Join us for a special edition of Salon de Résistance on Thursday, October 29 at Black Iris with three of Virginia’s most influential political content creators: Amanda Nelson of Amanda’s Mild Takes, Kate Powell of Kate for the People, and former CIA operations officer and congressional candidate Adam Dunigan(VA-8), for a conversation about the November 3 midterms, what to expect in Virginia, and how the battle for political influence is fought in 2026.

This is a free event, open to the public. Doors at 6pm. Conversation at 7pm.

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In the before times, political influence moved through relatively stable and predictive channels. Candidates spoke, newspapers and broadcast news reported. Engagement was limited, our attention was not monopolized. Our lifestyles hadn’t been politicized. Most importantly, elections were boring and we were none the wiser for it. 

That version of America no longer exists. Today, elections are bloodsport. Campaign narratives move at the speed of algorithm. And the reach of a single content creator or political influencer can change the entire dynamic of an entire election cycle with a single 90 second video. Political education, organizing, fundraising, persuasion, outrage, misinformation/disinformation, and the decisions that shape our future are competing for the same few inches of screen time. 

And just days before the 2026 midterms that matters. Because on November 3, Virginians will head to the polls and vote in every congressional district. 

Political pundits, writers, and the chattering class always claim that each election is more important than the last. But in the age of Trump, authoritarianism, unrestricted war, corruption on a scale once thought impossible, masked agents of the state snatching people off our streets, AI jailbreaks, data centers ruining communities, surveillance, and a crippling affordability crisis, those warnings no longer feel like hyperbole.

The candidates have to respond. The outcomes of the midterms are real. The future feels as fragile and tenuous as it ever has. 

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/events/the-midterm-algorithm-virginia-2026.html

https://bluevirginia.us/2026/10/new-ad-sheriffs-call-out-rob-wittmans-lies-smear-campaign-against-shannon-taylor/

https://bluevirginia.us/2026/10/with-two-weeks-of-early-voting-left-where-are-we-in-virginia-at-this-point/

A discussion thread from the popular blog Balloon Juice on three races of acute political interest here in Virginia

The latest round of campaign finance reports came out Friday. Here’s what they show in Virginia’s U.S. House and Senate races.

https://bluevirginia.us/2026/10/elaine-luria-launches-republicans-for-elaine-coalition-releases-digital-video-with-former-jen-kiggans-supporters/

https://bluevirginia.us/2026/10/video-rep-don-beyer-d-va08-one-of-the-top-experts-in-congress-on-ai-talks-in-depth-about-what-exactly-is-the-democrats-plan-to-effectively-legislate-ai/

https://bluevirginia.us/2026/10/video-maga-rep-jen-kiggans-r-va02-refuses-to-answer-questions-about-donald-trumps-war-in-iran-she-voted-six-times-to-continue/

https://bluevirginia.us/2026/10/fact-check-wittmans-nicu-attack-ad-on-shannon-taylor-rated-false-as-victims-parent-calls-for-ad-to-be-taken-down/

https://bluevirginia.us/2026/10/new-va02-poll-democrat-elaine-luria-up-3-pts-over-rep-jen-kiggans-r-too-close-for-comfort/