House District 036

Democrat Herbert Jones Jr. came to Virginia through an assignment in the Army. After leaving active duty to join the reserves, he was elected County Supervisor of New Kent County in 1999, beginning his journey in elected office. Thanks to his extensive knowledge of the military, Governor Northam appointed him to the commonwealth’s Military Advisory Council. 

Jones Jr. is pro-choice and has openly stated his support of reproductive healthcare facilities like Planned Parenthood. He supports clean, renewable energy and is in favor of common sense solutions to prevent gun violence. Jones supports raising teacher pay, increasing funding for pre-k, and apprenticeships for students. Unlike his opponent, he supports Medicaid expansion and would work to completely close the healthcare gap in Virginia.

His opponent, incumbent Senator Tommy Norment, is the Senate Majority Leader. He has consistently and vocally opposed progressive priorities. He has voted for bills that target immigrant communities and opposed bills that would increase the quality of life of those who have immigrated to the US. He has consistently opposed reproductive rights, including voting to mandate medically unnecessary ultrasounds and prohibit the use of state funds for abortion. Norment has repeatedly voted against raising the minimum wage. Because Sen. Norment is the Senate Majority Leader, the power that he holds often leads to the defeat of our bills.

Jones is the more progressive choice in this race.

Incumbent Democratic Delegate Ken Plum was elected to the House of Delegates in 1982 and currently serves as Chair of the House Democratic Caucus. He is a retired teacher and school administrator. Plum and his wife, Jane, are the parents of four children. He graduated with a BA from Old Dominion University and earned his Masters of Education from the University of Virginia.

Plum supports many progressive priorities like increasing the minimum wage, reforms to make voting more accessible for everyone, gun violence prevention, and driving privileges for undocumented immigrants. He wants increased job opportunities, better funding for schools and teacher salaries, and to ensure the safety of his constituents.

Running unopposed, Delegate Plum is the more progressive choice for this race.