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Election Day is Tuesday, November 5th
The Progressive Voters Guide compiles the information that allows you to make informed decisions about the races on your ballot, based on your values. Vote in every race on your ballot! It's our right and our responsibility. Please share this guide with your friends and family.
Senate District 025
State Senator
Creigh Deeds
Democrat
Incumbent Senator Creigh Deeds is a lawyer in private practice who lives in Bath County with his wife, Siobhan. Senator Deeds has served as a member of the Senate of Virginia representing the 25th district since 2001.
Senator Deeds is outspoken on mental health issues. His son committed suicide a short time after a mental health facility denied him a bed due to lack of space. Senator Deeds has used this tragic event to fight for mental health reform in the Commonwealth. He was the chief patron of Virginia’s “Megan’s Law” to protect children from sexual predators and also introduced legislation establishing the Amber Alert Program in Virginia. He has led the fight to conserve open spaces and our rural landscapes, while promoting efforts to plan for growth and protect our clean air, clean water, and natural environment. The Nature Conservancy and the Preservation Alliance of Virginia awarded him special recognition for his legislation to reinvigorate the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation.
Elliott Harding is running as an independent candidate against Senator Deeds. Harding is the former chair of the Albemarle County Republican Committee. In 2015, he worked on Robert Tracci's campaign for Commonwealth's Attorney in Albemarle. Harding served as an attorney for The Monument Fund in their lawsuit against Charlottesville City Council for voting to remove Confederate statues in Charlottesville.
Education: Virginia Education Association
Environment: Virginia LCV
Reproductive Freedom: Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia
Economic Justice: AFL-CIO
House District 020
Delegate
Jennifer L. Lewis
Democrat
Democratic candidate Jennifer Lewis is running against Republican John Avoli for the open seat in District 20. Lewis spent the early part of her professional career working in the Virginia public school system, providing mental health services to at-risk youth. She currently lives in Waynesboro and works with adults who need mental health services.
Lewis is a strong advocate for the environment. She opposes both the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Mountain Valley Pipeline. She wants to create clean energy jobs and move towards 100% renewable energy. She is pro-choice and supports paid family and medical leave. Lewis wants to bring broadband to rural communities and opposes raising tolls on state highways.
John Avoli is a former high school principal who describes himself as a “champion of the unborn” and is staunchly anti-choice. He is an NRA member who will not take action to prevent gun violence. He supports school vouchers and taking funding away from public schools to send some children to private schools.
Jennifer Lewis is the more progressive choice in this race.
Education: Virginia Education Association
Environment: Virginia Sierra Club
Economic Justice: AFL-CIO
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