Mae Dominguez traveled for two and a half hours from Culpeper County to Chesterfield County so that two of her sons could get an up-close and personal look at the Republican state-wide ticket.
A 20-year-old named Cameron developed an interest in politics after watching Charlie Kirk, a conservative commentator who was killed on September 10 while giving a speech at Utah Valley University. Gideon, who is 6 years old, was a bit fidgety—like many children his age—as he and several thousand other supporters waited for the event to start.
Dominguez, who has adopted nine children and provided care for several more, emphasized the importance of her kids being at Keystone Acres farm to listen to what both the state’s political ticket, as well as Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, had to share.
Grounding the next generation,” she said, is why she took the long trip. “It’s crucial that we bring our children and demonstrate to them that these matters are significant.
Dominguez described her parents as “Kennedy Democrats,” a term related to the party during John F. Kennedy’s presidency in the 1960s. Even with this impact, she ended up supporting the Republicans because “I believe we need less government involvement in our businesses and more personal freedom in our lives.”
Their journey was worthwhile, as Domiguez and her family were among the first to secure a prime viewing position right in front of the state, which was decorated with American and Virginia flags.
The audience was enthusiastically engaged throughout the entire event, with their excitement increasing with each speaker who appeared on stage.
It began with Ramaswamy, one of the group of 2024 Republican presidential candidates that gradually reduced to Donald Trump, and now the Republican candidate for governor in Ohio. It then moved on to John Reid, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, followed by Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, and ultimately Governor Glenn Youngkin.
When Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican candidate for governor, arrived on stage, the audience had reached its maximum capacity. They applauded, they sang, they held campaign signs featuring the word “Winsome.” They enthusiastically booed each time Earle-Sears referred to Democratic rival Abigail Spanberger, and some even yelled, “We love you!” during pauses in her speech.
Political platform reinforced
The two-hour event highlighted all the key Republican talking points for the November election, including strong backing for law enforcement, securing the U.S. borders against undocumented immigrants, and giving parents complete control over their children’s education. Several of the most vocal criticisms were directed at Earle-Sears when she stated that Democrats “want to allow boys into girls’ locker rooms” by supporting transgender athletes in school sports.
“I consider myself quite open-minded, but John Reid gave a clear ‘No’ regarding transgender athletes,” Reid stated.
Earle-Sears, Reid, and Miyares honored Youngkin, who orchestrated an unforeseen Republican victory in statewide positions four years prior. They highlighted Virginia’s growth in job development and educational improvements during Youngkin’s tenure and pledged to maintain this progress if they secure victory in November.
Spanberger, according to Earle-Sears, is a candidate who, in January of this year, told 500 members of the Virginia State Chamber of Commerce that she was campaigning based on the economic policies that have led to all the positive developments in Virginia over the last four years.
Now, all of a sudden, she’s claiming it’s not good. Is she trying to escape from it? Seriously?” Earle-Sears said. “It’s because she’s behaving as if she’s the rescue force that’s going to come in and save us.
The Friday night gathering at Keystone Acres west of Matoaca took place at the same location as a year prior,State Republicans assembled for a Trump eventThat was handled through a phone call from the candidate personally.
LG and AG candidates are trying to win over the crowd.
Reid, the first openly gay candidate for a statewide position in Virginia, referenced the upcoming book by former Vice President Kamala Harris, “107 Days,” set to be released on September 23, in which she is said to havecasts doubt on former President Joe Biden, California Governor Gavin Newsome, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigiegamong others for not providing sufficient support during her unsuccessful presidential campaign last year. Newsome and Buttigieg – who is openly gay – are some of the top contenders for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
Reid proposed that supporters of the GOP might encourage their Democratic friends to retaliate against Harris’ defeat by casting their votes for the Republican party.
They can take revenge for her by supporting a powerful Black woman like Winsome Earle-Sears,” Reid said, receiving both laughter and applause. “And regarding Mayor Pete, they can seek retribution by voting for me.
Reid is challenging state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, a Democrat from Chesterfield, for the position of lieutenant governor. He has made several criticisms against her, asserting that she refuses to participate in a debate with him and holding her responsible for supporting the decision during the pandemic to close public schools in favor of online education. Republicans argue that this approach slowed down educational progress, which was evident even after schools resumed in-person classes.
The ABC stores were open,” Reid stated, “but the churches were closed, and your child was trapped in front of a computer.
During his time with the microphone, Miyares, the first Virginian of Cuban heritage to serve in a statewide position, reiterated past political criticisms against Democratic candidate Jay Jones, labeling him as “weak” in prosecuting violent offenders. In a broader critique of the Democrats, Miyares referenced Maryland, noting that although the state had a budget surplus under Republican Governor Larry Hogan, its economy has declined under Democratic Governor Wes Moore. He suggested that a similar outcome would occur in Virginia if Democrats were elected.
“Do we want to Maryland our Virginia?” Miyares questioned the audience twice, receiving loud “No” responses each time.
Democrats respond
A small number of Democratic supporters demonstrated at the event, but security staff ensured they remained separated from the crowd. No incidents were reported.
Earlier in the day, the Democratic Governors Association released a statement criticizing Earle-Sears and Virginia Republicans for inviting Ramaswamy, whom they called one of the key figures behind Trump’s contentious Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE], which suggested significant reductions in federal employees and funding. The DGA claimed Ramaswamy was accountable for “thousands of Virginians losing their jobs” and accused Earle-Sears of minimizing the impact of DOGE.
As Winsome Sears begins her campaign with an out-of-state billionaire who significantly reduced Virginia’s workforce, she continues to completely ignore and belittle the Virginia workers who lost their jobs,” said Sam Newton, Director of Communications for the DGA, in a statement. “At every step, Sears demonstrates that she will always prioritize extreme partisan politics over what is best for Virginia.
Remembrances for Charlie Kirk
The silhouette of Charlie Kirk appeared multiple times throughout the event.
Sheriff Karl Leonard of Chesterfield began the event by requesting a moment of silence for Kirk, Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was fatally stabbed on public transportation in North Carolina, as well as three law enforcement officers who were killed in an ambush in Pennsylvania.
“It’s been a challenging week,” Leonard remarked.
In his comments, Youngkin guided the gathering in a unique prayer for Kirk’s wife and two children. Following this, the audience started to shout, “We love Kirk!”
Kirk’s passing has turned into a significant national political issue concerning free speech, with advocates claiming he was killed by someone holding liberal views, while others on social media have criticized Kirk for his direct and outspoken comments.
Charlie Kirk was murdered because of the First Amendment,” Miyares said to the audience. “He was killed by individuals who think we should use violence to suppress speech, by people who believe in using a gun’s end to resolve a political disagreement.
“I support free speech, but keep in mind that there are boundaries to it, and it ends when you encourage violence,” Earle-Sears stated.
A prayer gathering for Kirk took place several miles away in the courthouse district of Chesterfield, at the same time as the political event and attracted a large crowd. Kirk’s memorial service is scheduled for Sunday in Arizona, with expectations that it will be attended by Trump, Vice President JD Vance, government officials, and Republican leaders.
Heavy security presence
Security at the campaign rally was extremely strict, with Chesterfield sheriff’s deputies and police officers positioned throughout the event area. The rally was scheduled to start at 5 p.m., but media personnel covering the event had to arrive two hours early and had to depart while officials carried out a security inspection of the location.
K-9 teams searched the outside of the venue, as spectators were instructed to remain behind metal barriers during the inspection.
After that concluded, guests were admitted in stages, with campaign staff, VIPs, and journalists going first. Around 4:45 p.m., the general public was permitted to enter. All individuals had to go through metal detectors before gaining access.
Numerous guests stood in a section divided from the stage by two lines of metal fences, while others were seated at the rear of the venue where refreshments were available. Individuals who attempted to bring chairs into the standing area were promptly informed they were not allowed to do so.
While Ramaswamy was speaking, an attendee reportedly became overwhelmed by the heat and the large crowd, and was assisted by rally staff who requested the audience to “create a space” so they could remove her. Ramaswamy paused his speech long enough to descend from the stage to check on the woman.
Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is a distinguished reporter specializing in urgent news, governmental affairs, and political developments. Contact him atbatkinson@progress-index.comor on X (previously called Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.
This piece first was published on The Progress-Index:GOP urges solidarity, November state office sweep ahead of large gathering in Chesterfield
