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Virginia’s new 6th State Senate district encompasses Washington County, Wise County, Russell County, Scott County, Lee County, Buchanan County, Bristol City, Dickenson County, and Norton City. With almost 155,000 registered voters, this district leans strongly Republican.
Incumbent Senator Lynwood Lewis’s family has lived in Virginia for three generations. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Hamden-Sydney College and a law degree from the University of Richmond. He now lives and practices law in Accomack County.
Senator Lewis was elected to the House of Delegates in 2003 and the state Senate in 2014. Senator Lewis has supported raising the minimum wage and voted to expand Medicaid in Virginia. He has co-sponsored bills that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. He has supported reproductive rights while in office. Senator Lewis has voted for common sense gun violence prevention measures. He has also supported family friendly policies like expanding access to paid sick days and paid family and medical leave.
His opponent, Republican Elizabeth Lankford, is a small business owner who lives on the Eastern Shore. Little information is publicly available about her policy positions or campaign platform.
Senator Lewis is the more progressive choice in this race.
Mark H. Levine
Incumbent Democratic Delegate Mark Levine was elected to the House of Delegates in 2015. He co-founded the Virginia Transparency Caucus, which is dedicated to ensuring committee and subcommittee meetings in the General Assembly are accessible to the public.