But the fate of some legislation came down to a handful of votes, demonstrating how critical it is to flip the Virginia General Assembly blue.

To give good bills a fighting chance — and keep damaging ones from becoming laws — we need to help elect a Democratic majority in Virginia this November. Because as the following close calls show, flipping just a few seats can make or break major legislation:

In 2013, the Virginia GOP introduced a strict voter ID law that would require voters to present a government-issued photo ID at the polls. The bill drew a split 20–20 vote in the state Senate, at which point the GOP Lieutenant Governor cast a deciding “yea” vote. Afterward, the bill sailed through the GOP-controlled House of Delegates in a 65–34 vote. This law, combined with limitations on early and absentee voting as well as onerous registration deadlines, makes Virginia the second-most difficult state to cast a ballot in.

Virginia Democrats tried for four straight years to pass Medicaid expansion, but the GOP repeatedly denied healthcare to some 400,000 Virginians stuck in the coverage gap. It wasn’t until Democrats — including five Flippable alums — flipped 15 House seats in 2017 that expansion was finally within reach. The following spring, the Virginia General Assembly approved a Medicaid-inclusive state budget, and Virginia became the 33rd state to adopt expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

This year, Flippable alum Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy sponsored legislation to make Virginia the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and guarantee gender equality under the U.S. Constitution. Thanks to the work of ERA advocates, the measure garnered the support of 80% of Virginia voters and was approved by the state Senate, with seven GOP senators joining all 19 Democrats in a 26–14 vote. But only one GOP delegate sided with 49 Democrats in the House, leaving the ERA to die on an even 50–50 split — just one vote short. That’s one vote that prevented equal rights for half the U.S. population.

It’s close margins like these that make flipping Virginia so urgent in 2019.

Right now, the Virginia GOP has a two-seat advantage in both the House of Delegates (51–49) and the state Senate (21–19). By flipping a minimum of two red seats in each chamber while protecting blue seats in vulnerable districts, we can flip the entire Virginia General Assembly blue.