Progressive Voters Guide

Democratic candidate Beverly Harrison is running against Republican Incumbent Delegate Todd Gilbert. Harrison lives in Woodstock with her two children. She believes that affordable healthcare coverage is a right. She promises to fight to expand access to life-saving mental health resources and provide much-needed support for families struggling with the consequences of addiction. Harrison supports the Equal Right Amendment, lifts up local businesses, and advocates for affordable housing. She also wants to bring broadband access to rural communities.

Delegate Gilbert serves as the Republican Majority Leader in the House of Delegates. During his 12 years in office, Delegate Gilbert has been a staunch conservative. He supports so-called “right-to-work” laws that benefit corporations at the expense of workers. Gilbert is anti-union and opposes raising the minimum wage. He is anti-choice and has voted to defund Planned Parenthood, making it more difficult for low-income people to access abortion. Gilbert also strongly opposed Medicaid expansion.

Beverly Harrison is the more progressive choice in this race because of her support of health care access and affordable housing.

Democratic candidate Laura Galante is a cyber intelligence analyst, wife, and mother, who is running against Republican Delegate Michael Webert. As Delegate, Galante will push for affordable healthcare with transparent medical costs for those living in rural communities. Galante wants to improve Virginia’s education system by raising teacher salaries and reforming standardized testing. She will also expand access to broadband in rural areas and advocate for investments in renewable energy.

Incumbent Delegate Michael J. Webert was elected to the House of Delegates in 2011. As Delegate, he has voted to prohibit sanctuary cities, defund Planned Parenthood, and prevent localities from increasing the minimum wage. He is staunchly anti-choice and believes life begins at conception. Delegate Webert is also a lifetime member of the NRA and has opposed action to prevent gun violence.

Based on her positions on affordable health care and raising teacher pay, Laura Galante is the more progressive choice in this race.

Democratic candidate Irina Khanin is an immigrant who moved to the United States from the former Soviet Union 30 years ago. She is an attorney who is appointed to represent children in court. She is the mother of two children who attend Winchester Public Schools. Khanin is a board member of the Winchester Education Foundation. Khanin also believes in a strong democracy and has worked as an election protection attorney for three presidential campaigns.

Khanin is a strong supporter of education who believes in increasing teacher pay and universal pre-K. She wants to increase access to quality health care and would protect Medicaid expansion. She also wants to take steps to combat climate change and make investments in renewable energy sources.

Incumbent Delegate Chris Collins, Khanin’s Republican opponent, was elected to the House of Delegates in 2015. He is anti-choice and has voted to make accessing abortion more difficult. He is not supportive of our immigrant community and voted to prohibit sanctuary cities in the Commonwealth. Delegate Collins also opposes common sense gun violence prevention legislation and voted against the regulation of sales around firearms. He is also against raising the minimum wage and voted to prohibit localities from increasing the minimum wage.

Irina Khanin is the more progressive choice in this race because of her support of healthcare access, universal pre-K, and increasing teacher pay.