Mae Dominguez drove two and a half hours from Culpeper County to Chesterfield County so two of her sons could see the Republican statewide ticket up close and personal.
Twenty-year-old Cameron became interested in politics by watching Charlie Kirk, the conservative pundit who was killed Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University. Gideon, 6, was a little squirmy – as most kids that age is – as they and a couple thousand other supporters waited for the rally to begin.
Dominguez, who adopted nine children and fostered several others, said she felt it was crucial for her kids to be at Keystone Acres farm to hear what not only the statewide ticket but also Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy had to say.
“Anchoring the next generation,” she said is why she made the long drive. “It is imperative that we bring our children, and we show them these things are important.”
Dominguez called her parents “Kennedy Democrats,” a reference to the party when John F. Kennedy became president in the 1960s. Despite that influence, she became aligned with the Republicans because “I think we need less government in our businesses and a personal overreach in our lives.”
Their trip was not in vain, as Domiguez and her family were among the first to nab a premiere viewing spot directly in front of the state adorned with U.S. and Virginia flags.
The crowd was full-throated for the entire rally, their excitement building with every speaker who took the stage.
It started with Ramaswamy, part of a slate of 2024 candidates for the Republican nomination that slowly whittled its way down to Donald Trump and now the GOP candidate for governor in Ohio. It continued with John Reid, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, then to Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and eventually Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
By the time Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP gubernatorial nominee, took the stage, the crowd was at its highest peak. They cheered, they sang, they waved campaign placards with “Winsome” on them. They booed lustily whenever Earle-Sears mentioned Democratic opponent Abigail Spanberger, and some even shouted, “We love you!” during lulls in Earle-Sears’ speech.
More: In Hopewell, GOP gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle Sears puts opponent on blast
Political platform reinforced
The two-hour rally featured all of the GOP talking points for the November election, from unwavering support for law enforcement, to closing the U.S. borders to illegal immigrants, to parents having full say in their children’s education. Some of the loudest catcalls came when Earle-Sears mentioned how Democrats “want to let boys into girls’ locker rooms” by supporting transgender participation in school sports.
“I like to think I’m a pretty open-minded guy, but that’s a big ‘No’ from John Reid,” Reid said about transgender sports.
Earle-Sears, Reid and Miyares saluted Youngkin, who led an unexpected GOP sweep of the statewide offices four years ago. They pointed to Virginia’s rises in job creation and education reform under Youngkin and promised to keep that momentum going should they win in November.
Of Spanberger, Earle-Sears said, “Here’s a candidate who in January of this year told 500 members of the Virginia State Chamber of Commerce that she was running on the economic policies that had created all the good things” in Virginia over the past four years.
“Now, all of a sudden, she’s saying it’s no good. She’s running away from it? Really?” Earle-Sears said. “It’s because she is acting as if she is the cavalry that is going to ride in and save us.”
Friday night’s rally at Keystone Acres west of Matoaca was held in the same place where a year before, state Republicans gathered for a Trump rally that was addressed via telephone by the candidate himself.
LG, AG candidates woo the crowd
Reid, the first openly gay candidate for Virginia statewide office, made mention of former Vice President Kamala Harris’ upcoming book, “107 Days,” due out Sept. 23, in which she reportedly casts shade on former President Joe Biden, California Gov. Gavin Newsome and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg among others for not being supportive enough of her unsuccessful presidential campaign last year. Newsome and Buttigieg – himself openly gay – are among the early favorites for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
Reid suggested that GOP supporters could invite their Democratic friends to avenge Harris’ loss by voting Republican.
“They can avenge her by voting for a strong Black woman like Winsome Earle-Sears,” Reid said, drawing both laughs and cheers. “And as for Mayor Pete, they can avenge him by voting for me.”
Reid is opposing state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, for the lieutenant governor’s job. He took a few jabs at her, claiming she will not accept a debate with him and blaming her for backing the pandemic decision to close public schools in favor of virtual learning. Republicans say that hindered education progress that was felt even after the schools reopened.
“The ABC stores were open,” Reid said, “but churches were closed, and your child was stuck behind a computer.”
In his turn with the microphone, Miyares, the first Virginian of Cuban descent to hold statewide office here, repeated previous political attacks on Democratic challenger Jay Jones as being “soft” on prosecution of violent criminals. In a general attack on the Democrats, Miyares pointed north to Maryland, saying that while the state had a budget surplus under GOP Gov. Larry Hogan, its economy has dropped under Democratic Gov. Wes Moore. And if Democrats are elected here, the same thing will happen in Virginia.
“Do we want to Maryland our Virginia?” Miyares asked the crowd twice, getting resounding “No” shouts each time.
Democrats respond
A handful of Democratic supporters protested at the rally, but security personnel kept them at a distance away from attendees. There were no reports of any incidents
Earlier in the day, the Democratic Governors Association issued a statement blasting Earle-Sears and Virginia Republicans for inviting Ramaswamy, who they referred to as one of the architects of Trump’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE] that recommended drastic cuts in federal workforce and spending. The DGA said Ramaswamy was responsible for “thousands of Virginians losing their jobs” and accused Earle-Sears of downplaying DOGE effects.
“As Winsome Sears hits the trail with an out-of-state billionaire who gutted Virginia’s workforce, she’s continuing to completely dismiss and insult the Virginia workers who were fired,” DGA Communications Director Sam Newton said in the statement. “At every turn, Sears proves she will always put loyalty to extreme partisan politics ahead of what’s right for Virginia.
Remembrances for Charlie Kirk
The shadow of Charlie Kirk was cast several times during the rally.
Chesterfield Sheriff Karl Leonard opened the event by asking for a moment of silence for Kirk, Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska who was stabbed to death by a man on public transit in North Carolina, and three police officers shot to death in a Pennsylvania ambush.
“It’s been a tough week,” Leonard said.
In his remarks, Youngkin led the rally in a special prayer for Kirk’s wife and two children. Afterward, the crowd began to chant, “We love Kirk!”
Kirk’s death has become a national political flashpoint over freedom of speech, with supporters saying he was killed by someone with left-leaning beliefs and others taking to social media criticizing Kirk for his outspoken, blunt opinions.
“Charlie Kirk was assassinated over the First Amendment,” Miyares told the crowd. “He was killed by people who think we should use violence to silence words, by people who believe in using the end of a gun to settle a political debate.”
“I believe in free speech, but remember that there is a limit to free speech, and it stops when you incite violence.” Earle-Sears added.
Several miles away, in the courthouse area of Chesterfield, a prayer vigil for Kirk was held at the same time as the political rally and drew many people. Kirk’s memorial service is set for Sunday in Arizona, and is expected to be attended by Trump, Vice President JD Vance, administration officials and Republican leaders.
Heavy security presence
Secuity for the campaign rally was very tight, with Chesterfield sheriff’s deputies and police stationed throughout the rally site. The rally was set to begin at 5 p.m., but media covering it had to be onsite two hours early and had to leave while authorities conducted a security sweep of the property.
K-9 units canvassed the exterior of the arena, while attendees were told to stay behind metal barricades while the sweep was done.
Once that was over, attendees were let in gradually, with campaign officials, VIPs and media allowed first. About 4:45 p.m., the public could enter. Everyone had to pass through metal detectors before entering.
Many attendees stood in an area separated from the stage by two rows of metal barriers, while others sat in the back of the arena where food was being served. Some who tried to bring chairs into the standing-room area were quickly told they could not do so.
During Ramaswamy’s remarks, an attendee apparently was overcome by heat and the crowd size, and was tended to by rally staffers who asked the audience to “make a hole” where they could get her out. Ramaswamy stopped his remarks long enough to jump down from the stage to check on the woman.
Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: GOP rally in Chesterfield draws thousands of supporters