All 140 legislative seats are up for election in November, with the GOP currently holding a tight edge in the House and the Senate. The contests are likely to attract significant funding from interest groups on both sides.

In June, Americans for Prosperity-Virginia, which advocates for lower taxes and less government regulation, announced its support for seven conservatives running in House and Senate races and said its backing would include direct mail, digital ads and “grassroots engagement on doors and phones.”

A lot more outside money is likely to show up this fall.

In the 2015 campaign, the last time all legislative seats were on the ballot, Everytown for Gun Safety contributed $2.4 million to Democratic candidates for the legislature and the Washington-based Republican State Leadership Committee donated nearly $1.6 million to GOP candidates, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Groups that were focused on such issues as abortion, the environment and the state’s business climate also were major donors to candidates four years ago.

Cox is a significant target for the Human Rights Campaign, said HRC President Alphonso David during an event in Richmond on Thursday.