Skip to main content
  • Democrat

    Caitlin Coakley

  • Activist and organizer, Caitlin Coakley is running to represent the 65th District in the House of Delegates. A former reporter for the Roanoke Star-Sentinel, a weekly newspaper, Coakley understands the intricacies of local and state governance. She worked with other activists in Chesterfield County in 2020 to demand a better response from the local government with the COVID-19 pandemic, public safety, and education. She currently resides in Chesterfield with her husband and their two children.

    Coakley understands that the educational and economic success of the district hinges on access to reliable Internet. She plans on securing federal money and creating public-private partnerships to guarantee that every household in the district has broadband access. She wants to boost working families in Virginia by providing universal pre-K and tuition-free community college. Coakley also supports a $15 an hour minimum wage with future increases tied to the cost of living.

    Coakley advocates for reforming Virginia’s criminal justice system and reducing its harmful impact on communities of color. She wants to end cash bail, which keeps poor people incarcerated simply because they can’t afford bail, and qualified immunity, a practice that shields police from accountability for violating people’s civil rights. She believes in building safer, equitable communities by investing more in programs for mental health support, affordable housing, and economic development.

    Coakley understands the urgency of the climate crisis and endorses legislative actions to tackle the issue. She wants to protect the environment by reducing carbon emissions and investing in clean energy. She believes that farmers whose crops are affected by climate change must be protected as well. She supports the Green New Deal Virginia and will oppose the construction of mega-landfills in the Commonwealth. Coakley pledged not to take campaign contributions from polluting utility monopolies like Dominion Energy.

    Coakley wants to make quality, affordable healthcare available to all Virginians. She advocates for legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs and workforce training programs to address the healthcare worker shortage. She supports keeping communities safe by passing common-sense measures aimed at preventing gun violence. She also wants to keep people in the workforce by guaranteeing paid family and medical leave so people don’t have to choose between a paycheck and taking care of themselves or a loved one in the event of an illness.

    Coakley is challenging incumbent Delegate Lee Ware (R), a retired teacher who has represented the 65th District since 1998. Ware opposed expanding affordable health coverage to 400,000 Virginians in 2018. He also voted against raising the minimum wage, abolishing the death penalty, and legalizing marijuana. Additionally, Ware opposes abortion access and prohibiting voter discrimination in the Commonwealth.

    Due to her support of working families, criminal justice reform, the environment, affordable healthcare, and gun violence prevention, Coakley is the most progressive choice in this race.
    Last updated: 2023-04-05

    Caitlin Coakley

    Activist and organizer, Caitlin Coakley is running to represent the 65th District in the House of Delegates. A former reporter for the Roanoke Star-Sentinel, a weekly newspaper, Coakley understands the intricacies of local and state governance.
    Activist and organizer, Caitlin Coakley is running to represent the 65th District in the House of Delegates. A former reporter for the Roanoke Star-Sentinel, a weekly newspaper, Coakley understands the intricacies of local and state governance. She worked with other activists in Chesterfield County in 2020 to demand a better response from the local government with the COVID-19 pandemic, public safety, and education. She currently resides in Chesterfield with her husband and their two children.

    Coakley understands that the educational and economic success of the district hinges on access to reliable Internet. She plans on securing federal money and creating public-private partnerships to guarantee that every household in the district has broadband access. She wants to boost working families in Virginia by providing universal pre-K and tuition-free community college. Coakley also supports a $15 an hour minimum wage with future increases tied to the cost of living.

    Coakley advocates for reforming Virginia’s criminal justice system and reducing its harmful impact on communities of color. She wants to end cash bail, which keeps poor people incarcerated simply because they can’t afford bail, and qualified immunity, a practice that shields police from accountability for violating people’s civil rights. She believes in building safer, equitable communities by investing more in programs for mental health support, affordable housing, and economic development.

    Coakley understands the urgency of the climate crisis and endorses legislative actions to tackle the issue. She wants to protect the environment by reducing carbon emissions and investing in clean energy. She believes that farmers whose crops are affected by climate change must be protected as well. She supports the Green New Deal Virginia and will oppose the construction of mega-landfills in the Commonwealth. Coakley pledged not to take campaign contributions from polluting utility monopolies like Dominion Energy.

    Coakley wants to make quality, affordable healthcare available to all Virginians. She advocates for legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs and workforce training programs to address the healthcare worker shortage. She supports keeping communities safe by passing common-sense measures aimed at preventing gun violence. She also wants to keep people in the workforce by guaranteeing paid family and medical leave so people don’t have to choose between a paycheck and taking care of themselves or a loved one in the event of an illness.

    Coakley is challenging incumbent Delegate Lee Ware (R), a retired teacher who has represented the 65th District since 1998. Ware opposed expanding affordable health coverage to 400,000 Virginians in 2018. He also voted against raising the minimum wage, abolishing the death penalty, and legalizing marijuana. Additionally, Ware opposes abortion access and prohibiting voter discrimination in the Commonwealth.

    Due to her support of working families, criminal justice reform, the environment, affordable healthcare, and gun violence prevention, Coakley is the most progressive choice in this race.

    Caitlin Coakley

    Activist and organizer, Caitlin Coakley is running to represent the 65th District in the House of Delegates. A former reporter for the Roanoke Star-Sentinel, a weekly newspaper, Coakley understands the intricacies of local and state governance.
  • Democratic candidate for governor, Terry McAuliffe, was the 72nd Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2014 to 2018. McAuliffe was unable to seek reelection in 2017 due to a state law that bars sitting governors from serving consecutive terms. McAuliffe attended The Catholic University of America and Georgetown University Law Center. A lifelong businessman and entrepreneur, McAuliffe has lived in Fairfax County for more than 20 years with his wife, Dorothy. The couple has raised five children together.

    McAuliffe is centering his campaign on building a strong Virginia economy that works for everyone. He plans to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024, two years ahead of the current schedule. He wants to require employers to provide paid sick days along with paid family and medical leave to all workers. Because Virginia is the 10th most expensive state for childcare in the country, McAuliffe wants to assist families burdened with childcare costs by providing subsidies, funneling federal money to families, and making it easier for people to qualify for assistance.

    McAuliffe plans to invest $2 billion in Virginia’s education system every year so that teachers are paid above the national average, children have access to universal pre-K, and every student can get online. To make college more affordable to students, McAuliffe will offer more financial aid and expand on current Governor Ralph Northam’s program that makes community college free to low- and middle-income students studying in certain fields. McAuliffe also wants to boost enrollment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities by providing free tuition to students who promise to teach for five years in the state’s high-need areas.

    While serving as Governor of Virginia, McAuliffe took action to reduce carbon emissions in the state and received a $120.5 million federal grant to combat the rising sea level on Virginia’s coast. He wants Virginia to reach 100% clean energy by 2035 and make access to clean energy and transportation infrastructure more affordable by providing subsidies for solar usage and public transit construction. McAuliffe also plans to address the racial impacts of climate change by providing funding to communities hit by extreme heat and rising sea levels.

    McAuliffe pushed for Medicaid expansion during his first term and wants to increase access to affordable healthcare by supporting Virginia’s plan to create a state-run health insurance marketplace. He backs lowering prescription drug costs, reducing health insurance premiums, and creating a Medicaid buy-in option for people who make too much to qualify for the program but still can’t afford out-of-pocket costs on the marketplace. When he was governor, McAuliffe vetoed Republican legislation that would have limited abortion access. If reelected, McAuliffe plans to incorporate Roe v. Wade into Virginia’s constitution to guarantee that abortion access is protected.

    McAuliffe is running against multimillionaire Republican Glenn Youngkin, the former president of Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. Youngkin wants to channel the state’s money from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to fund private schools. Youngkin has admitted that he opposes abortion access and will work to dismantle protections for reproductive freedom in the Commonwealth. Youngkin is also against making health coverage more affordable in Virginia.

    McAuliffe is also facing a challenge from activist and educator Princess Blanding, an Independent candidate. Blanding is the sister of Marcus David-Peters, a young Black man who was killed by police in 2018. Blanding wants to hold police accountable by ending qualified immunity and shifting funding away from police departments to invest in community services. She also wants to make health coverage more affordable by creating a public healthcare system.

    Due to his record in providing leadership for the Commonwealth and his support of Virginia working families, the environment, affordable health coverage, and reproductive rights, Terry McAuliffe is the most progressive choice in this race.

    Last updated: 2023-04-05

    Terry McAuliffe

    Democratic candidate for governor, Terry McAuliffe, was the 72nd Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2014 to 2018. McAuliffe was unable to seek reelection in 2017 due to a state law that bars sitting governors from serving consecutive terms.

    Democratic candidate for governor, Terry McAuliffe, was the 72nd Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2014 to 2018. McAuliffe was unable to seek reelection in 2017 due to a state law that bars sitting governors from serving consecutive terms. McAuliffe attended The Catholic University of America and Georgetown University Law Center. A lifelong businessman and entrepreneur, McAuliffe has lived in Fairfax County for more than 20 years with his wife, Dorothy. The couple has raised five children together.

    McAuliffe is centering his campaign on building a strong Virginia economy that works for everyone. He plans to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024, two years ahead of the current schedule. He wants to require employers to provide paid sick days along with paid family and medical leave to all workers. Because Virginia is the 10th most expensive state for childcare in the country, McAuliffe wants to assist families burdened with childcare costs by providing subsidies, funneling federal money to families, and making it easier for people to qualify for assistance.

    McAuliffe plans to invest $2 billion in Virginia’s education system every year so that teachers are paid above the national average, children have access to universal pre-K, and every student can get online. To make college more affordable to students, McAuliffe will offer more financial aid and expand on current Governor Ralph Northam’s program that makes community college free to low- and middle-income students studying in certain fields. McAuliffe also wants to boost enrollment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities by providing free tuition to students who promise to teach for five years in the state’s high-need areas.

    While serving as Governor of Virginia, McAuliffe took action to reduce carbon emissions in the state and received a $120.5 million federal grant to combat the rising sea level on Virginia’s coast. He wants Virginia to reach 100% clean energy by 2035 and make access to clean energy and transportation infrastructure more affordable by providing subsidies for solar usage and public transit construction. McAuliffe also plans to address the racial impacts of climate change by providing funding to communities hit by extreme heat and rising sea levels.

    McAuliffe pushed for Medicaid expansion during his first term and wants to increase access to affordable healthcare by supporting Virginia’s plan to create a state-run health insurance marketplace. He backs lowering prescription drug costs, reducing health insurance premiums, and creating a Medicaid buy-in option for people who make too much to qualify for the program but still can’t afford out-of-pocket costs on the marketplace. When he was governor, McAuliffe vetoed Republican legislation that would have limited abortion access. If reelected, McAuliffe plans to incorporate Roe v. Wade into Virginia’s constitution to guarantee that abortion access is protected.

    McAuliffe is running against multimillionaire Republican Glenn Youngkin, the former president of Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. Youngkin wants to channel the state’s money from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to fund private schools. Youngkin has admitted that he opposes abortion access and will work to dismantle protections for reproductive freedom in the Commonwealth. Youngkin is also against making health coverage more affordable in Virginia.

    McAuliffe is also facing a challenge from activist and educator Princess Blanding, an Independent candidate. Blanding is the sister of Marcus David-Peters, a young Black man who was killed by police in 2018. Blanding wants to hold police accountable by ending qualified immunity and shifting funding away from police departments to invest in community services. She also wants to make health coverage more affordable by creating a public healthcare system.

    Due to his record in providing leadership for the Commonwealth and his support of Virginia working families, the environment, affordable health coverage, and reproductive rights, Terry McAuliffe is the most progressive choice in this race.

    Terry McAuliffe

    Democratic candidate for governor, Terry McAuliffe, was the 72nd Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2014 to 2018. McAuliffe was unable to seek reelection in 2017 due to a state law that bars sitting governors from serving consecutive terms.

  • The daughter of a Salvadorian and North African immigrant father and a Lebanese and Irish mother, Delegate Hala Ayala was one of the first Latina women elected to the House of Delegates, having one her first election to represent the 51st District in 2017. She worked for over 20 years as a cybersecurity specialist and is the single mother of two grown children. If chosen by voters to be the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Ayala will be the first woman and Afro-Latina to do so.

    Affordable access to healthcare is a central focus for Ayala. As a first-time mother, Ayala depended on Medicaid to give her son life-saving care. In 2018, Ayala voted to expand Medicaid to 400,000 Virginians. In 2020, she co-patroned legislation to cap the cost of insulin in the state. In 2021, she voted to make the cost of prescription drugs transparent and to boost Virginia’s capacity to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. She also wants to reduce Black maternal mortality and create a universal paid family and medical leave program in the Commonwealth.

    As a graduate of Prince William County schools, Ayala believes that a well-funded education system is critical to a thriving Commonwealth. In 2021, she voted to increase teachers’ salaries by 5%. She also supported the “Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back (G3) Fund and Program, which provides free community college to low- and middle-income students who are studying in certain fields. As lieutenant governor, Ayala will prioritize expanding access to pre-K, reducing overcrowding in classrooms, and dedicate more funding to improve school infrastructure.

    Recognizing the climate crisis as a national security threat, Ayala believes the state needs to play a bigger role in addressing the impacts of climate change. She co-patroned the Virginia Clean Economy Act in 2020, which will eliminate carbon emissions in the Commonwealth by 2050. She also wants to dedicate more funding to communities dealing firsthand with the effects of climate change, believing that solutions to the crisis must be created with racial equity in mind.

    Ayala personally understands how hard it is for families to make ends meet. Her family struggled financially when she was a child, and she worked and raised children while obtaining her degree. In 2020, Ayala voted to raise the state’s minimum wage. She supports making paid family and medical leave available to all Virginia working families. In 2021, she voted to strengthen the rights of tenants and protect them from eviction during the pandemic. She also sponsored legislation to protect workers during the pandemic by requiring employers to provide them with personal protective equipment and hazard pay.

    Ayala is running against former delegate Winsome Sears, a Republican who represented Norfolk in the House of Delegates from 2002 to 2003. Sears owns a plumbing and appliance repair store in Winchester. Sears opposes legislation that would make our communities safer from gun violence. She also supports using public money to fund private schools and wants to create deliberate barriers to voting access that make it more difficult for people to participate in our democracy.

    Due to her support of affordable health coverage, the environment, public education, and Virginia working families, Delegate Hala Ayala is the most progressive choice for lieutenant governor in Virginia.
    Last updated: 2023-04-05

    Hala Ayala

    The daughter of a Salvadorian and North African immigrant father and a Lebanese and Irish mother, Delegate Hala Ayala was one of the first Latina women elected to the House of Delegates, having one her first election to represent the 51st District in 2017.
    The daughter of a Salvadorian and North African immigrant father and a Lebanese and Irish mother, Delegate Hala Ayala was one of the first Latina women elected to the House of Delegates, having one her first election to represent the 51st District in 2017. She worked for over 20 years as a cybersecurity specialist and is the single mother of two grown children. If chosen by voters to be the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Ayala will be the first woman and Afro-Latina to do so.

    Affordable access to healthcare is a central focus for Ayala. As a first-time mother, Ayala depended on Medicaid to give her son life-saving care. In 2018, Ayala voted to expand Medicaid to 400,000 Virginians. In 2020, she co-patroned legislation to cap the cost of insulin in the state. In 2021, she voted to make the cost of prescription drugs transparent and to boost Virginia’s capacity to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. She also wants to reduce Black maternal mortality and create a universal paid family and medical leave program in the Commonwealth.

    As a graduate of Prince William County schools, Ayala believes that a well-funded education system is critical to a thriving Commonwealth. In 2021, she voted to increase teachers’ salaries by 5%. She also supported the “Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back (G3) Fund and Program, which provides free community college to low- and middle-income students who are studying in certain fields. As lieutenant governor, Ayala will prioritize expanding access to pre-K, reducing overcrowding in classrooms, and dedicate more funding to improve school infrastructure.

    Recognizing the climate crisis as a national security threat, Ayala believes the state needs to play a bigger role in addressing the impacts of climate change. She co-patroned the Virginia Clean Economy Act in 2020, which will eliminate carbon emissions in the Commonwealth by 2050. She also wants to dedicate more funding to communities dealing firsthand with the effects of climate change, believing that solutions to the crisis must be created with racial equity in mind.

    Ayala personally understands how hard it is for families to make ends meet. Her family struggled financially when she was a child, and she worked and raised children while obtaining her degree. In 2020, Ayala voted to raise the state’s minimum wage. She supports making paid family and medical leave available to all Virginia working families. In 2021, she voted to strengthen the rights of tenants and protect them from eviction during the pandemic. She also sponsored legislation to protect workers during the pandemic by requiring employers to provide them with personal protective equipment and hazard pay.

    Ayala is running against former delegate Winsome Sears, a Republican who represented Norfolk in the House of Delegates from 2002 to 2003. Sears owns a plumbing and appliance repair store in Winchester. Sears opposes legislation that would make our communities safer from gun violence. She also supports using public money to fund private schools and wants to create deliberate barriers to voting access that make it more difficult for people to participate in our democracy.

    Due to her support of affordable health coverage, the environment, public education, and Virginia working families, Delegate Hala Ayala is the most progressive choice for lieutenant governor in Virginia.

    Hala Ayala

    The daughter of a Salvadorian and North African immigrant father and a Lebanese and Irish mother, Delegate Hala Ayala was one of the first Latina women elected to the House of Delegates, having one her first election to represent the 51st District in 2017.
  • Incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring is seeking his third term in office after having been first elected in 2013. Raised by a single mother in Loudoun County, Herring obtained a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the University of Virginia before earning his law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law. He and his wife of 30 years, Laura, raised two children together.

    Herring has stood up for access to affordable healthcare by fighting off efforts by the Trump administration to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In 2021, Herring defended the ACA by joining a coalition of 21 attorneys general to argue in front of the U.S. Supreme Court against a lawsuit from the Trump administration that would have dismantled the ACA, protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and Medicaid expansion.

    Herring is a champion of reproductive rights and abortion access, and has used his office to support a person’s right to decide when and whether to become a parent. He has signed onto several lawsuits that challenge different states’ restrictive abortion laws. He issued an opinion in 2015 to strike down medically unnecessary Targeted Restrictions on Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws that shuttered women’s health centers in the Commonwealth. In 2019, he successfully filed an injunction against the Trump administration’s efforts to halt contraceptive coverage in health insurance.

    Herring has worked to keep our communities safe from gun violence by standing up to the gun lobby. In 2020, he defended two common-sense laws passed by the General Assembly aimed at preventing gun violence, the one-handgun-a-month law, and extended background checks. The same year, he also successfully defended a challenge to Virginia’s extreme risk protection law, which keeps guns out of the hands of people who pose a risk to themselves or others.

    During his time in office, Herring has fought to keep the promise of democracy real by protecting access to the ballot box. This year, he applauded the passage of the Voting Rights Act of Virginia and joined other attorneys general in urging Congress to pass safeguards that guarantee people’s rights to participate in our democracy by voting. In 2020, he ensured that voters did not face intimidation while casting their ballots in our fair and free elections. In 2016, he defended a decision from former Governor Terry McAuliffe to restore the rights of returning citizens in the Commonwealth.

    Herring is facing a challenge from Delegate Jason Miyares, a conservative Republican who wants to create deliberate barriers to voting access, undermine workers’ rights by keeping Virginia a right-to-work state, and oppose efforts to shift funding away from police budgets to community services. As a delegate, Miyares voted against raising the state’s minimum wage, expanding access to affordable healthcare to hundreds of thousands of Virginians, abolishing the death penalty, and legalizing marijuana. He also opposes abortion access.

    Due to his support of access to affordable healthcare, abortion access, gun violence prevention, and voting rights, Attorney General Mark Herring is the most progressive choice for this race.
    Last updated: 2023-04-05

    Mark Herring

    Incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring is seeking his third term in office after having been first elected in 2013.
    Incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring is seeking his third term in office after having been first elected in 2013. Raised by a single mother in Loudoun County, Herring obtained a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the University of Virginia before earning his law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law. He and his wife of 30 years, Laura, raised two children together.

    Herring has stood up for access to affordable healthcare by fighting off efforts by the Trump administration to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In 2021, Herring defended the ACA by joining a coalition of 21 attorneys general to argue in front of the U.S. Supreme Court against a lawsuit from the Trump administration that would have dismantled the ACA, protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and Medicaid expansion.

    Herring is a champion of reproductive rights and abortion access, and has used his office to support a person’s right to decide when and whether to become a parent. He has signed onto several lawsuits that challenge different states’ restrictive abortion laws. He issued an opinion in 2015 to strike down medically unnecessary Targeted Restrictions on Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws that shuttered women’s health centers in the Commonwealth. In 2019, he successfully filed an injunction against the Trump administration’s efforts to halt contraceptive coverage in health insurance.

    Herring has worked to keep our communities safe from gun violence by standing up to the gun lobby. In 2020, he defended two common-sense laws passed by the General Assembly aimed at preventing gun violence, the one-handgun-a-month law, and extended background checks. The same year, he also successfully defended a challenge to Virginia’s extreme risk protection law, which keeps guns out of the hands of people who pose a risk to themselves or others.

    During his time in office, Herring has fought to keep the promise of democracy real by protecting access to the ballot box. This year, he applauded the passage of the Voting Rights Act of Virginia and joined other attorneys general in urging Congress to pass safeguards that guarantee people’s rights to participate in our democracy by voting. In 2020, he ensured that voters did not face intimidation while casting their ballots in our fair and free elections. In 2016, he defended a decision from former Governor Terry McAuliffe to restore the rights of returning citizens in the Commonwealth.

    Herring is facing a challenge from Delegate Jason Miyares, a conservative Republican who wants to create deliberate barriers to voting access, undermine workers’ rights by keeping Virginia a right-to-work state, and oppose efforts to shift funding away from police budgets to community services. As a delegate, Miyares voted against raising the state’s minimum wage, expanding access to affordable healthcare to hundreds of thousands of Virginians, abolishing the death penalty, and legalizing marijuana. He also opposes abortion access.

    Due to his support of access to affordable healthcare, abortion access, gun violence prevention, and voting rights, Attorney General Mark Herring is the most progressive choice for this race.

    Mark Herring

    Incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring is seeking his third term in office after having been first elected in 2013.
  • Virginia’s new 65th House of Delegates district encompasses parts of Stafford County, Fredericksburg City, and parts of Spotsylvania County. With over 62,000 registered voters, this is a competitive district.

    Activist and organizer, Caitlin Coakley is running to represent the 65th District in the House of Delegates. A former reporter for the Roanoke Star-Sentinel, a weekly newspaper, Coakley understands the intricacies of local and state governance. She worked with other activists in Chesterfield County in 2020 to demand a better response from the local government with the COVID-19 pandemic, public safety, and education. She currently resides in Chesterfield with her husband and their two children.

    Coakley understands that the educational and economic success of the district hinges on access to reliable Internet. She plans on securing federal money and creating public-private partnerships to guarantee that every household in the district has broadband access. She wants to boost working families in Virginia by providing universal pre-K and tuition-free community college. Coakley also supports a $15 an hour minimum wage with future increases tied to the cost of living.

    Coakley advocates for reforming Virginia’s criminal justice system and reducing its harmful impact on communities of color. She wants to end cash bail, which keeps poor people incarcerated simply because they can’t afford bail, and qualified immunity, a practice that shields police from accountability for violating people’s civil rights. She believes in building safer, equitable communities by investing more in programs for mental health support, affordable housing, and economic development.

    Coakley understands the urgency of the climate crisis and endorses legislative actions to tackle the issue. She wants to protect the environment by reducing carbon emissions and investing in clean energy. She believes that farmers whose crops are affected by climate change must be protected as well. She supports the Green New Deal Virginia and will oppose the construction of mega-landfills in the Commonwealth. Coakley pledged not to take campaign contributions from polluting utility monopolies like Dominion Energy.

    Coakley wants to make quality, affordable healthcare available to all Virginians. She advocates for legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs and workforce training programs to address the healthcare worker shortage. She supports keeping communities safe by passing common-sense measures aimed at preventing gun violence. She also wants to keep people in the workforce by guaranteeing paid family and medical leave so people don’t have to choose between a paycheck and taking care of themselves or a loved one in the event of an illness.

    Coakley is challenging incumbent Delegate Lee Ware (R), a retired teacher who has represented the 65th District since 1998. Ware opposed expanding affordable health coverage to 400,000 Virginians in 2018. He also voted against raising the minimum wage, abolishing the death penalty, and legalizing marijuana. Additionally, Ware opposes abortion access and prohibiting voter discrimination in the Commonwealth.

    Due to her support of working families, criminal justice reform, the environment, affordable healthcare, and gun violence prevention, Coakley is the most progressive choice in this race.

No Recommendation

Brenda Wood has served as treasurer for the City of Fredericksburg since 2014. Prior to being treasurer, she served as chief deputy treasurer since 2009 and has worked in the office since 2002, working under Virginia’s longest-serving Treasurer, G.M. “Jim” Haney. Wood is the first female Treasurer in the City of Fredericksburg. Wood is a member of the Treasurer's Association Career Development program and is certified by the University of Virginia as a Master Governmental Deputy Treasurer.

Wood has worked to implement policies to improve tax billing for residents of Fredericksburg. She successfully implemented twice-a-year billing of personal property taxes, which helps individuals who struggled to afford tax bills in one installment. Additionally, she successfully worked to modernize the payment structure, introducing electronic billing and online payment. These policies help individuals avoid late fees and save on postage costs and are more efficient all around.

Wood is running unopposed.

An absence of online information about Wood’s policies or proposals means we cannot guarantee she will make progressive choices. We do not have a recommendation in this race. However, we encourage you to cast your ballot in this election by writing in a candidate of your choosing and voting in the other offices.

No Recommendations - Fredericksburg - Treasurer

Brenda Wood has served as treasurer for the City of Fredericksburg since 2014. Prior to being treasurer, she served as chief deputy treasurer since 2009 and has worked in the office since 2002, working under Virginia’s longest-serving Treasurer, G.M. “Jim” Haney.

No Good Choices

Incumbent Sheriff Paul Higgs is running for re-election to his position. Higgs has served as Sheriff for over twenty years and worked in the Sheriff's department for over thirty years. Higgs has not prioritized implementing progressive policies in the Sheriff’s department and is a supporter of multiple Republican candidates, including state Senator Bryce Reeves and former candidate for Virginia Governor, Ed Gillespie.

The Fredericksburg Sheriff's office was part of a lawsuit filed against local government officials for attacks against protesters during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests that erupted in response to the police murder of George Floyd. The protesters accused law enforcement of violating their constitutional rights, specifically their First Amendment right to free speech and peaceful assembly and the Fourth Amendment right that protects them from unreasonable search and seizure.

Higgs is running unopposed. There is no progressive choice on the ballot. However, we still encourage you to show up to vote on November 2 by writing in a name of your choice for this race and voting in the other races on your ballot.

Fredericksburg Sheriff

Incumbent Sheriff Paul Higgs is running for re-election to his position. Higgs has served as Sheriff for over twenty years and worked in the Sheriff's department for over thirty years.

  • Libby Humphries was selected to serve as the interim Commonwealth’s Attorney starting on August 1, 2021, when former Commonwealth’s Attorney LaBravia Jenkins’ retirement went into effect. Humphries was selected as the highest ranking full-time assistant attorney in the office. She has worked at the Fredericksburg Commonwealth’s Attorney office since 2018, and previously served as a senior prosecutor in the Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office. Humphries attended Dartmouth College for her undergraduate degree and University of Virginia for her law degree.

    Humphries is a supporter of a “community-facing” approach to prosecution, which seeks ways to prevent and reduce crime through different initiatives. This includes increasing opportunities for diversion and alternatives to incarceration, detention, fines, and fees. It prioritizes community safety and health over punishment. It works to improve public safety, decrease the number of incarcerated individuals, and reduce the disproportionate harm caused to Black and brown people by the criminal justice system.

    Humphries opposes cash bail, which keeps people in jail simply because they can’t afford bail. She supports Fair and Just Prosecution, an organization that advocates for progressive reforms to the criminal justice system. These include increased police accountability, drug policy reform, and alternatives to traditional incarceration. Humphries also supports increasing funding for the Virginia Witness Protection Program, which ensures that crime victims have increased protections and support. This will lead to more just criminal outcomes, as it will decrease the impact of witness intimidation tactics.

    Humphries supports the decision of the Fredericksburg Police Department to adopt the “8 Can’t Wait” initiative, a national reform program aimed at use-of-force policies. This includes requiring a verbal warning before shooting, a ban on chokeholds and strangleholds, de-escalation tactics, and duty to intervene, “8 Can’t Wait” also involves extensive data reporting, bans shooting at moving vehicles and requires officers to intervene and stop excessive use of force by other officers.

    Humphries attended Black Lives Matter protests in response to the police murder of George Floyd and believes law enforcement and the court system must be reformed to prevent the killing of more Black people. Humphries also advocated for changing the name of Jefferson Davis highway, the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces, and the removal of a slave auction block from downtown Fredericksburg. She also supports government efforts to keep our communities safe from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Humphries is running unopposed. Due to her support of criminal justice reform and racial justice, Humphries is the progressive choice in this election.

    Last updated: 2023-04-05

    Elizabeth “Libby” Humphries

    Libby Humphries was selected to serve as the interim Commonwealth’s Attorney starting on August 1, 2021, when former Commonwealth’s Attorney LaBravia Jenkins’ retirement went into effect. Humphries was selected as the highest ranking full-time assistant attorney in the office.

    Libby Humphries was selected to serve as the interim Commonwealth’s Attorney starting on August 1, 2021, when former Commonwealth’s Attorney LaBravia Jenkins’ retirement went into effect. Humphries was selected as the highest ranking full-time assistant attorney in the office. She has worked at the Fredericksburg Commonwealth’s Attorney office since 2018, and previously served as a senior prosecutor in the Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office. Humphries attended Dartmouth College for her undergraduate degree and University of Virginia for her law degree.

    Humphries is a supporter of a “community-facing” approach to prosecution, which seeks ways to prevent and reduce crime through different initiatives. This includes increasing opportunities for diversion and alternatives to incarceration, detention, fines, and fees. It prioritizes community safety and health over punishment. It works to improve public safety, decrease the number of incarcerated individuals, and reduce the disproportionate harm caused to Black and brown people by the criminal justice system.

    Humphries opposes cash bail, which keeps people in jail simply because they can’t afford bail. She supports Fair and Just Prosecution, an organization that advocates for progressive reforms to the criminal justice system. These include increased police accountability, drug policy reform, and alternatives to traditional incarceration. Humphries also supports increasing funding for the Virginia Witness Protection Program, which ensures that crime victims have increased protections and support. This will lead to more just criminal outcomes, as it will decrease the impact of witness intimidation tactics.

    Humphries supports the decision of the Fredericksburg Police Department to adopt the “8 Can’t Wait” initiative, a national reform program aimed at use-of-force policies. This includes requiring a verbal warning before shooting, a ban on chokeholds and strangleholds, de-escalation tactics, and duty to intervene, “8 Can’t Wait” also involves extensive data reporting, bans shooting at moving vehicles and requires officers to intervene and stop excessive use of force by other officers.

    Humphries attended Black Lives Matter protests in response to the police murder of George Floyd and believes law enforcement and the court system must be reformed to prevent the killing of more Black people. Humphries also advocated for changing the name of Jefferson Davis highway, the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces, and the removal of a slave auction block from downtown Fredericksburg. She also supports government efforts to keep our communities safe from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Humphries is running unopposed. Due to her support of criminal justice reform and racial justice, Humphries is the progressive choice in this election.

    Elizabeth “Libby” Humphries

    Libby Humphries was selected to serve as the interim Commonwealth’s Attorney starting on August 1, 2021, when former Commonwealth’s Attorney LaBravia Jenkins’ retirement went into effect. Humphries was selected as the highest ranking full-time assistant attorney in the office.

No Recommendation

Incumbent Lois Jacob is running for reelection to her position as commissioner of the revenue, having served since 1998. She received her bachelor's degree from Hanover College and her master's degree from The College of William and Mary. In the community, she is a trustee and sings in the choir of the Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church. She was involved in the Parent Teacher Organization when her two daughters attended Fredericksburg Public Schools.

As Commissioner of the Revenue for over twenty years, Jacob has implemented multiple improvements to Fredericksburg's tax processes, including improving the process of vehicle updates, implementing a program for tax compliance for the city, and selecting and installing a new computer system.

Jacob is also involved with the Commissioner of Revenue Association of Virginia and served as president from 2014 to 2015. She also received the Sam T. Barfield Award for Excellence, which honors a commissioner of revenue in the Commonwealth and is selected by fellow commissioners.

Jacob is running unopposed.

An absence of online information about Jacob’s policies or proposals means we cannot guarantee she will make progressive choices. We do not have a recommendation in this race. However, we encourage you to cast your ballot in this election by writing in a candidate of your choosing and voting in the other offices.

Fredericksburg Commissioner of the Revenue

Incumbent Lois Jacob is running for reelection to her position as commissioner of the revenue, having served since 1998. She received her bachelor's degree from Hanover College and her master's degree from The College of William and Mary.