we got medicaid expanded here in the commonwealth of virginia. We leaned in on these big issues on health care. We also leaned in on education. I am proud that under our four years, the largest investment in Public Education in the history of the commonwealth virginia. That is what you get with democrats. Pay raises for teachers. We got rid of five sols. Another thing, folks virginia , led the nation, we had thousands of children who went to school hungry every day. And thanks to the efforts of my wife and our former first lady, our last year in office, we saw nearly 15 million more breakfasts served to needy children in the commonwealth of virginia. I would like my wife to stand up, to give her a great round of applause, to make sure we know to make sure we know she led the effort. That is not enough. We cannot rest until every child in virginia has access to a healthy meal. Because that is how they learn. The other big issue that we leaned on, which is so important, is criminal Justice Reform in the commonwealth of virginia. Our criminal Justice Reform system was antiquated. We were putting people in prison too long. We were putting people away for drug offenses. So we led an effort. Pardonedoung man i before i left office. Lenny singleton had five robberies. He stole a total of 550, nobody was ever injured. Do you know what his sentence was . Two life sentences, plus 110 years. We have to end the sentencing to sentencing discrimination that we have in the commonwealth of virginia. That is why this is so important. This year in Northern Virginia, we knocked it out of the park. Two young, progressive democrats stepped up to the plate in january. They said we are not going to take it anymore, in arlington and fairfax county, no cash bail, and fair sentencing. And we knocked off both Commonwealth Attorneys. We won both of those. Tonight i have as my guest the new Commonwealth Attorney for arlington county. Please give her around applause. [applause] so folks, are you ready to share . Yes i cannot hear you. This is not a republican fundraiser, i cannot hear you. [applause] this is our time. Both chambers. And you know what will happen . After you helped us get elected in 2013, in 2016, we were the only Southern State that went for hillary clinton. We were proud to be blue. 2017. On in 17 folks, we are going to win this year in 2019. During charlottesville, which was one of the worst days in our states history, when a thousand neonazis and White Supremacists came to our state, screaming the most vile things against africanamericans and members of the jewish faith. Donald trump failed us that day. He said there were good people on both sides. There are not good neonazis in the United States of america. There are not good White Supremacists. I stood up and told him to get the hell out and go home. That you are not wanted here in the commonwealth of virginia. And in 2020, we are going to tell donald trump, delusional donald trump, we are going to tell them to get the hell out of the white house and go back to maralago where he belongs. Lets get him this year. [applause] announcer please welcome. Irginia democratic leader hello everybody, good evening. I am proud to be the leader of the House Democratic caucus. And i am honored to be the chair of the House Democratic caucus. Together along with all of our members and all of you, we are the House Republicans worst nightmare. [applause] and together, we get to spend a lot of time. They are doing all they can to stop us Democrats Gain the majority. But we are not going to let them, are we . We cannot hear you. Are we going to let them . No speaking of no, we have heard a lot of that last year from the House Republicans. While we have made some progress we were stuck on so many fronts , by the republican majority. A majority selected out of a bowl. We heard no so many times. No on the environment and environmental justice. No on making it easier to vote. No on an increased minimum wage. No on workers rights. No on discrimination. No on Womens Health care and affordable reproductive rights. They even said no to making virginia the 38th state needed to ratify they call rights the equal rights amendment. So how about we start saying yes . [applause] yes to each and every one of these most important issues. We have a special session on july 9. We will give it our all to put reasonable gun violence prevention measures into place. And to our colleagues across the aisle when it comes to guns, saying no and doing nothing is not an option. Lets say yes. Flipped 15 seats in 2017 we were able to use our power to do so many things. Budget that on a froze College Tuition raised , teacher pay, and raised state employee pay. We found transportation funding to deal with i81. We came to an agreement on coal. We raised a felony larceny threshold. And we expanded medicaid to over 300,000 virginia else virginians to date. And just as we are able to do with 49 democratic members, just think what how much we are going to be able to do when we are in the majority. We are building on those successes to create one of the most impressive undertakings that this caucus has ever been part of. More candidates, more money, more opportunity, and more diversity. I can guarantee you that if you like 2017, you are going to love 2019. [cheers applause] we truly have a diverse caucus. Would all of our members please stand up and remain standing. Except for a few of our members who will be joining the other body down the hall, we look forward to again working with these individuals, in the majority of the Virginia House of delegates next january. Would all of our nominees please stand up and remain standing . We look forward to having you join us next year. Everyone, please take a look. Take a moment to look around. And let me introduce to you, the 2020 Virginia House of delegates democratic majority. [applause] we can make it happen with your continued support and hard work. We will win in november, and in january say yes to solving the problems facing virginians. Please join with us, work hard with us. And help us to get to the majority in the house of delegates, for the first time in 20 years. Onto to november, yes. Please welcome the leader and chairwoman. [applause] good evening, virginia democrats im the Senate Democratic caucus chair mimi locke. We are glad to be with you today to share in this years excitement and to tell you about the task at hand. This is the year that we flip the Virginia Senate blue. [applause] the blue wave started in virginia when we took 15 house seats in 2017. It continued last year, when we reelected senator tim kaine. And elected three new women in the u. S. House. This year, the wave continues. To flip the senate and house blue. We are just two seats away from retaking the majority, so we can finally get back to the common sense agenda virginians are craving. With the democratic majority, we will pass common sense gun reform, increase access to quality, Affordable Health care, and we will invest in Public Education. And we wont stop there. We will pass increases to the minimum wage, protect womens rights to abortion access, and invest in critical transportation infrastructure across the commonwealth. Some of you may be wondering how we plan to do all of this. I have good news. We have Democratic Candidates for senate in a recordbreaking 37 districts across every corner of the commonwealth. We are competing everywhere, to ensure that we flip the senate in november. This is a big goal, and it is one we are going to accomplish with your help. We all know that democrats are ready to lead. In the minority, we have managed to pass medicaid expansion, teacher pay raises, and funding for improvements for i81. In the majority, we will build on those successes. We are excited about our prospects this november. But it is important to remember that none of this is a done deal. We need you all to knock on doors, make phone calls, and raise money for our great candidates. Senate democrats are ready to lead. Help us get there in november. I will now turn it over to our senate leader. Good evening. Good evening. I am the Senate Democratic leader. Just call me landslide. Ok . You know, ive heard a lot since last tuesday. Let me tell you this. You have seen what the republicans have done wherever they are in control. We do not need alabama laws telling women what they can and cannot do with their bodies. What that woman does is nobodys business but hers. Nobodys business but hers. And we need to make sure that these people do not get ever in power again. I have seen what has happened when they have been in control. Believe you me, you do not want it again. You take a look at the gun laws. In virginia today, the only thing you need to be able to do to get a gun is to be able to fog up a mirror. In other words, to breathe, to get a gun. We are 4 of the worlds population in the u. S. , and 43 of the guns on this planet that are not held by the military or the police. We need to put a halt to this, and we need to do it with common sense. Many years ago, and this is important. Many years ago, and this is important, a prominent businessman in Northern Virginia told me that he noticed something, and it is what changed him from helping republicans to helping the democrats. What he told me was that every time the republicans were in power, the white house or in control of the governorship, his checkbook went down. Every time our party was in control of both, his checkbook went up. That is something we should not forget. We have been good for business. We have been good for the people who work and make this country work. Finally, let me tell you this. There are three things in my lifetime that are essential and axiomatic. With a nod toward jerome kern and oscar hammerstein, fish got a swim, birds gotta fly, and democrats need to run america. Are you with us . Are you with us . You bet. Thank you so much. And thank you for putting up with 800 speakers. [applause] put your hands together for your Democratic Party of virginia chairwoman, Susan Swecker. Ok. Listen up. I am not giving another speech. But i want to invite everyone to quit talking. Listen to me. Virginia democrats are known for their hospitality and their respect, and we have two president ial candidates that have taken out from their busy schedule, they could be in any one of those four states but , they are here with us tonight. So im asking you, to sit, be quiet, this is your chance to take a good look at two of the really great candidates. Are you listening to me . Are you with me . [applause] thank you very much. And i am so happy that we have senatorte buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar with us. Please welcome senator Amy Klobuchar. Thank you, what an amazing crowd. Hello virginia democrats. Are you ready to beat donald trump . Are you ready to get rid of betsy devos . Are you ready to paint your legislature blue . I am so honored to be here tonight with all of these incredible leaders. Susan and chris thank you so , much. Your great former governor Terry Mcauliffe. Your incredible Democratic Congressional delegation. Including not one, not two, but three women who have flipped republican seats. Your senators, who are two of my closest friends in the United States senate. Im not just saying that because they are running for president. I will start with tim kaine. There is a lot to love about tim kaine. His honesty, his faith, his willingness to stand up against the president and say clearly that it is congress that decides if you go to war, not donald trump. And mark warner, mark and i have a lot in common. Mark made a fortune building an empire with cell phones. I own a cell phone. Mark set a Senate Record by raising 12 million in one year because he knew he could paint that seat blue for the senate. I set a Senate Record one year by raising 17,000 from ex boyfriends. I did that. As my husband points out it is , not an expanding base. But mark is in fact a truth say truth sayer in the senate. He is when he is talking about the economy. We are so fortunate to have him as Ranking Member of the Intelligence Committee at a time when we need him there. He is someone who took on something that no one was talking about about a year and a half ago and he stood up and said these guys, a foreign tried to steala, our democracy and they are not going to do it again. Virginia democrats, you must make sure he wins his next election. Some of you may have seen my announcement for president in the middle of a minnesota blizzard. I had four inches of snow on my head. People were skiing in, sledding in. After i announced the president , sent out a tweet. He made fun of me for talking about Climate Change in the middle of a snowstorm. He called me snow woman. So i wrote back, donald trump, the science of Climate Change is on my side, and i would like to hair would fare in a blizzard. I announced by that river for a reason. I wanted to make the point that it is time to cross the river of our divide to get to a higher plane in our politics. We have a president who wakes up every morning and tweets something to fracture our communities. He goes after immigrants. He goes after people of color he goes after people and our party every single day. Including sending out videos which is our biggest fear in this democracy and he does by he does not care at all. I will tell you this, virginia democrats we need to take back and we need to make this the country that we country that we are so proud of starting right here in the commonwealth of virginia. Heart back in the her politics. Back in our politics. My background is different than trumps. My grandfather worked 1500 feet underground in the minds in minnesota in the mines in minnesota. He never graduated from high school but he saved money in a coffee can to send my dad it college and my dad went to a twoyear community college. My mom grew up in wisconsin. She moved to minnesota and she taught second grade until she was 70. She was a proud union member. [applause] and i stand before you today, as a granddaughter of an miner, as a daughter of a Union Teacher , as theion newspaperman first woman elected to the United States senate from the state of minnesota and a candidate for president of the United States. That is what this country is about. No matter where you come from, no matter who you know, no matter how much money you have, no matter what you look like, no matter if you worship in one place or another, or who you love, that you can make it in the United States of america because this is a country of shared dreams and shared prosperity. [applause] that is what this is. State that understand that community. You understand what happens when disaster strikes. What happens with hurricane isabel, what happened with the tragedy at Virginia Tech and the horrific recent tragedy at Virginia Beach. You know what happens. Thats when ordinary people do extraordinary things. Well, i announced by that river because it was a mile and a half from where that bridge fell down in the middle of a beautiful summer day. Justhat did the world see, like they saw when they looked at your state . They saw in my state, an offduty firefighter who tethered herself to the side of the river and dove in looking for survivors in those cars and trucks. They saw a guy who could have saved his life by ramming in the back of a school bus but instead he veered off and burned to death. A school bus that plummeted 30 feet and was hanging on a guard rail, when a school bus counselor named hernandez could have jumped off the back of the bus, he got every one of those kids off the bus to safety. That is community. That is community. So, what is this community and this shared prosperity about . It is about ensuring that all our families have a fair shot. That you should be able to afford college if you work hard. Afforduld be able to prescription drugs, you should be able to have health care and get a good job. But if we know that is not the case for so many americans, but it can be. I remember one struggling worker who told me a few years ago that she had always thought that the words restore the middle class were nothing but a political bumper sticker. Job her husband lost his and she had to start working multiple jobs, trying to pay for their car and warehouse, and that is when she saw the words restore the middle class as nothing but a prayer. Democrats, we need to make restore the middle class more than a bumper sticker, more than a prayer. We need to make the words restore the middle class a reality for every american, regardless of where they live or what they look like. [applause] shared prosperity means caring down barriers to success. Racism and sexism persist in this country. We see it in the schoolyards and in the board room. We hear it shouted at white nationalists riots like the tragedy in charlottesville. We hear it from president ial podiums. We see it when the Vice President of a fortune 500 company in my state goes shopping at a department store. She is africanamerican, she gets followed by store security. We see it when a pregnant woman in new orleans tells her doctor about swelling in her hands and he doesnt listen. She is in the maternity room, she loses her baby. We see it every time a black everytake some . 61 for dollar a white man makes. These are barriers that this president does not care about, but these are barriers that the Democratic Party will break down. [applause] democrats, we must take on Child Poverty. As tim kaine has said, fighting poverty is a growth strategy. Its a competitive strategy, but it is also a moral responsibility. Today, 15 million children in america are living in poverty. There are children who fall asleep at their desks because they cannot get a good nights sleep when they dont have a bed or a home. There are children who think that college or a job are for other people. Luckier people. Virginia democrats, we can do this. We can cut Child Poverty in half in 10 years, and end Child Poverty in a generation. We can do it. We can do it by expanding the earned income tax credit, the childcare tax credit and snap benefits, and by overhauling our countrys housing policy. We can do this. And lets be clear. You cannot have a fair shot in america if you dont have health care. We must move to universal health care and we must take on the pharmaceutical companies. They have two lobbyist for every member of congress. President nder why the the cost is gone to 18 per month. Shotou wonder why epipens up in price. Its because of monopoly power, because of pharmaceutical power. And i can tell you this. They think they own washington, but they dont own me. [applause] and then, when it comes to Womens Health, virginia. Your state, you understand this. You understand that you do not want to be another georgia with what they did. Stand with you. They do not want to overturn roe v. Wade. They do not want to do that. And one last thing i want to mention when it comes to health. I have put forward a plan for addiction and mental health. From the heart. My dad struggled with alcoholism my whole life growing up. He had three dwi. And when he got his third, he had a choice. He was either going to go to jail or he was going to go to treatment. He picked treatment. And in his words, with his family and his faith and the help that he was given, he was pursued by grace. And i believe that one out of five americans who struggled with a mental illness, that one of two americans who have addiction and their close family or in their friends, that those people also deserve that chance to be pursued by grace. [applause] virginia have taken this seriously, inspired by the words, and i want to expand that treatment so that we have meds for people that need it, we have counseling for kids that need help, and so that we take this on as the Public Health crisis that it is. Virginians,w what, there is one thing that people havent talked about as much tonight that we need to talk about, and that is Climate Change. We have a councilmember here and ifolk, we have have seen what is happening there. It is happening all over the country. Is no longer happening in 100 years, it is happening now. As yourn tell you, president , on day one, i will sign us back into the international Climate Change agreement. Back the obamag clean power rules that are on the cutting room floor and those gas mileage standards, and introduced sweeping legislation to take this on. And this is no longer just an. Ssue a candidate from the heartland who has seen the flooding, the tornadoes, the wildfires, is the one to take this on. This, whether it is integration reform, whether it is taking on Climate Change, health care, taking on childrens poverty, none of this will get done unless we protect our democracy. Everything depends on that. You want to take on the nra, then weve got to get the dark money out of our politics. You did that in virginia, but we cannot do it in washington because they are paralyzed by the power of the nra. We are literally losing a classroom of young people every week. And that is wrong. Take state just action when it comes to guns. We must take federal action. How do we take back our democracy . Ive got an idea about how we can start. We can pass a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and get the dark money out of our politics. That, and the partisan gerrymandering. Stop discrimination at the ballot box by restoring the Voting Rights act. And it is finally time to pass my bill, to register every eligible young person to vote when they turn 18 years old. This is the time to do it. Now, we have some debates coming up, right . And mayor pete and i are looking forward to them, going to be a lot of one. But you are going to see, in that moment, you are going to see that what unifies our party is more important than what divides us. Because the most important thing that we can do in this election in 2020 is what . Wind, right . Win, right . I can tell you this i have never lost one race i have ever run. In everyn Congressional District in my state every single time, including districts that donald trump won by more than 20 points. Why . Because i dont see the ruralurban divide. I go every place, everywhere, every time. That is how we win. And wet write off states dont write off areas of our country. That is how we win. Virginia democrats, i want to end with this. We are on a march, and that march started the day after donald trump was sworn into office. You remember that day. You remember that day. You remember that day because millions of americans peacefully marched all over this country, including right here in richmond. You remember that day. What happened nine days later . Nine days later, when that antimuslim refugee band b an ban order came out, people spontaneously showed up at airports. They showed up at noninternational airports. They did that. Day 100, my to favorite march, the march for science. With my favorite sign what we want . Science. When do we want it . After peerreviewed. To the summer, when the fighting 48 democrats, every one of us stood up and stop the repeal of the Affordable Care act. President obamas signature legislation. We did that. You go into that and in this moment where no one thought it was possible, it was two states. The state of new jersey, where, by the way, a legislator who said the day of the womens march, i hope they will be home in time to make dinner, that guy lost. He was beaten by an africanamerican woman. That happened. [applause] and what happened here in the state of virginia, it was an unbelievable victory. You might have barely, barely started that job that you are going to finish that you are going to finish this fall, but you collected the most Diverse Group of people that you have ever seen in the virginia legislature. You did that. People who stood up and won. And after that, in this incredible victory for decency and dignity, doug jones wins in the state of alabama. That is a march that we are on. That, been going in after those part when students of those parkland students marched, but they voted. We finally turn the house of into theatives back peoples house of representatives once again. [applause] that is the march we are on, and it will end in 2020, and so, at any moment that you think that you cant stand another one , or one of these stories, or a president that goes on foreign soil and called the mayor of london a loser and the duchess nasty and goes after an American Company and calls for a boycott on foreign soil, that all happened in 24 hours. But if you see those things and you say i cant deal with this anymore, and you go home, we cant win. We win when you finish the march. You are the welders. Lets get it done, lets win in 2020. Thank you, virginia democrats. Thank you. [applause] please welcome from indiana, mayer and president ial candidate pete buddha judge pete buttigeieg. Thank you, thank you. Thank you, virginia democrats. Lets hear it one more time for my friend senator Amy Klobuchar. Thank you for your leadership in the United States senate, and thank you to everyone here for demonstrating what a forwardlooking, unified, your list Democratic Party looks like. We are proud of you. Sony, youve got a beautiful city and we are proud to be in richmond. Chairwoman susan, thank you for showing that even somebody a little bit younger than me can be a fantastic leader. Members of the dnc, the members of congress, and of the virginia legislature, senators warner and kane, former governor mcauliffe, thank you so much for showing the way to the rest of the country. The president ,g i spent a lot of time in this commonwealth, visiting old friends and making new ones. Tonight, i feel like ive made a bunch of new friends. [applause] i know virginia is for lovers, but it is starting to meal to feel to me like virginia is for buttigieg. [applause] and you make me feel right at home. Last time i was here campaigning, we saw extraordinary women running for congress. Ton, abigail span berger. It is pretty fun to go up to them today and say hello, congresswoman. Because they are making us proud. And as a democrat from a red state, i believe we need to stand together and demonstrate that there is no place in this country where democrats cant win. Not one state, and not one commonwealth. Just ask some of the leaders we have met. People whose victories have sent ripples across this entire country. And theres one more thing. Primary isnow the not that far in the rearview mirror, but virginia democrats are demonstrating the party that our entire Democratic Party will need to show in 2020 in order to win the white house, and i thank you for that. [applause] there is a lot of talk about 2020, as you might expect. Areim very glad that we here to talk about how important 2019 is. Our conservative friends spent decades building up majorities in state and local office. Now, it is high time for democrats to demonstrate that we know that we will never again treat the presidency like it is the only office that matters. We are here not just to join the conversation, but to change the conversation. And changing the conversation means making it not only about our policies which are the best policies, but about our values. And dont let anybody tell you that values is only something to think about on the conservative side of the aisle. You that anybody tell freedom is a conservative value, it is an american value, and we know it. [applause] is just that we know there is more to freedom than getting government out of the way. Sometimes, freedom means building up the possibilities for a better life. You are not free if you dont have health care, and you cant start a Small Business because you are afraid of leaving your old job means losing your coverage. Health care is part of freedom. Freedom comes by way of organizing, which is why we stand with guys labor, the fight for 15 in the union for every worker in this land. Freedom comes by way of education. Which is why it is time for a secretary of education who believes in Public Education. [applause] and it is twice as important at a moment like this with the assaults on freedom, that male politicians stand up with women and say womens reproductive rights are an american freedom. Freedom isnt a conservative value, and neither is patriotism. Commonwealth i almost said state, but ive been told its not a good idea. Ie in a commonwealth just get that off my chest because i am going to slip off at one point and i hope you forgive me. But, in this commonwealth, we have seen more than your share of people who serve. In civilian and military capacities, local, state, and federal people who serve one another. And when i went in to that aircraft that was going to take me, the flag on my shoulder was not a republican like, it was an american lag. [applause] and that flag, among other things, represented the idea of dissent,nd political the idea that all of us could disagree, but you could president , that the press to cover the president critically and no one would ever question their loyalty to the republic which it stands. [applause] so, lets not give an inch on the issue of security. Knowse we are the ones who there is a lot more to security than putting up a wall from sea to shining sea. Security means protecting from 41st century threats. Cyber security. Election security. Knows allginia sadly too well, you are not keeping the country safe if you are not prepared to stand up and defend us from violent white nationalists claiming lives around the world. [applause] from Virginia Tech to Virginia Beach, we know you are not serious about security if you dont have a plan for common sense gun reform. And, yes, in an era of climate disruption, it is time to treat Climate Change like the security issue that we know it is. Freedom does not belong to a political party, and neither does the flag. While we are at it, god does not belong to the republican party. [applause] we know that it is the sacred obligation of anyone in office or seeking it to stand equally for people of any religion and people of no religion. But for those of us who are motivated in part by religious teachings, it is worth reflecting that pretty much every faith tradition we know of counsels us to support the marginalized, to heal the sick, to welcome the immigrant, and to do it with humility and decency. So, dont let them tell you that faith is a republican value, either. [applause] now, if we want to deliver on our values, the good news is, americans are with us. People agree with us on the issues. People agree with us on the values. Our democracy, has been twisted out of shape to where, even when we have the majority, it is hard to get our agenda through. So we are just going to have to go out and mix up our democracy. That means getting money out of politics. Districts, so politicians cant pick their voters anymore. [applause] and it means that every u. S. Citizen, whether you live in virginia or indiana or the district of columbia or puerto rico, deserves fair Political Representation in this nation. [applause] and, yes, in the worlds greatest democracy, we might even go so far as to begin choosing our nations leader by just counting up all the votes and giving it to the person who got the most. That seems like a pretty common sense thing to do. [applause] now, lets talk strategy for just a second. Because im worried. Im worried about how we make sure we win. And, even though this president is deservedly unpopular, there is always a risk, a serious risk that he could win again. How does he do it . He does it if we look too much like more of the same. So, surprising as it is, the riskiest thing we can do is try to play it safe. We have to show that we understand there is no going that the chaos of this moment makes us no better off and our vision is a better vision for the teacher of america. [applause] for the future of america. Remember that a president like the one weve got does not get within cheating distance of the oval office if everything is going ok in our democracy. That is why weve got to fix it. Weve got to fix the economy where a rising tide does not lift all boats. And weve got to fix the democracy where far too often, politically and racially motivated Voter Suppression changes the answer. We must put that to an end. [applause] weve got to do something different. I would argue there is something to be said for nominating a middleclass, midwestern, millennial mayor to take the nomination and win back the white house. [cheers] i know its not traditional. But, why wouldnt we want a mayor at a time when we are trying to get washington to look more like our best run cities and towns . From theebody industrial midwest, somebody who has seen the challenges that such community space, but knows that there is no such thing as an Honest Politics for our communities that revolves around the word again. Why not do something completely different . That is what we are about. I believe that with a completely different message, we can widely break the spell at this president has cast over this country. [applause] is hard to look away from the show. I dont even know what kind of show to call it. Is it a game show . Is it a reality show . Maybea horror show it is a horror show. Is, if we are on his show, we are not winning. Which is why, instead of trying to compete with him on his terms, we are simply going to change the channel. [applause] when the president launches his tweets, what are we going to do . Change the channel. When he tries to bring us down to this level, to command our attention and use our attacks as youll to get stronger, what are we going to do . Change the channel. To distract us from the real issues that americans face, what are we going to do . We are going to change the channel. Because politics isnt about the show. Isnt in my speech, but im going to get personal for a second. Tomorrow is fathers day. Happy fathers day. Tomorrow is also my first wedding anniversary. [applause] its impossible for me to think of one without thinking of the other. Not only because we hope to become fathers, but because this is my first fathers day without my own father who passed away earlier this year. And the reason i want to mention this is that, in those last days with him in the hospital, one of the best things i had going for to things like medicare that made sure that her family would not be financially destroyed by his illness, in addition to faith and an amazing Faith Community that was there for me every step of the way, there is one more thing i had going for me. Someone who loved me. Who could be at the side of his fatherinlaw in the hospital because in the eyes of the law, as well as in our hearts, he was my lawfully married husband. [applause] and i bring this up because that is what politics is really about. The most romantic invulnerable moments of our lives, and in those most everyday moments when you go to get a safe glass of Drinking Water out of the faucet. When you drive over a pothole. Government isnt about what happens on tv, it is about what happens in our lives. That is why these choices matter. That is why we have politics, that is why we have government, and we have got to bring us back to a politics of the everyday. [applause] and it has got to be a politics of the future. Because, god willing, i will be there in the 20 50s when we look back at the 20 20s and decide whether or not we did the right thing, to not only win the presidency, but to set america on a better course for the balance of this halfcentury. [applause] and if we get it right, we will be living in a world where we dont have to wonder whether it is part of an accelerating pattern of extreme weather caused by Climate Change because we will know we rose to meet the challenge of climate. It will be a world where, when we have an election, we know that the u. S. Is doing everything it can to keep that election safe and that the outcome of that election will the will of the people. Want it to be a future where i can say to my kids or my grandkids, you know, that president who is in office right now . He is from a Different Party in mind, and i disagree, and i did not vote for that president , but i can also tell you, she is a good person and she is doing the best that she can. [applause] the world we could have, the world that this chaotic moment from, is aus back world that we can only build together. But im pretty sure with the energy in this room, we can Start Building it together, not in 2020, but right now. [applause] never forget that running for office is an act of hope. Getting money to somebody running for office is an act of hope. Coming to a dinner with an awful lot of speakers who are running for office is an act of hope. Hope of ourng the time, are you not hopeful this evening, even in this challenging time . [applause] are you ready to unite and win, not only the election, but the era that is ahead of us . [applause] there you ready to change channel to something completely different . [applause] wethan i am pretty sure cannot lose, and i cant wait to see you on the trail and celebrate every step of the way. Thank you, and keep at it. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] for our closing remarks, please welcome the 70th governor and United States senator, tim kaine. Hello, richmond. Hello, virginia democrats. Please have a seat. Evening in mycent hometown. Im going to do a few thank yous. I am the last speaker. That is an applause line. [applause] yous to do a few thank and then give you an encouragement. First, we want to thank you for 2018. I had never gotten more than a 52 in any race i had ever run. My races were always being called late in the evening. In novembercalled at 7 01 p. M. , because of your great work. [applause] know, there was a lot of drama that night, because we waited up late to see that jennifer wextan and elaine luria and Abigail Spanberger the blue and help us take the house back. I are both so very thankful for your support in now 25 years serving richmond and the commonwealth and the country. We love you, takes so much. [applause] pete and thank mayor senator amy. Give them a round. [applause] it is wonderful to have mayor pete here in this city where i was the mayor. My nephew, john works at south Bend City Hall as an employee and says wonderful things about him and we are thrilled to have him here with us tonight. Thanks. Senator Amy Klobuchar is one of my best friends in the senate. She has got just about the highest iq of anybody on the democratic side, which means she has got just about the highest iq of anybody in the senate. Fearlessrdworking and and she is very, very funny. Weve got a lot of people in the senate who act funny and only a few people who really are funny, and Amy Klobuchar is really funny. Thanks so much to you and john for being with us tonight. And, finally, i want to thank all of you, not for 2018, but for 2019. This generation of virginia the singleas led most powerful turnaround of a blue in theed to United States in the last 50 years. Youve done that. Youve done that. [applause] when mark warner and i came in together in 2001, everything was republican. Everything. Now, we have all the statewide officeholders, both u. S. Senators, Strong Majority on our house delegation. Electoral votes the last three times and we are going to win them in 2020. And ity thing we lack, is so close we can taste it, is the majorities in our two statehouses. House of delegates, state senate, thank you for ensuring that, come january, we will have the majority in both houses, and we will have run the table in the last 15 years. You can do that, and i know you will do that. Last thing. Minute,ould just take a i want to ask you to do something for me. We have just come through primary week. Democratic primaries are tough. Race was avorite threeway democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor in 2001. I like running against republicans a lot better than i like running against democrats. Folks in this room and whowho ran and won courageously ran and lost. And with the primaries, lets be honest. There are some wrong dealings after the dust settles. And there are people, can i be playing with you . Can i be plain with you . There are people who want to write a story about divisions within the Democratic Party. Divisions on issues, divisions between legislative candidates. And statewide officeholders. And so, what i want to do as i close, its just to remind you, as you go out and canvas, as you go out and reach out between now and november, i want to remind you that the differences within the democratic family are so small compared to the differences between democrats and republicans in this country, especially during the age of donald j. Trump. So, let me just summarize as i close. If you are talking to voters, and they want to ask you about differences, or if you ever talk to voters and they ask you the difference between democrats and republicans, just say this. Is alieve health care right. Republicans dont. We believe women can be trusted to make her own reproductive decisions. Republicans dont. We believe in climate science. Republicans dont. Sense toe in common reduce gun violence. Republicans dont. We believe in the power of organized labor and the need to increase the minimum wage. And republicans dont. We believe that Voter Suppression is wrong and republicans dont. We believe in campaignfinance reform, and republicans dont. We believe in the Voting Rights act, and republicans dont. In the fully quality of every person, including our lgbtq neighbors, and republicans dont. We believe in comprehensive immigration reform, and republicans dont. We believe that tax relief should be for people, not corporations, and republicans dont. We believe in paycheck equity for women, and republicans dont. We believe in diplomacy and treaties, and republicans dont. We believe that veterans like john mccain should be honored, not ridiculed, and republicans dont. President that a should not start a war or a trade war without a vote of congress, and republicans dont. We believe in comprehensive, Early Childhood education, and republicans dont. Cost ofes to reduce the college, and republicans dont. We believe that a president should not invite hostile nations to invade our democracy and republicans dont. We believe any president should follow the rule of law, and republicans dont. President should respect allies, and respect the press, and respect the courts, and republicans dont. The difference between democrats and republicans is infinitely vaster than the difference between any of us in this room, and that is what we have to tell our friends and neighbors between now and november, and if we do, we will have a wonderful victory. So, virginia democrats, we are a values party. We believe in inequality and initiative, and community and education. We know we are bound together, we are more than a party, we are a beautiful and ivers family. It has been a great Family Reunion tonight. We have work to do. Lets band together and do it. Take both houses and celebrate the time in november. Thank you for being here. Thanks to Amy Klobuchar and pete, and susan, and all our great virginia democrats. Have a great night. [applause] thank you for attending the 2019 blue commonwealth gala. Please have a great evening and richmond. Have a great evening in richmond. Oh, do i look forward to running against them. Tuesday, trump hold a rally in orlando, florida, officially launching his run for a second term. Or listen live on the free cspan radio app. On newsmakers, john of kentucky talks about efforts to reach deals on multiple battles including bills for the pentagon and the departments of labor and health and human services. Newsmakers, today at 6 p. M. Eastern, here on cspan. Washington journal, live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. Will preview the week ahead in washington, with Washington Examiner White House Reporter Stephen Nelson and National Journal reporter matt cohen. Then a discussion on the legal and oversight battles between the white house and congress with james scholz, a former associate counsel in the trump white house. Be sure to watch washington journal live at 7 00 eastern monday morning. Join the discussion. Now, a hearing on the public where altered audio or video is passed on as true or original content. The risk tous National Security and upcoming elections. This is just over two hours. The committee will come to order. Before we begin, i want to remind all members that we are in open session and as such we will discuss unclassified matters. Please have a seat. Our members may be wandering in a bit late. Those in Armed Services were here until about 5 00 or 6 00 in the morning, so we have a few groggy members h