Rockingham County

Democratic candidate Mavis Taintor was the founder and Co-CEO of Callidus Capital Management. She and her husband now own and run a horse farm together. She lost her son to addiction and depression after our health care system failed him. Taintor felt called to run for office to ensure other parents don’t have to go through the same tragedy.

Affordable and accessible health care for everyone is at the center of Taintor’s campaign. She supports increased funding for mental health services and eliminating work requirements for Medicaid. She is pro-choice, supporting abortion access and funding for women’s health services. Taintor is also a strong supporter of Virginia’s workers and supports increasing the minimum wage to $15 and repealing the so-called right-to-work laws that prevent people from joining unions. As Delegate, Taintor would support equality for everyone and would vote to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. She would also vote to prevent employment discrimination for LGBTQ Virginians.

Incumbent Republican Delegate Dave LaRock was elected to the House of Delegates in 2013. He is strongly anti-choice and sponsored a bill that would require parents to opt-in their children for sex education in public schools. He has an A rating from the NRA and opposes common sense gun violence prevention legislation. Delegate LaRock opposed Medicaid expansion, which allowed an additional 300,000 Virginians to access affordable health care.

Mavis Taintor is the progressive choice for the 34th District because of her support of reproductive rights, Medicaid expansion, and increasing the minimum wage.

Incumbent Democratic Delegate Kathleen Murphy has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2015. She is a member of the House Finance, Privileges and Elections, and Transportation Committees. Murphy is the mother of four children and two step-children. She and her husband, Bill Sudow, are long-time McLean residents. When the House of Delegates is not in session, Murphy serves as President of Johnson, Murphy, and Associates, a consulting firm. Before becoming a member of the House of Delegates, Murphy served as senior staff to Congressman Charlie Wilson, and she was once a co-writer and producer for Nickelodeon Television. She graduated magna cum laude from American University .

Delegate Murphy is a strong advocate for progressive values. She supports abortion access, believing that people should make decisions for themselves. Delegate Murphy is also a strong advocate for gun violence prevention. She was personally impacted by the issue when her brother was shot and killed by two gunmen. As a Northern Virginia resident, Delegate Murphy wants to come up with transportation solutions but does not support adding tolls to I-66. Delegate Murphy supports equitable education, including funding for pre-K programs and freezing tuition hikes at Virginia’s public colleges and universities. She also supports equal pay for women.

Running against Delegate Murphy is Republican Gary Pan. He is a business owner who supports reducing government regulations that keep us safe and healthy. Pan has chosen to remain silent on important issues like abortion access, gun violence prevention, paid family leave, and raising the minimum wage.

Delegate Murphy is the more progressive choice in this race because of her support of abortion access and increasing teacher pay.

Incumbent Democratic Delegate Mark Keam became the first Asian-born immigrant and the first Korean-American elected to any state-level office in Virginia when he was elected in 2009. Delegate Keam is an attorney who served as in-house counsel for a Fortune 15 tech company. Delegate Keam and his wife reside in Vienna where their two children attend public schools.

During his time as a Delegate, he has sponsored dozens of state laws to improve public education and healthcare, create green jobs, support military veterans and public safety, reform tax codes and business regulations, and provide more government transparency, accountability, and efficiency. He voted for Medicaid expansion, which allowed an additional 300,000 Virginians to get access to affordable health care. Delegate Keam also co-sponsored a bill that required feminine hygiene products be provided to incarcerated people who need them free of charge.

Running unopposed, Delegate Keam is the more progressive choice for this race.