City of Fredericksburg

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.

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.

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.

Incumbent Delegate Lashresce Aird (D) has represented the 63rd District since 2016. Her election made her the youngest woman elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. Aird earned her undergraduate and doctorate degrees from Virginia State University. She is a graduate of the Sorenson Political Leadership Program at the University of Virginia and the Minority Political Leadership Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a trusted community leader in Petersburg where she and her husband are raising two sons.

Aird is committed to criminal justice reform. She successfully carried legislation that bans the use and purchase of facial recognition technology by all local law enforcement agencies and campus police without explicit authorization from the state. Aird sponsored “Breonna’s Law,” which bans police from using no-knock warrants to enter and search a home without notifying the resident. She voted to abolish the death penalty and legalize marijuana in 2021 as well.

Aird also successfully sponsored historic legislation that recognizes racism as a public health crisis in Virginia. This bill will implement a series of policies geared towards addressing systemic racism in Virginia. She advocates for access to affordable, quality healthcare by working to lower drug costs and voting to cap the price of insulin in 2020. She voted to expand Medicaid to 400,000 Virginians in 2018 and supported establishing a state-run health insurance marketplace, which helps uninsured or underinsured residents who aren’t covered by an employer-provided health plan to get affordable coverage.

Aird understands the urgency of the climate crisis and is focused on passing legislation to protect the environment. She advocates for equitable energy by successfully sponsoring legislation to make access to clean, affordable water a human right in 2021. She voted for the Virginia Clean Economy Act in 2020, which commits the Commonwealth to 100% clean energy by 2050. The Virginia League of Conservation Voters awarded her a score of 100% for the 2020 session.

Aird supports Virginia’s public education system, voting for a 5% raise for teachers and additional funding to help schools reopen safely during the pandemic. She worked to pass legislation that would make higher education more equitable for applicants by banning public universities from asking criminal history questions on admissions applications. The delegate also co-sponsored the School Equity and Staffing Act, which would address spending discrepancies between schools in low-income communities versus other communities.

Aird is facing a challenge from Republican candidate Kim Taylor, a Dinwiddie County resident who owns a small business with her husband. Taylor supports using taxpayer money to fund private education and opposes government efforts to keep students safe when schools reopen with masking requirements and vaccination protocols at public colleges and universities.

Due to her support of criminal justice reform, public education, affordable healthcare, and the environment, Aird is the most progressive choice in this race.

Michael Drewry is a farmer and lawyer. His family has farmed in Virginia for 400 years. He earned a business degree and a law degree from the College of William and Mary. He currently runs his family’s farm while running a law practice. His farm is a large gathering place where he and his wife, Amy, host festivals and picnics. He is currently the vice-chair of the Surry County Board of Supervisors where he was first elected in 2015.

Drewry wants to give rural Virginians a voice in the legislature and has worked hard to serve the interests of his rural community. While serving on the Board of Supervisors, Drewry fought to bring broadband access to every household in Surry County, which is on track to be one of the first counties in Virginia to achieve universal broadband access. He also helped secure federal funding to upgrade the county’s water system and assisted in the construction of a new community center for the county.

Drewry and his wife run a small business selling produce and meat from their farm and understand the needs of family farmers in the district. He wants to reinvigorate the local agricultural industry in the district by making it more competitive and host year-round farmers' markets. He supports innovative measures to increase access to local, healthy food like mobile food markets that deliver food to high-need areas. Additionally, he wants to make it easier for farmers and small businesses to apply for low-interest loans to grow their businesses.

As an attorney, Drewry offers pro bono legal services to local residents and specializes in land use, conservation, and government matters. He wants to reform Virginia’s code so that it is more accessible to everyday people. He refused to accept campaign contributions from polluting utility monopolies like Dominion Energy. He also wants to boost local farmers’ capacity to protect the environment by making it easier for them to apply for loans and grants to transition to renewable energy resources.

Drewry supports making the promise of democracy real for us all by expanding access to voting. He advocates for assistance for working families such as the Child Tax Credit included in the American Rescue Plan. Drewry believes in equity and inclusion for all Virginians. He wants to keep constituents in his district engaged in what is happening at the state capitol by establishing committees composed of residents on agriculture and small business.

Drewry is challenging incumbent Delegate Emily Brewer (R), who has represented the district since 2018. Brewer opposes abortion access and voted against expanding Medicaid to 400,000 Virginians in 2018. Brewer is against keeping communities safe with common-sense measures aimed at preventing gun violence. She also voted against raising the minimum wage, abolishing the death penalty, and legalizing marijuana.

Due to his support of broadband access, small farmers, the environment, expanding access to voting, and working families, Drewry is the most progressive choice in this race.

Incumbent Delegate Karrie Delaney (D) has represented the 67th District since 2018. The daughter of a U.S. Army veteran, Delaney earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Florida. She served on the West Melbourne City Council in Florida before moving to Northern Virginia. She works as the Communications Director of Shared Hope International, a non-profit dedicated to ending sex trafficking. She and her husband live in Fairfax where they are raising two children.

Delaney wants to boost working families so they can live with dignity in Virginia by supporting innovative economic development to create well-paid jobs. She voted to increase the minimum wage and allow municipal workers collective bargaining rights. She supported keeping protections for tenants during the pandemic in place so that people have more rights to stay in their homes. She also voted for the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, which extends standard labor protections to domestic workers and guarantees them a minimum wage.

As a member of a Parent Teacher Association, Delaney believes that strong, fully-funded schools are the backbone to thriving communities. She voted for a 5% teacher pay raise in 2021 along with additional funding to help schools reopen safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. She advocates for reduced classroom sizes and full-day kindergarten to bolster students’ academic success. She also wants to provide the best resources, textbooks, and supplies to all classrooms in the district.

Delaney supports protecting the environment and sees the unique opportunity in using the Northern Virginia technology corridor to promote energy independence in the Commonwealth. She successfully sponsored legislation in 2020 to remove restrictions on the production of residential solar energy. She also voted for the Virginia Clean Economy Act the same year, which commits Virginia to 100% clean energy by 2050. She advocated for Virginia’s entry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in 2020, which combats climate change and reduces carbon emissions.

Delany believes in guaranteeing access to quality, affordable health insurance to all Virginians. She voted to expand Medicaid to 400,000 Virginians in 2018 and supported establishing a state-run health insurance marketplace, which helps uninsured or underinsured residents who aren’t covered by an employer-provided health plan to get affordable coverage. She has worked to lower drug costs, voting to cap the price of insulin in 2020. She also supports abortion access and voted to repeal medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion providers.

Delaney is facing a challenge from Robert Frizzelle (R), a U.S. Air Force veteran who is currently working in the aerospace field. Frizelle does not believe in keeping communities safe by passing common-sense measures aimed at preventing gun violence. He also opposes workers’ right to unionize and wants to keep Virginia’s right-to-work law in place.

Due to her support of working families, public education, the environment, and access to affordable healthcare, Del. Delaney is the most progressive candidate in this election.

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.

Incumbent Jason Graham is running for re-election to city council for the Ward 1 seat. Graham has served on the Fredericksburg City Council since 2018. He was raised in Alabama before attending the University of Missouri for his undergraduate degree and the University of Rochester for his master’s degree. He currently works for Booz Allen Hamilton, a large management consulting firm. He’s involved with the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank, Friends of the Rappahannock, and Tree Fredericksburg. He and his wife have two daughters.

One of Graham’s top priorities is increasing access to quality education in Fredericksburg, including internet access. He voted to accelerate the construction of a new school in order to address overcrowding in the area. Especially with a growing population, Graham’s work on an education task force has helped ensure every child will have access to a well-funded, properly resourced and staffed school. Additionally, he understands that Internet access is a necessity to participate in the workforce and educational systems in the 21st century. He’s worked to expand broadband in the area.

Graham has also worked to ensure growth in the city is sustainable and prioritizes affordable housing whenever possible. He voted in favor of expanding the number of residential units in the Historic District, as the housing shortage downtown has led housing prices to drastically increase. He also worked to ensure the Architectural Review Board was included in growth to preserve the character of downtown. Additionally, Graham raised a discussion on the Council of allowing the creation of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Fredericksburg, which would increase the number of affordable housing options.

Graham has worked to ensure all development is sustainable. He and the council successfully rejected an application from Royal Farms to build a convenience store and gas station in Fredericksburg, citing environmental concerns about both a fossil-fuel-based business and the harm from creating unnecessary parking lots. Additionally, Graham voted to move the city to 100% renewable energy by 2050. Graham also helped create a tax incentive for a local co-op grocery store and encouraged the creation of public transportation to the store so that Fredericksburg residents have access to affordable, fresh food.

Graham has also prioritized transparency and citizen involvement in government. He is proud to have an open dialogue with his constituents and has held town hall meetings both virtually and in-person to allow citizen input. On his social media, he prioritizes transparency, taking time to explain how and why the council reached its decisions. He’s also encouraged citizen participation in government, including through participation in local boards and commissions.

Graham is running unopposed, however, his support for the environment, quality education, affordable and sustainable development, and government transparency make him a progressive choice.

Jon Gerlach is a retired archaeologist and lawyer running to represent Ward 2 on the city council in Fredericksburg. Gerlach received his undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh and his law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law. He owns a law firm based in Fredericksburg. He is a chair of the City's Architectural Review Board and a member of the city’s Historic Preservation Working Group. He and his wife have two children and eight grandchildren.

Gerlach supports strong environmental regulations and protections. He is an avid member of Fossil Free Fredericksburg, which in 2019 successfully lobbied city council to commit to relying on 100% renewable energy community-wide by 2050. The group also encouraged the council to hire a full-time sustainability coordinator. Gerlach is a strong supporter of conservation efforts for the Rappahannock River and supports increasing tree coverage and reducing paved surfaces to help keep the river clean and healthy. He would like to see the city implement more environmentally friendly construction, including using solar panels and emphasizing walkability and other sustainable transportation options.

Gerlach supports equity in Fredericksburg and understands that the strength of Fredericksburg communities comes from their diversity. He is a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and the LGBTQ+ community. He supports the implementation of the Marcus Alert System, which is working to ensure that individuals undergoing behavioral health crises or experiencing substance abuse are supported through the proper channels, rather than being diverted to the criminal justice system. In running for office, he has pledged to “reject all bigotry, discrimination, or prejudice” and to “treat everyone as I want to be treated – with respect and courtesy.”

Gerlach will work to ensure all members of the Fredericksburg community can afford to live in the area. He would like to see the city prioritize affordable housing in its planning, so that no one is priced out of their homes and communities maintain their socioeconomic diversity as the city grows. Additionally, as a member of the Historic Preservation Working Group, he understands the importance of maintaining the city’s character. However, he believes that intentional and carefully planned growth can allow for population growth while maintaining the city’s charm and community spaces.

One of Gerlach’s top priorities is ensuring all residents of Fredericksburg have access to high quality education. He supports funding universal pre-K classes. He would like to see the city address its overcrowded schools so that students are receiving sufficient teacher attention. Additionally, he supports the establishment of a workforce training institute, which would allow students to graduate with an associate’s degree, and be able to earn high wages. He also supports more investment into adult learning centers, so that adults can gain new skills and increase their economic mobility.

Gerlach is running against Navy veteran and physician William “Andrew” Reese. Reese plans to prioritize public safety in the city by ensuring EMS and Fire and Rescue services are not over-extended. He supports the historic preservation of Fredericksburg’s landmarks and believes supporting small businesses is critical to maintaining the city’s culture. He would like to increase affordable housing options in the city, as well.

Due to his support for environmental protection, equity, affordable housing, and public education, Jon Gerlach is the most progressive choice in this race.

Incumbent Katie Pomeroy is running for reelection to represent Ward Two on the Fredericksburg School Board. Pomeroy was first elected to the board in 2018. Born in Richmond, Pomeroy has lived in Fredericksburg since she attended Mary Washington College. She works as the membership coordinator at Friends of the Rappahannock, a group working to increase environmental protections and restoration at the Rappahannock River. She serves as a local Cub Scout Leader as well. She and her husband have three children.

Pomeroy is a member of the Enrollment, Capacity and Expansion Task Force, where she is working to address the overcrowding at all levels of Fredericksburg public schools. Pomeroy has been adamant about creating long-term, financially smart solutions to fight overcrowding. She voted against a controversial plan to expand Lafayette Upper Elementary School and move the district’s second graders there. She argued the plan would be a waste of money that would be better spent on long-term solutions.

With the task force, Pomeroy is responsible for the plan to build a new middle school, set to be open in August 2026. This would allow the current Walker–Grant Middle School to be converted into an elementary school and both the elementary and middle schools to have structural improvements. It will help greatly reduce overcrowding, in particular at Hugh Mercer Elementary, which is currently over capacity. Pomeroy’s work will ensure all students have enough space and are in positive learning environments.

Pomeroy has also worked to ensure students are supported and have sufficient resources to be successful to learn during the pandemic. She supported an effort to bring healthy lunch and dinner options to students who were cut off from school lunches during the pandemic. She also supported the expansion of broadband to all Fredericksburg students, ensuring that internet access would not be a barrier to participating in online classes. A new program will be more cost effective and allow for high-speed internet to be broadcasted directly to students’ homes through the Citizens Broadband Radio Service.

Pomeroy has also worked to ensure Fredericksburg public schools receive sufficient funding and the majority of funding is going directly into schools. She and the Board successfully implement a budget that included 5% raises for teachers and staff in 2021. These raises are critical to ensuring the district is able to recruit and retain teachers, and accordingly, maintain the quality of the district’s’ education. She also supports adjustments to the state’s funding formula so that there are less disparities in funding and educational quality between rich and poor communities.

Pomeroy is running unopposed. However, her work to address overcrowding in schools and ensure students are supported and schools are well-funded make her a progressive choice for this seat.

Incumbent Tim Duffy is running for re-election to city council in Fredericksburg. Duffy is currently the principal at James Monroe High School and has served on city council since 2014. He first came to Fredericksburg to attend Mary Washington College and earned his doctorate from University of Virginia before becoming a professor at Mary Washington College. He later worked at Fredericksburg Public Schools, holding multiple positions before becoming principal at James Monroe. He and his wife raised their two children in Fredericksburg.

Duffy has supported environmental protections in Fredericksburg. This year, he supported a 5-cent tax on plastic bags to help reduce plastic use in the city. He voted against an application from Royal Farms to build a convenience store and gas station in Fredericksburg, citing the environmental concerns surrounding the business being based on fossil fuel and the large parking lot. Duffy also voted in favor of a resolution committing the city to running city operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2035 and powering the entire city with 100 percent renewable energy sources by 2050.

Duffy has supported efforts to improve racial equity in Fredericksburg. Speaking out after Black Lives Matter protestors were mistreated by city police, he emphasized his desire to see the complete elimination of white privilege. He and the council planned multiple community-wide discussions for strategic planning on improving racial equity in the city. Duffy also voted in favor of a resolution that urged the General Assembly to rename Jefferson Davis Highway, and the road has since been renamed “Emancipation Highway.” Additionally, he voted to fund a curator of African-American History and Special Projects at the Fredericksburg Area Museum.

Duffy has worked to ensure Fredericksburg is affordable to all residents. This year, he voted in favor of rezoning the historic district to increase residential density. This vote allows for more housing units downtown, hopefully decreasing housing prices. He also voted in favor of a tax incentive for a local co-op grocery store. The store, which would be based in Lee Plaza, would give Fredericksburg residents a more affordable and community-based option to buy their groceries.

As an educator and principal himself, Duffy is passionate about ensuring every student in Fredericksburg has access to high-quality education. To address the overcrowding in Fredericksburg public schools, Duffy supported fast-tracking the building of a new middle school. By speeding up the process, the board will not only ensure students have access to less crowded classrooms sooner, but also help prevent other maintenance issues and repairs from being put off at other district buildings.

Duffy is running against Rene Alfonzo Rodriguez, who currently serves as the chair of the Fredericksburg Planning Commission and the Fredericksburg Electoral Board. He opposes building a new school in the city at this time. He supports increased investment into infrastructure like roads and local amenities. He would like to improve communication between the city council, city staff, and the community.

Due to his support for the environment, equity, affordable housing, and education, Duffy is the most progressive choice in this race.

Incumbent Board Member Jennifer Boyd was first elected to represent Ward 3 on the Fredericksburg School Board in 2016 and is running for re-election to her seat. Boyd earned an undergraduate degree at Mary Washington College and a graduate degree at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Professionally, she works for the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division and previously worked as a secretary at Lafayette Upper Elementary School. Her three children all attended Fredericksburg Public Schools.

Boyd is a member of the district’s Enrollment, Capacity, and Expansion (ECE) Task Force, which is working to address the district’s overcapacity issues by opening a new middle school in August 2024. This will allow Walker-Grant Middle School to be updated and turned into a new elementary school. Boyd advocated for this plan as the most equitable option, as it allows all three elementary schools in the district to have newer infrastructure, rather than having one brand new school and two older ones. She also emphasized how the new building will allow for career and technical education courses.

Boyd supports equity on the school board. She led the school board in the selection of a new superintendent, Marceline “Marci” Catlett as the district’s first Black superintendent. Additionally, during her time on the board, the school board passed a five-year strategic plan that included an equity audit and the creation of an equity task force which meets monthly to discuss improving equity in Fredericksburg schools. She is also part of the task force in charge of recommending the safest and most effective way to educate students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ensuring teachers are supported and well paid is also a priority for Boyd. She voted for a budget which gave all teachers a 5% raise in 2019 and a 2% raise in 2018. She emphasizes how high wages lets the district recruit higher quality teachers and spend less on training. Boyd would also like to see increased funding for workforce development programs for teachers, including the Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow program, which supports college students hoping to pursue education.

Boyd also values improving communication on the board between all stakeholders in Fredericksburg Public Schools. She particularly emphasizes how the district can improve its virtual communication with parents and ensure websites are kept up to date. She would also like to see more options for parent input. She also serves on the School Board and City Council Working Group, which works to keep the missions of the two organizations aligned and ensure that proper funding and resources are available.

Boyd is running against Jesus A. Dominguez. Dominguez is a local parent and the husband of a Fredericksburg City Schools’ elementary teacher. Dominguez supports expanding Career and Technical Education and options for students to take community college courses. He opposes government efforts to keep children safe in school during the pandemic, like mask mandates.

Due to her support for investment in new schools, equity, educators, and communication, Boyd is the most progressive choice in this race.

Charles “Chuck” Frye, Jr., current Vice-Mayor of Fredericksburg, is running for re-election to his seat on the city council. Frye has served on the council since 2014. He’s been a resident of Fredericksburg since he was a child and graduated from James Monroe High School. He has worked many jobs in the area, including as a pipe-fitter, janitor, shipping clerk, and currently as a delivery driver for UPS. He and his wife have three children.

Frye is the only Black member of City Counciland has served as an advocate on the council for racial equity. He led the effort to remove the slave auction block, which stood on the corner of William and Charles streets since the 1840s. Despite two lawsuits and other opposition, Frye and the council successfully removed the block in 2020. Frye also voted in favor of a resolution that urged the General Assembly to rename Jefferson Davis Highway to “Emancipation Highway.”

After witnessing gun violence personally as a child, Vice Mayor Frye has been a strong advocate for gun violence prevention in Fredericksburg. Working alongside the Fredericksburg Police Department and Sheriff’s Office, he helped establish and host an annual gun giveback in 2015, which has happened every year since. The event allows Fredericksburg residents to voluntarily give unwanted weapons to the police, no questions asked. He also is a supporter of Fredericksburg’s Peace in Da Paint event, which is a community event that encourages Fredericksburg youth to settle differences on the basketball court rather than resorting to violence.

Vice Mayor Frye has voted for environmental protections in Fredericksburg. Frye voted in favor of a resolution committing the city to running city operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2035 and powering the entire city with 100 percent renewable energy sources by 2050. This resolution also made the city hire an energy and sustainability specialist to help reach these targets. Frye also has supported the council’s efforts to negotiate with CSX and remove the tanker cars in the Mayfield area that release harmful fumes and can have hazardous leaks.

Frye has also worked to ensure Fredericksburg remains affordable for all residents. He voted in favor of a grant for a local co-op grocery store, which is working to ensure all Fredericksburg residents have access to affordable, healthy food options and reduce food insecurity. He’s supported revitalization efforts downtown to increase housing density and potentially decrease housing prices. In particular, he supported an effort to allow a duplex dwelling in Mayfield, so that it could be used by a non-profit that provides housing to veterans.

Vice Mayor Frye is being challenged by Amber Peebles, is a Marine Corps Veteran and owner of a construction business. She is also a member of the Citizen Advisory Panel of the Fredericksburg Police Department. Peebles does not support unions and opposes efforts by the legislature to protect workers’ rights.

Due to his support for racial equity, gun safety, environmental protections, and affordability, Frye is the most progressive choice in this race.

Incumbent Malvina Kay is running for re-election to her seat on the Fredericksburg School Board. Kay has been on the school board since 1991, and has served as chair and vice chair multiple times. Kay is a longtime resident of Fredericksburg and attended Virginia State University for her bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting. She also served as chair of the Virginia School Board Association, Northeast Region. Professionally, she is the vice president and Chief Financial Officer at a financial organization that brings together non-profit organizations and corporations.

Kay plans to prioritize pay raises for teachers and staff, student achievement, staff retention, and building a relationship between the school board and the city council. She voted for a budget which gave all teachers a 5% raise in 2019 and a 2% raise in 2018. She supported a city council resolution to raise revenue in order to fund pay raises for teachers. She also approved capital improvements for school buses, a new bus lot lease, computer technology and roof repairs.

She voted to turn Hugh Mercer and Lafayette into elementary schools K-5 in order to ease overcrowding. Kay also supported bringing preschool and high-needs students back to school for shortened weeks in 2020 during the pandemic. She questioned the need for additional funding for school resource officers, stating that the presence of officers in buildings may prevent people from visiting. She supported an effort to bring healthy lunch and dinner options to students who were cut off from school lunches during the pandemic.

Kay also serves on the School Board and City Council Working Group, which works to keep the missions of the two organizations aligned and ensure that proper funding and resources are available. The working group was in charge of putting forth recommendations for the city’s enrollment and capacity expansion initiatives and Kay advocated for the construction of a new school. The working group also approved additional funding to add personnel to keep class sizes manageable.

As a person who was enrolled in Fredericksburg public schools before they were integrated, Kay understands the need to bring equity to the city’s education system. She advocated for funding to make early childhood education more accessible at the Walker-Grant Center. Long term, she wants to focus on improving graduation rates, boosting achievement scores, and beginning in workforce development at the schools. She also supported the expansion of broadband to all Fredericksburg students, ensuring that internet access would not be a barrier to participating in online classes.

Kay is running unopposed. Due to her support of raising teacher pay, equity, reducing overcrowding, and increased funding for public education, Kay is a progressive choice in this election.