City of Harrisonburg

Our country is facing several unprecedented crises all at once. The COVID-19 pandemic, police brutality, and racism are just the tip of the iceberg of the problems we need to tackle head-on. The 2020 Presidential race comes at a defining moment in our history, and this is a pivotal election that will decide the fate of America for generations to come.

Joe Biden was the 47th Vice President of the United States, serving in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2017. He represented the state of Delaware in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2009. During his time with the Obama administration, he was an influential adviser to the President, helping usher in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a monumental reform to America’s healthcare system where 20 million Americans gained health coverage. Biden also oversaw infrastructure spending under Obama’s stimulus package response to the 2008 recession and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

If elected President, Biden has pledged to codify Roe V. Wade, restore federal funding to Planned Parenthood, and repeal the Hyde Amendment. His response to the coronavirus pandemic involves widespread, free testing, and the distribution of a vaccine with no out-of-pocket costs. Biden wants to make affordable healthcare available to more Americans by strengthening the ACA and offering a public option for health coverage. Biden believes that gun violence is a public health crisis and plans to ban the manufacture and sale of assault rifles and high capacity magazines, close loopholes that allow guns to get in the wrong hands, require background checks for gun sales, and institute red flag laws.

Biden’s platform to address climate change involves embracing central components of the Green New Deal––getting the world to net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050 and aligning environmental and economic policies. He announced a $2 trillion plan to invest in clean energy while creating economic opportunity and strengthening infrastructure.

Biden also pledged to restore the Voting Rights Act. As a U.S. Senator in 2006, Biden co-sponsored legislation to renew key sections of the Voting Rights Act. It was signed by then President George W. Bush.

Biden plans to address economic inequality by increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, increasing affordable housing, ending discrimination in the housing market, investing in transportation, protecting tenants’ rights, boosting the power of unions and workers’ rights to collectively bargain, and checking corporate power over workers.

Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, is the incumbent and Republican nominee. He won the 2016 election by capturing a majority of votes in the electoral college votes while losing the popular vote by 3 million votes. In 2020, Trump was impeached for requesting foreign assistance in the 2016 election. During his time in office, he attacked affordable healthcare by attempting to repeal the Affordable Care Act, overhauled the U.S. tax system to benefit the richest one percent of Americans and wealthy corporations, and took away Title IX funding for Planned Parenthood. He appointed conservative judges to the judiciary who are hostile to abortion rights, denied amnesty to thousands of immigrants fleeing violence from Central America, attempted to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that protected young immigrants from deportation, sided with racists during times of racial upheaval in our nation, and completely botched the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Due to Trump’s racism, attacks on immigrants, attempts to take away healthcare, and proven inability to lead our nation, Joe Biden is the clear progressive choice for the 2020 Presidential election.

Senator Kamala Harris is the first Black woman and South Asian American woman to be nominated for Vice President of the United States by a major party. As the daughter of immigrants, Harris’s groundbreaking nomination is a win for people of color. She was elected to represent California in the U.S. Senate in 2016, before that she was Attorney General of California. As a Senator, Harris serves on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on the Budget.

During her time in the Senate, Harris became known for grilling Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Attorney General William Barr during their confirmation hearings. 

Harris blames the Trump administration for the severity of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. 
Harris believes that the federal government should respond to the coronavirus pandemic by giving Americans $2,000 monthly stipends while banning evictions, utilities shutoffs, foreclosures, and rent increases. She signed onto the Masks For All Act, which would provide free masks to Americans at no cost. Harris introduced legislation that would establish a task force to address health inequities made apparent by pandemic. She also believes free and widespread testing should be available. 

Harris supports a $15 minimum wage for working families. While in the Senate, Harris worked to repeal Trump’s 2017 tax breaks for the richest one percent through her legislation called the LIFT Act, which would cut taxes for the working class and lift 9 million people out of poverty. Harris also introduced a bill to help Americans with housing by offering 13.3 million families tax subsidies to afford rent. Harris received a 100% rating from the AFL-CIO. She also introduced legislation to strengthen the rights of public sector workers and their right to collectively bargain. 

While in the Senate, Harris co-sponsored the Medicare for All Act of 2019. During her run for President, she proposed a 10-year transition plan for universal coverage where private insurers would be allowed to compete provided they follow certain rules. As candidate for Vice President, Harris supports Joe Biden’s plan to strengthen the Affordable Care Act by offering a public option.    

In response to the police murder of George Floyd, Harris introduced with other Senators the Justice in Policing Act, legislation that would bans chokeholds and no-knock warrants, set national standards to hold police officers accountable for misconduct, prohibit racial profiling, and established a national data collection system on police misconduct.  

Hendricks is committed to addressing environmental and climate change issues on the local level. He believes the 50x25 Environmental Campaign to adopt a solar and wind energy requirement of 50% by 2025 and 100% by 2040 is achievable for Harrisonburg, with proper support from local government. He thinks it is essential that the city establish building standards for all new buildings to make them more energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and sustainable.

He is supportive of Mayor Deanna Reed’s COVID-19 response and believes in a science-based approach to all pandemic and public health issues.

On racial issues, Hendricks is also progressive. He voiced support for Black Lives Matter by attending local events and expressed support for the celebration of Juneteenth.

The Harrisonburg Democratic committee endorsed Hendricks at their City Council caucus.

Charles Hendricks is a progressive choice for this race.

Mayor Deanna Reed is the first Black woman to serve as mayor of Harrisonburg City. In addition to her position as the city’s mayor, Reed also serves as the program director for the On the Road Collaborative, a nonprofit youth empowerment program. In 2018, Reed was on ESSENCE magazine’s Woke 100 Women list, which features Black women as agents of change in America. She was recognized as one of the Strong Men and Women of Virginia History by the Virginia Library of Congress.

Reed is committed to creating fair and uncrowded schools for all Harrisonburg students. During her time as mayor, she has worked closely with the school board and superintendent to break ground on Harrisonburg’s second public high school.

Reed responded proactively to the COVID-19 pandemic. She used social media and the city’s website to brief citizens about statewide public health directives and organized mask drives and drops for city residents.

Reed is outspoken on issues of racial justice. She has given visible and vocal support to both protesters, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Reed voted to recognize Juneteenth as a city holiday in Harrisonburg.

Reed received the highest percentage of support in the Harrisonburg Democratic committee’s City Council caucus, with 82% of participants supporting her.

Mayor Deanna Reed is a progressive choice in this race.

Laura Dent has worked as an adjunct Computer Science professor at JMU for five years. She has done extensive work around technology and innovation in the Shenandoah Valley region, through the Shenandoah Valley Innovation Coalition and Shenandoah Valley Technology Council. She is a dedicated Democratic party volunteer and local activist on environmental issues.

Dent’s core issues are health, the economy, and the environment. She supports Mayor Reed's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She believes that small businesses should be at the center of economic recovery efforts in the wake of the crisis.

She supports the Black Lives Matter movement and wants to work toward racial justice in Harrisonburg. Dent believes that addressing the housing crisis is an essential piece of equality. She supports policies and zoning laws that create fairer housing standards, encourages first-time home-ownership, and protect tenants from abusive landlords.

Dent wants to improve the city’s commitment to renewable energy sources and to encourage more conservation and sustainable waste management programs.

She received the endorsement of the Harrisonburg Democratic Committee at their caucus for the City Council.

Laura Dent is a progressive choice for this race.