Virginia elections will test the backlash against Musk – and Democrats are ready with a plan

Democrats in the state view themselves as on the frontlines responding to Donald Trump's harmful policies

Democrats have begun plotting the next phase of their electoral revival with a seven-figure spend in Virginia ahead of a vote they hope will turn into a referendum on Elon Musk.

The party, which had been despondent since Donald Trump's victory last year, got off the canvas last week with a convincing win in a Wisconsin supreme court race and two strong congressional performances in Florida.