House District 054

Amanda Pohl has lived in Virginia for most of her life. She completed seminary at Baptist Theological Seminary and holds a master’s degree in Patient Counseling and Social Work with a focus on Administration, Planning, and Policy Practice from Virginia Commonwealth University.

In her campaign, Pohl has prioritized continuing to expand access to health care in Virginia and investing in public schools. She supports policies to protect LGBTQ Virginians and expand access to reproductive health care. She also supports paid family and medical leave policies. She supports same day voter registration and expanding absentee voting in Virginia.

Her opponent, incumbent Republican Senator Amanda Chase, opposes reproductive rights and common sense gun violence prevention measures. She voted against raising the minimum wage and expanding Medicaid in Virginia. She has come under fire for callous comments about sexual assault and accusations she took advantage of the Capitol Police to chauffeur her to events with lobbyists.

Amanda Pohl is the progressive choice in this race.

Democratic candidate Neri Canahui-Ortiz is the President of Local 1665 Carpenters Union. Canahui-Ortiz may be new to politics but he is not new to serving his community. He has been an advocate for policies that impact all Virginians, including our immigrant community. He is also outspoken on the atrocities occurring at the border and vows to fight for sensible gun laws.

His opponent is Delegate Robert Orrock Sr., a far-right conservative who was elected to the House of Delegates in 1990. He voted to notify ICE when undocumented Virginians are in police custody, even for low-level and non-violent offenses. He was also a staunch opponent of Medicaid expansion in Virginia. Orrock is also anti-choice and believes politicians should insert themselves between people and their doctors when making medical decisions.

Canahui-Ortiz is the progressive choice in this race due to his support of unions, the immigrant community, and gun violence prevention.