FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
Amy Bacigalupo, Creative Director for Communications & Advocacy
November 9, 2026
Clean Virginia Launches Public Awareness Campaign in Wake of Dominion’s Unprecedented Off-Year Political Spending
District-Specific Text Messages Will Bring Information About Dominion’s Political Contributions Directly to Virginia Voters
Richmond, Va. — Clean Virginia today announced a new transparency initiative to bring information about Dominion Energy’s political contributions directly to Virginia voters. Following the release of each campaign finance report, voters will receive district-specific text messages detailing how much money each of their state legislators received from Dominion during the most recent reporting period, as well as the total amount those legislators have received from the utility over their political careers. The campaign will also highlight legislators who do not accept Dominion’s contributions.
The launch follows the close of Virginia’s 24-hour large expenditure reporting period, during which Dominion — Virginia’s largest corporate political donor — contributed $1.94 million to political candidates and committees. Dominion’s unprecedented political spending has already topped $8 million this year, far outpacing its campaign contribution totals in previous off-year cycles. The escalation comes as Dominion seeks approval for its proposed $67 billion acquisition by NextEra Energy, a deal that promises substantial financial rewards to Dominion’s executive leadership and corporate shareholders and exposes Virginia ratepayers to significant risks.
“When you see nearly $2 million in contributions over just 20 days, it paints a troubling picture,” said Brennan Gilmore, Clean Virginia executive director. “Even more troubling is that those campaign contributions are going to sitting lawmakers — not candidates actively campaigning for office. The timing is damning. Dominion isn’t spending millions to win elections — it’s spending millions to build political support as its $67 billion deal with NextEra undergoes regulatory review and the next legislative session approaches.”
Clean Virginia’s texting campaign will bring information about Dominion’s political giving directly to voters, making campaign finance data more accessible and illuminating the role of utility money in shaping Virginia’s energy policy — including what customers pay on their power bills.
“While Dominion is flooding the system with cash, surging energy prices are squeezing household budgets even more,” Gilmore continued. “Families deserve to know who is influencing the decisions made in their name and whose interests those decisions serve.”
Dominion’s political contributions are public record, but they aren’t always easy to find. Clean Virginia’s new campaign makes that information more accessible, with the aim of helping Virginians understand how the company’s political spending intersects with the decisions their elected officials make. The texting program will follow each campaign finance reporting cycle, providing voters with a consistent way to stay informed about Dominion’s contributions to their elected representatives.
The effort reflects Clean Virginia’s broader mission to support government reform that works for all Virginians, not just powerful corporate interests.
See which legislators, and how much, Dominion Energy contributed to in the third quarter reporting period here, and during the 24-hour reporting period here.
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Clean Virginia is a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to removing corporate money from Virginia politics and reforming utility regulation to put customers first. Learn more at cleanvirginia.org.