Could Publicly Funded Campaigns Lead To A More Democratic Virginia?

This is part four of a series on the state of campaign finance law in Virginia. So far, we’ve covered the personal use of campaign funds, which is legal in Virginia, the lack of limits on campaign contributions, and the lack of limits on corporate contributions. This week, VaOurWay is looking at publicly funded campaigns. Several states throughout the U.S. offer at least one model of publicly funded campaigns, which reduce barriers to running for office and promote a more accountable government. Stay tuned for more information on how Virginia can improve campaign finance law to build a more accountable state government. 


It’s no secret that campaign finance laws in Virginia are rather lenient. There are no limits to how much anyone, whether an individual or a corporation, can contribute to a candidate for office in the state. And once candidates for office have received what could be enormous donations, there are no laws preventing them from using campaign funds for personal expenses. The lack of campaign finance regulation in Virginia has led to a system wherein an overwhelming majority of political contributions come from big-time donors. 


With few laws regulating campaign finance, elected officials often court wealthy donors and large corporations in order to compete in increasingly expensive elections. Elected officials may be more likely to pursue the interests of big donors who fund their campaigns than they are to pursue policies in the interest of their average constituents. 


Publicly funded campaigns could be one method used to alleviate this problem. Rather than relying on big donors, publicly funded campaigns receive money to be used for campaign expenses; these funds are generally collected via taxation. In turn, the campaign agrees to adhere to certain spending and contribution limits. Fourteen states throughout the country currently allow for some form of publicly funded campaigns. 


There are two primary models for publicly funded campaigns. In what is referred to as clean election programs, candidates solicit small contributions from a set number of individuals. This shows that a candidate is popular with a large enough portion of the electorate. Once the candidate has received the set number of small contributions, a commission grants the candidate with an amount of money equal to the state’s campaign expenditure limit. This model of publicly funded campaigns exists in states like Vermont, Maine, and Arizona. 


Another model, known as a matching fund program, matches donor funds up to a certain amount. Florida, Minnesota, and West Virginia are among the states with this form of publicly funded election, though this model has also been popular at local levels. In New York City, for example, the Campaign Finance Program provides public funds to candidates who have received small contributions from a certain number of contributors. The program has been very successful; in citywide elections in 2013, 90% of contributions to candidates came from individual contributors and over two-thirds of contributions were less than $175. 


Both models of publicly funded campaigns come with benefits that strengthen democracy and increase accountability among elected officials. With publicly funded campaigns, candidates for office don’t need to be wealthy to begin with. Elections are expensive, but public funds help reduce the financial burdens that come with running for office. And instead of courting rich donors, candidates may spend more time hearing about the needs of average constituents if publicly funded campaigns were an option. Finally, with publicity funded campaigns, the laws that elected officials pass will be less influenced by the massive contributions of big donors and more sensitive to the needs of constituents. 


Campaign finance law in Virginia leaves a lot to be desired. With more regulation, the citizens of Virginia could enjoy a more democratic government consisting of elected officials who are accountable to their constituents. The introduction of publicly funded elections could bring Virginia one step closer to a government that works for all, rather than just the wealthiest.


[Virginia Public Media] Data: Virginia’s Early Childhood Education Providers Are Succeeding

By VOW Ops • January 21, 2026
The second year of results from Virginia’s recently established Quality Establishment and Improvement System (VQB5) for early childhood education found that 99% of childcare providers receiving state funding meet or exceed quality expectations. As of early December 2025, over 154,000 views have been recorded on the system’s website since its October 2024 debut, revealing the many parents and families who appreciate the information that VQB5 offers them. None of these wonderful results would even be available to admire without the support and success we had in passing HB 1012 and SB 578 back in 2020! The data focuses on classroom interactions between children and caregivers and notes how said interactions encourage kids to express themselves at a young age. The state has also enacted categories of excellence for providers who score in the top 10%, exceed quality expectations, or even show significant improvement from an evaluation the year before. On top of that, a new data system called VAConnects helps integrate information on students over the years to track their learning progress. The Department of Education wishes to sustain the program and has requested $735,000 to do so. Overall, Virginia is serving as a model for other states to use in establishing best practices for their early childhood programs. Read more here .

[Richmond Times Dispatch] Virginians want General Assembly Action on Housing, Survey Finds

By VOW Ops • January 21, 2026
An August survey reveals that large majorities of Virginians want state lawmakers to address the rising cost of housing. The survey was conducted by Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia and Freedom Virginia. More than 8 in 10 Virginians said the General Assembly needs to act. More than 3 in 4 Virginians want lawmakers to prevent landlords from raising rents each year by more than 7%. Many Virginians also supported the idea of the state incentivizing localities to build more housing and providing developers with an ability to appeal rejected housing projects. Many proposals that were made to address all these public concerns were struck down during the 2025 legislative session. One of the main reasons why all the mentioned proposals failed to pass the General Assembly is because of the large influence the local government lobbies have in Richmond in protecting what little authority they are granted by the state. However, 6 in 10 Virginians indicated that they are more concerned with providing more housing than protecting local government authority. Read more here.

[Richmond Times Dispatch] Spanberger Details Affordability Measures in Health Care, Energy, Housing

By VOW Ops • December 19, 2025
Governor-elect Spanberger has released details on how her administration will work with the General Assembly to address affordability issues for Virginians regarding health care, energy, and housing. Democrats in the General Assembly argue the proposals are needed to mitigate the effects of President Trump’s tariff policies and reduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies. Some of the solutions being proposed are legislation from the previous session that were vetoed by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin. In health care, Spanberger and Virginia Democrats will tackle pharmacy benefit managers’ ability to compel patients toward using affiliated-only pharmacies. The incoming administration also wants to limit the number of times insurance companies can request approvals from patients receiving certain cancer cares and medicines for chronic conditions. Democrats are also reviving legislation that would prohibit insurance companies from charging tobacco smokers higher premiums. Further, Spanberger supports implementing a pilot program to help Virginians who will face unaffordable insurance premiums resulting from the expiration of the ACA enhanced tax credits. In energy, Spanberger called to make it easier for Virginians to utilize small-scale solar panels which don’t require hard labor to install. She also wants the previously vetoed legislation that would set energy storage standards for utility companies brought back to her desk (Governor Youngkin vetoed it because of his belief that the Virginia Clean Economy Act associated with it was ineffective). In housing, Spanberger and Democrats are reviving legislation from 2025 that would extend the grace period tenants have before being evicted for missing rent payments. They are also proposing changes that would give local governments priority in acquiring affordable multi-family units supported by tax credits when the owner wants to sell or convert them. Further, Democrats are reintroducing a bill which would allow all localities to change their zoning ordinances to create dense and affordable housing (currently, only the counties of Albemarle and Loudoun and the cities of Alexandria, Charlottesville, and Fairfax are granted such provisions). Read more here.
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