No Recommendation
Matsunaga's Twitter account shows that he supports keeping people in the workforce by implementing paid family and medical leave. He advocates for government policies meant to keep people safe during the pandemic and federal government spending to give working families a financial boost. He stands against xenophobia and supports federal legislation passed to protect Asians from hate crimes during the pandemic. He also wants to overhaul the country’s immigration system by offering a pathway to citizenship for undocumented people.
According to his Twitter account, Matsunaga believes in making the promise of democracy real for us all by expanding access to the ballot. Matsunaga wants to keep communities safe by passing common-sense measures aimed at preventing gun violence. He wants to hold police accountable for the violence they enact on communities by establishing independent citizen review boards and ending qualified immunity. He also supports new laws that went into effect in Virginia in July this year that legalized marijuana, abolished the death penalty, and enacted the Voting Rights Act of Virginia.
Matsunaga has retweeted information showing that he supports policies making our communities welcoming and inclusive by protecting LGBTQ neighbors. He also advocates for making community college accessible to low-income people by lowering tuition rates. He believes that working people should have the guaranteed right to form unions. He supported legislative efforts during the 2021 General Assembly to expand emergency Medicaid coverage to undocumented community members so they could get tested, treated, and vaccinated against COVID-19.
Matsunaga is running against incumbent Delegate Israel O’Quinn (R), who has represented the district since 2012. During his time in office, O’Quinn has opposed abortion access, raising the minimum wage, and allowing municipal employees collective bargaining rights. He also voted against abolishing the death penalty, legalizing marijuana, and expanding affordable health coverage to 400,000 Virginians.
An absence of online information about Matsunaga’s policies or proposals means we cannot guarantee he 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.