Progressive Voters Guide Powered by Progress Virginia
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Democrat

Dr. Kevin Washington

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Democratic candidate Dr. Kevin Washington was raised in Richmond, VA and served in the United States Army. His campaign platform is focused on education, health care, criminal justice reform, and the environment.

He will fight to create more livable wage jobs, improve our schools, and make public safety a top priority. His campaign priorities include working to ensure sexual orientation and gender identity are legally protected against workplace discrimination. He vows to support and defend the rights of disenfranchised communities, minorities, and the LGBTQ community. He also voiced his intention to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. He believes that the minimum wage should be increased over a few years and that we need to make improvements to our paid family and medical leave policies.

His opponent, Republican Scott Wyatt, is a strong advocate for conservative values. Wyatt has stated that if elected he will be a solid pro-life vote. Wyatt won the Republican nomination after months of infighting within the Republican Party and former Delegate Chris Peace.

Dr. Washington is the more progressive choice in this race.

Last updated: 2023-04-05

Democratic candidate Dr. Kevin Washington was raised in Richmond, VA and served in the United States Army. His campaign platform is focused on education, health care, criminal justice reform, and the environment.

He will fight to create more livable wage jobs, improve our schools, and make public safety a top priority. His campaign priorities include working to ensure sexual orientation and gender identity are legally protected against workplace discrimination. He vows to support and defend the rights of disenfranchised communities, minorities, and the LGBTQ community. He also voiced his intention to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. He believes that the minimum wage should be increased over a few years and that we need to make improvements to our paid family and medical leave policies.

His opponent, Republican Scott Wyatt, is a strong advocate for conservative values. Wyatt has stated that if elected he will be a solid pro-life vote. Wyatt won the Republican nomination after months of infighting within the Republican Party and former Delegate Chris Peace.

Dr. Washington is the more progressive choice in this race.

Last updated: 2023-04-05

Endorsed By: Virginia AFL-CIO

House District 097

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Election Day November 5, 2019
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State Senate

Depending on where you live, you may have one of the below State Senate races on your ballot.

Senate District 019

State Senator

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Democrat

Flo Ketner

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Democratic candidate Flo Ketner is originally from Floyd County, Virginia. Ketner graduated from Radford University with an undergraduate degree in English and currently lives in Christiansburg. She serves as the Treasurer on the board of the Cayambis Institute Of Latin American Studies in Music.

Ketner’s priorities include healthcare access, gun safety, and the environment. She supports expanding health care access and ensuring rural Virginians have access to life saving care and facilities. She is also concerned about protecting our natural environment and preserving our resources. She supports state ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Her opponent, incumbent Republican Senator David Suetterlein opposes both commonsense gun violence prevention measures and access to reproductive health care. Suetterlein voted against raising the state minimum wage and against expanding Medicaid to cover 400,000 low-income working Virginians.

Ketner is the more progressive choice in this race.

Last updated: 2023-04-05

Democratic candidate Flo Ketner is originally from Floyd County, Virginia. Ketner graduated from Radford University with an undergraduate degree in English and currently lives in Christiansburg. She serves as the Treasurer on the board of the Cayambis Institute Of Latin American Studies in Music.

Ketner’s priorities include healthcare access, gun safety, and the environment. She supports expanding health care access and ensuring rural Virginians have access to life saving care and facilities. She is also concerned about protecting our natural environment and preserving our resources. She supports state ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Her opponent, incumbent Republican Senator David Suetterlein opposes both commonsense gun violence prevention measures and access to reproductive health care. Suetterlein voted against raising the state minimum wage and against expanding Medicaid to cover 400,000 low-income working Virginians.

Ketner is the more progressive choice in this race.

Last updated: 2023-04-05

Endorsed By: Virginia AFL-CIO

Senate District 020

State Senator

No Good Choices

Incumbent Republican Senator William Stanley voted against Medicaid expansion and against raising the minimum wage in Virginia. He has consistently opposed access to reproductive healthcare, including voting to cut off abortion access for low income individuals and to defund Planned Parenthood. Senator Stanley voted against legislation to prohibit discrimination on the job based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

There is not much information on the policy positions of his opponent, Independent candidate Sherman Witcher, who failed to obtain the Democratic nomination. Witcher supports better funding for schools and pay for teachers. In 2007, he ran for Senate as an independent against Republican Robert Hurt. He received 24% of the vote. In 2009, he ran again against Del. Charles Poindexter, R-Franklin, and received 21% of the vote.

Based on the limited information available, Witcher is likely the more progressive choice but you always have the option to write in a candidate.

Incumbent Republican Senator William Stanley voted against Medicaid expansion and against raising the minimum wage in Virginia. He has consistently opposed access to reproductive healthcare, including voting to cut off abortion access for low income individuals and to defund Planned Parenthood. Senator Stanley voted against legislation to prohibit discrimination on the job based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

There is not much information on the policy positions of his opponent, Independent candidate Sherman Witcher, who failed to obtain the Democratic nomination. Witcher supports better funding for schools and pay for teachers. In 2007, he ran for Senate as an independent against Republican Robert Hurt. He received 24% of the vote. In 2009, he ran again against Del. Charles Poindexter, R-Franklin, and received 21% of the vote.

Based on the limited information available, Witcher is likely the more progressive choice but you always have the option to write in a candidate.

Senate District 022

State Senator

Dakota Claytor photo
Democrat

Dakota Claytor

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Virginia’s new 22nd State Senate district encompasses parts of Virginia Beach City. With almost 150,000 registered voters, this district leans Democratic. 

Democrat Dakota Claytor was born and raised in the 22nd state Senate district and hopes to be the youngest legislator in Virginia’s history. Claytor is a 22-year-old freelance hair stylist and private music educator. He has also been actively involved in community theater where he can often be found on stage.

Clayor supports various progressive priorities. He wants to work with small companies to expand broadband access to rural areas in the district in order to foster a better-connected workforce. Healthcare reform is important to him because of his mother’s significant health issues and her struggle for nearly twenty years before being granted disability benefits. After witnessing first-hand the crippling effects of a broken healthcare system in Virginia, Clayor is determined to improve it.

Clayor is running against Republican incumbent Senator Mark Peake who won a special election in 2017. Peake is anti-choice and has voted against commonsense gun laws. He opposed Medicaid expansion and voted against raising the minimum wage in Virginia. The majority of his platform is geared towards decreasing regulations put in place to protect Virginians.

Dakota Claytor is the more progressive choice because of his commitment to Medicaid expansion and our rural communities.

Last updated: 2025-03-25

House District 097

Delegate

Dr. Kevin Washington photo
Democrat

Dr. Kevin Washington

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Virginia’s new 97th House of Delegates district encompasses parts of Virginia Beach City. With over 63,000 registered voters, this is a competitive district that doesn’t lean in one direction or another.

Democratic candidate Dr. Kevin Washington was raised in Richmond, VA and served in the United States Army. His campaign platform is focused on education, health care, criminal justice reform, and the environment.

He will fight to create more livable wage jobs, improve our schools, and make public safety a top priority. His campaign priorities include working to ensure sexual orientation and gender identity are legally protected against workplace discrimination. He vows to support and defend the rights of disenfranchised communities, minorities, and the LGBTQ community. He also voiced his intention to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. He believes that the minimum wage should be increased over a few years and that we need to make improvements to our paid family and medical leave policies.

His opponent, Republican Scott Wyatt, is a strong advocate for conservative values. Wyatt has stated that if elected he will be a solid pro-life vote. Wyatt won the Republican nomination after months of infighting within the Republican Party and former Delegate Chris Peace.

Dr. Washington is the more progressive choice in this race.

Last updated: 2023-04-05

Endorsed By: Virginia AFL-CIO

City of Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach Clerk of Court

No Good Choices

Tina Sinnen has been the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Virginia Beach for the past 16 years, and has been working in the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office for 29 years. Sinnen is listed as an Independent but has been endorsed by the Republican Party of Virginia Beach. After the mass shooting at a city office earlier this year, Sinnen did not call for better gun safety measures, but rather training on how to respond to a shooting.

Sinnen is running unopposed and is not a progressive choice for this race. You always have the option to write in a candidate of your choosing.

Tina Sinnen has been the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Virginia Beach for the past 16 years, and has been working in the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office for 29 years. Sinnen is listed as an Independent but has been endorsed by the Republican Party of Virginia Beach. After the mass shooting at a city office earlier this year, Sinnen did not call for better gun safety measures, but rather training on how to respond to a shooting.

Sinnen is running unopposed and is not a progressive choice for this race. You always have the option to write in a candidate of your choosing.

Beach District

Depending on where you live, you may have the following district races on your ballot.

Virginia Beach City Council, Beach District

Guy Tower photo

Guy Tower

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Guy Tower has lived in Virginia since 1979. He started in Virginia Beach in 1979, and has been in the Beach District since 2014. Tower is a retired lawyer, mediator, and educator. His partner for the past three decades is a retired judge of the Virginia Beach Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court, and they have four children.
 
Tower was appointed to serve as an interim member until the special election this November. If elected to continue his service, he wants to ensure the safety of the residents. One of his priorities is restructuring the funds for stormwater. Tower also believes in transparency and equity. He wants to ensure that residents from every demographic and neighborhood have the opportunity to succeed through fair hiring practices and contracting.
 
Richard Kowalewitch is one of Tower’s opponents. Kowalewitch believes that crime is the biggest threat to the county, and more police officers will eliminate the issue. Kowalewitch is a proud supporter of President Trump.

Rosemary Wilson is also running. Wilson objected to Colin Kaepernick's protests to draw attention to the treatment of Black Americans, calling it a "disrespect" and "an embarrassment." She aligns with the other candidates in her concern about the environment but she fails to hold equity and inclusion as similarly important. Wilson’s website addresses gun violence, but her solution revolves around increased funding for police rather than pushing for common sense gun laws. 

Tower is the most progressive choice for this race.

Last updated: 2025-03-25

Guy Tower has lived in Virginia since 1979. He started in Virginia Beach in 1979, and has been in the Beach District since 2014. Tower is a retired lawyer, mediator, and educator. His partner for the past three decades is a retired judge of the Virginia Beach Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court, and they have four children.
 
Tower was appointed to serve as an interim member until the special election this November. If elected to continue his service, he wants to ensure the safety of the residents. One of his priorities is restructuring the funds for stormwater. Tower also believes in transparency and equity. He wants to ensure that residents from every demographic and neighborhood have the opportunity to succeed through fair hiring practices and contracting.
 
Richard Kowalewitch is one of Tower’s opponents. Kowalewitch believes that crime is the biggest threat to the county, and more police officers will eliminate the issue. Kowalewitch is a proud supporter of President Trump.

Rosemary Wilson is also running. Wilson objected to Colin Kaepernick's protests to draw attention to the treatment of Black Americans, calling it a "disrespect" and "an embarrassment." She aligns with the other candidates in her concern about the environment but she fails to hold equity and inclusion as similarly important. Wilson’s website addresses gun violence, but her solution revolves around increased funding for police rather than pushing for common sense gun laws. 

Tower is the most progressive choice for this race.

Last updated: 2025-03-25