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Election Day is Tuesday, November 2nd
The Virginia Progressive Voters Guide compiles the information that allows you to make informed decisions about the races on your ballot, based on your values. All research in this guide was conducted in August of 2021. Please share this guide with your friends and family.
Statewide Races
Democratic candidate for governor, Terry McAuliffe, was the 72nd Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2014 to 2018. McAuliffe was unable to seek reelection in 2017 due to a state law that bars sitting governors from serving consecutive terms. McAuliffe attended The Catholic University of America and Georgetown University Law Center. A lifelong businessman and entrepreneur, McAuliffe has lived in Fairfax County for more than 20 years with his wife, Dorothy. The couple has raised five children together.
McAuliffe is centering his campaign on building a strong Virginia economy that works for everyone. He plans to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024, two years ahead of the current schedule. He wants to require employers to provide paid sick days along with paid family and medical leave to all workers. Because Virginia is the 10th most expensive state for childcare in the country, McAuliffe wants to assist families burdened with childcare costs by providing subsidies, funneling federal money to families, and making it easier for people to qualify for assistance.
McAuliffe plans to invest $2 billion in Virginia’s education system every year so that teachers are paid above the national average, children have access to universal pre-K, and every student can get online. To make college more affordable to students, McAuliffe will offer more financial aid and expand on current Governor Ralph Northam’s program that makes community college free to low- and middle-income students studying in certain fields. McAuliffe also wants to boost enrollment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities by providing free tuition to students who promise to teach for five years in the state’s high-need areas.
While serving as Governor of Virginia, McAuliffe took action to reduce carbon emissions in the state and received a $120.5 million federal grant to combat the rising sea level on Virginia’s coast. He wants Virginia to reach 100% clean energy by 2035 and make access to clean energy and transportation infrastructure more affordable by providing subsidies for solar usage and public transit construction. McAuliffe also plans to address the racial impacts of climate change by providing funding to communities hit by extreme heat and rising sea levels.
McAuliffe pushed for Medicaid expansion during his first term and wants to increase access to affordable healthcare by supporting Virginia’s plan to create a state-run health insurance marketplace. He backs lowering prescription drug costs, reducing health insurance premiums, and creating a Medicaid buy-in option for people who make too much to qualify for the program but still can’t afford out-of-pocket costs on the marketplace. When he was governor, McAuliffe vetoed Republican legislation that would have limited abortion access. If reelected, McAuliffe plans to incorporate Roe v. Wade into Virginia’s constitution to guarantee that abortion access is protected.
McAuliffe is running against multimillionaire Republican Glenn Youngkin, the former president of Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. Youngkin wants to channel the state’s money from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to fund private schools. Youngkin has admitted that he opposes abortion access and will work to dismantle protections for reproductive freedom in the Commonwealth. Youngkin is also against making health coverage more affordable in Virginia.
McAuliffe is also facing a challenge from activist and educator Princess Blanding, an Independent candidate. Blanding is the sister of Marcus David-Peters, a young Black man who was killed by police in 2018. Blanding wants to hold police accountable by ending qualified immunity and shifting funding away from police departments to invest in community services. She also wants to make health coverage more affordable by creating a public healthcare system.
Due to his record in providing leadership for the Commonwealth and his support of Virginia working families, the environment, affordable health coverage, and reproductive rights, Terry McAuliffe is the most progressive choice in this race.
Democratic candidate for governor, Terry McAuliffe, was the 72nd Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2014 to 2018. McAuliffe was unable to seek reelection in 2017 due to a state law that bars sitting governors from serving consecutive terms. McAuliffe attended The Catholic University of America and Georgetown University Law Center. A lifelong businessman and entrepreneur, McAuliffe has lived in Fairfax County for more than 20 years with his wife, Dorothy. The couple has raised five children together.
McAuliffe is centering his campaign on building a strong Virginia economy that works for everyone. He plans to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024, two years ahead of the current schedule. He wants to require employers to provide paid sick days along with paid family and medical leave to all workers. Because Virginia is the 10th most expensive state for childcare in the country, McAuliffe wants to assist families burdened with childcare costs by providing subsidies, funneling federal money to families, and making it easier for people to qualify for assistance.
McAuliffe plans to invest $2 billion in Virginia’s education system every year so that teachers are paid above the national average, children have access to universal pre-K, and every student can get online. To make college more affordable to students, McAuliffe will offer more financial aid and expand on current Governor Ralph Northam’s program that makes community college free to low- and middle-income students studying in certain fields. McAuliffe also wants to boost enrollment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities by providing free tuition to students who promise to teach for five years in the state’s high-need areas.
While serving as Governor of Virginia, McAuliffe took action to reduce carbon emissions in the state and received a $120.5 million federal grant to combat the rising sea level on Virginia’s coast. He wants Virginia to reach 100% clean energy by 2035 and make access to clean energy and transportation infrastructure more affordable by providing subsidies for solar usage and public transit construction. McAuliffe also plans to address the racial impacts of climate change by providing funding to communities hit by extreme heat and rising sea levels.
McAuliffe pushed for Medicaid expansion during his first term and wants to increase access to affordable healthcare by supporting Virginia’s plan to create a state-run health insurance marketplace. He backs lowering prescription drug costs, reducing health insurance premiums, and creating a Medicaid buy-in option for people who make too much to qualify for the program but still can’t afford out-of-pocket costs on the marketplace. When he was governor, McAuliffe vetoed Republican legislation that would have limited abortion access. If reelected, McAuliffe plans to incorporate Roe v. Wade into Virginia’s constitution to guarantee that abortion access is protected.
McAuliffe is running against multimillionaire Republican Glenn Youngkin, the former president of Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. Youngkin wants to channel the state’s money from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to fund private schools. Youngkin has admitted that he opposes abortion access and will work to dismantle protections for reproductive freedom in the Commonwealth. Youngkin is also against making health coverage more affordable in Virginia.
McAuliffe is also facing a challenge from activist and educator Princess Blanding, an Independent candidate. Blanding is the sister of Marcus David-Peters, a young Black man who was killed by police in 2018. Blanding wants to hold police accountable by ending qualified immunity and shifting funding away from police departments to invest in community services. She also wants to make health coverage more affordable by creating a public healthcare system.
Due to his record in providing leadership for the Commonwealth and his support of Virginia working families, the environment, affordable health coverage, and reproductive rights, Terry McAuliffe is the most progressive choice in this race.
The daughter of a Salvadorian and North African immigrant father and a Lebanese and Irish mother, Delegate Hala Ayala was one of the first Latina women elected to the House of Delegates, having one her first election to represent the 51st District in 2017. She worked for over 20 years as a cybersecurity specialist and is the single mother of two grown children. If chosen by voters to be the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Ayala will be the first woman and Afro-Latina to do so.
Affordable access to healthcare is a central focus for Ayala. As a first-time mother, Ayala depended on Medicaid to give her son life-saving care. In 2018, Ayala voted to expand Medicaid to 400,000 Virginians. In 2020, she co-patroned legislation to cap the cost of insulin in the state. In 2021, she voted to make the cost of prescription drugs transparent and to boost Virginia’s capacity to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. She also wants to reduce Black maternal mortality and create a universal paid family and medical leave program in the Commonwealth.
As a graduate of Prince William County schools, Ayala believes that a well-funded education system is critical to a thriving Commonwealth. In 2021, she voted to increase teachers’ salaries by 5%. She also supported the “Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back (G3) Fund and Program, which provides free community college to low- and middle-income students who are studying in certain fields. As lieutenant governor, Ayala will prioritize expanding access to pre-K, reducing overcrowding in classrooms, and dedicate more funding to improve school infrastructure.
Recognizing the climate crisis as a national security threat, Ayala believes the state needs to play a bigger role in addressing the impacts of climate change. She co-patroned the Virginia Clean Economy Act in 2020, which will eliminate carbon emissions in the Commonwealth by 2050. She also wants to dedicate more funding to communities dealing firsthand with the effects of climate change, believing that solutions to the crisis must be created with racial equity in mind.
Ayala personally understands how hard it is for families to make ends meet. Her family struggled financially when she was a child, and she worked and raised children while obtaining her degree. In 2020, Ayala voted to raise the state’s minimum wage. She supports making paid family and medical leave available to all Virginia working families. In 2021, she voted to strengthen the rights of tenants and protect them from eviction during the pandemic. She also sponsored legislation to protect workers during the pandemic by requiring employers to provide them with personal protective equipment and hazard pay.
Ayala is running against former delegate Winsome Sears, a Republican who represented Norfolk in the House of Delegates from 2002 to 2003. Sears owns a plumbing and appliance repair store in Winchester. Sears opposes legislation that would make our communities safer from gun violence. She also supports using public money to fund private schools and wants to create deliberate barriers to voting access that make it more difficult for people to participate in our democracy.
Due to her support of affordable health coverage, the environment, public education, and Virginia working families, Delegate Hala Ayala is the most progressive choice for lieutenant governor in Virginia.
The daughter of a Salvadorian and North African immigrant father and a Lebanese and Irish mother, Delegate Hala Ayala was one of the first Latina women elected to the House of Delegates, having one her first election to represent the 51st District in 2017. She worked for over 20 years as a cybersecurity specialist and is the single mother of two grown children. If chosen by voters to be the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Ayala will be the first woman and Afro-Latina to do so.
Affordable access to healthcare is a central focus for Ayala. As a first-time mother, Ayala depended on Medicaid to give her son life-saving care. In 2018, Ayala voted to expand Medicaid to 400,000 Virginians. In 2020, she co-patroned legislation to cap the cost of insulin in the state. In 2021, she voted to make the cost of prescription drugs transparent and to boost Virginia’s capacity to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. She also wants to reduce Black maternal mortality and create a universal paid family and medical leave program in the Commonwealth.
As a graduate of Prince William County schools, Ayala believes that a well-funded education system is critical to a thriving Commonwealth. In 2021, she voted to increase teachers’ salaries by 5%. She also supported the “Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back (G3) Fund and Program, which provides free community college to low- and middle-income students who are studying in certain fields. As lieutenant governor, Ayala will prioritize expanding access to pre-K, reducing overcrowding in classrooms, and dedicate more funding to improve school infrastructure.
Recognizing the climate crisis as a national security threat, Ayala believes the state needs to play a bigger role in addressing the impacts of climate change. She co-patroned the Virginia Clean Economy Act in 2020, which will eliminate carbon emissions in the Commonwealth by 2050. She also wants to dedicate more funding to communities dealing firsthand with the effects of climate change, believing that solutions to the crisis must be created with racial equity in mind.
Ayala personally understands how hard it is for families to make ends meet. Her family struggled financially when she was a child, and she worked and raised children while obtaining her degree. In 2020, Ayala voted to raise the state’s minimum wage. She supports making paid family and medical leave available to all Virginia working families. In 2021, she voted to strengthen the rights of tenants and protect them from eviction during the pandemic. She also sponsored legislation to protect workers during the pandemic by requiring employers to provide them with personal protective equipment and hazard pay.
Ayala is running against former delegate Winsome Sears, a Republican who represented Norfolk in the House of Delegates from 2002 to 2003. Sears owns a plumbing and appliance repair store in Winchester. Sears opposes legislation that would make our communities safer from gun violence. She also supports using public money to fund private schools and wants to create deliberate barriers to voting access that make it more difficult for people to participate in our democracy.
Due to her support of affordable health coverage, the environment, public education, and Virginia working families, Delegate Hala Ayala is the most progressive choice for lieutenant governor in Virginia.
Incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring is seeking his third term in office after having been first elected in 2013. Raised by a single mother in Loudoun County, Herring obtained a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the University of Virginia before earning his law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law. He and his wife of 30 years, Laura, raised two children together.
Herring has stood up for access to affordable healthcare by fighting off efforts by the Trump administration to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In 2021, Herring defended the ACA by joining a coalition of 21 attorneys general to argue in front of the U.S. Supreme Court against a lawsuit from the Trump administration that would have dismantled the ACA, protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and Medicaid expansion.
Herring is a champion of reproductive rights and abortion access, and has used his office to support a person’s right to decide when and whether to become a parent. He has signed onto several lawsuits that challenge different states’ restrictive abortion laws. He issued an opinion in 2015 to strike down medically unnecessary Targeted Restrictions on Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws that shuttered women’s health centers in the Commonwealth. In 2019, he successfully filed an injunction against the Trump administration’s efforts to halt contraceptive coverage in health insurance.
Herring has worked to keep our communities safe from gun violence by standing up to the gun lobby. In 2020, he defended two common-sense laws passed by the General Assembly aimed at preventing gun violence, the one-handgun-a-month law, and extended background checks. The same year, he also successfully defended a challenge to Virginia’s extreme risk protection law, which keeps guns out of the hands of people who pose a risk to themselves or others.
During his time in office, Herring has fought to keep the promise of democracy real by protecting access to the ballot box. This year, he applauded the passage of the Voting Rights Act of Virginia and joined other attorneys general in urging Congress to pass safeguards that guarantee people’s rights to participate in our democracy by voting. In 2020, he ensured that voters did not face intimidation while casting their ballots in our fair and free elections. In 2016, he defended a decision from former Governor Terry McAuliffe to restore the rights of returning citizens in the Commonwealth.
Herring is facing a challenge from Delegate Jason Miyares, a conservative Republican who wants to create deliberate barriers to voting access, undermine workers’ rights by keeping Virginia a right-to-work state, and oppose efforts to shift funding away from police budgets to community services. As a delegate, Miyares voted against raising the state’s minimum wage, expanding access to affordable healthcare to hundreds of thousands of Virginians, abolishing the death penalty, and legalizing marijuana. He also opposes abortion access.
Due to his support of access to affordable healthcare, abortion access, gun violence prevention, and voting rights, Attorney General Mark Herring is the most progressive choice for this race.
Incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring is seeking his third term in office after having been first elected in 2013. Raised by a single mother in Loudoun County, Herring obtained a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the University of Virginia before earning his law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law. He and his wife of 30 years, Laura, raised two children together.
Herring has stood up for access to affordable healthcare by fighting off efforts by the Trump administration to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In 2021, Herring defended the ACA by joining a coalition of 21 attorneys general to argue in front of the U.S. Supreme Court against a lawsuit from the Trump administration that would have dismantled the ACA, protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and Medicaid expansion.
Herring is a champion of reproductive rights and abortion access, and has used his office to support a person’s right to decide when and whether to become a parent. He has signed onto several lawsuits that challenge different states’ restrictive abortion laws. He issued an opinion in 2015 to strike down medically unnecessary Targeted Restrictions on Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws that shuttered women’s health centers in the Commonwealth. In 2019, he successfully filed an injunction against the Trump administration’s efforts to halt contraceptive coverage in health insurance.
Herring has worked to keep our communities safe from gun violence by standing up to the gun lobby. In 2020, he defended two common-sense laws passed by the General Assembly aimed at preventing gun violence, the one-handgun-a-month law, and extended background checks. The same year, he also successfully defended a challenge to Virginia’s extreme risk protection law, which keeps guns out of the hands of people who pose a risk to themselves or others.
During his time in office, Herring has fought to keep the promise of democracy real by protecting access to the ballot box. This year, he applauded the passage of the Voting Rights Act of Virginia and joined other attorneys general in urging Congress to pass safeguards that guarantee people’s rights to participate in our democracy by voting. In 2020, he ensured that voters did not face intimidation while casting their ballots in our fair and free elections. In 2016, he defended a decision from former Governor Terry McAuliffe to restore the rights of returning citizens in the Commonwealth.
Herring is facing a challenge from Delegate Jason Miyares, a conservative Republican who wants to create deliberate barriers to voting access, undermine workers’ rights by keeping Virginia a right-to-work state, and oppose efforts to shift funding away from police budgets to community services. As a delegate, Miyares voted against raising the state’s minimum wage, expanding access to affordable healthcare to hundreds of thousands of Virginians, abolishing the death penalty, and legalizing marijuana. He also opposes abortion access.
Due to his support of access to affordable healthcare, abortion access, gun violence prevention, and voting rights, Attorney General Mark Herring is the most progressive choice for this race.
House of Delegates
House District 020
Activist Randall Wolf is a photographer, journalist, and outdoor enthusiast based in Stuarts Draft. In 1983, he traveled with a delegation of U.S. Congress members to war-torn countries in Central America to photograph the hardships faced by people there. Back home, he helped found a non-profit that teaches young people to fix their bikes and ride them safely. He is an active member of the cycling community in the region, serving on the board of the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition.
Wolf sees reliable, high-speed Internet access as crucial to the economic and educational success of the region and wants to prioritize expanding broadband access to every home in the district. He also sees broadband access as a way to boost farmers in the region by helping them use GPS technology to manage their crops and reduce pollution. Wolf wants to incentivize the agricultural industry of his district to use clean energy and engage in renewable energy production.
Wolf wants to boost working people by making higher education accessible and affordable to all Virginians, expand skills training, and create direct pathways to the workforce by matching students with high-paying jobs. He also sees increased infrastructure development in renewable energy as a way to reduce pollution, bring in much-needed tax revenue for schools, and incentivize corporate investment in the district. He believes that renewable energy production will be a great way to support farmers in the district.
Wolf supports marijuana legalization and expungement the arrest records of people with marijuana-related convictions in order to reduce mass incarceration. He believes that legal marijuana and the hemp industry will bring economic opportunities to the district with local production and increased tax revenue. Wolf wants to use federal money to fund free school meal programs in Virginia. He also supports expanding access to public assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Wolf believes in making the promise of democracy real for us all by expanding access to the ballot. He advocates for welcoming and inclusive policies for all Virginians, such as protections for transgender students. Wolf agrees with government efforts to keep communities safe from the COVID-19 pandemic with vaccination requirements for public employees and the military and mask mandates. He also supports new federal infrastructure spending, believing it will bring economic opportunities to the region.
Wolf is challenging incumbent Delegate John Avoli (R), a former high school principal. Avoli opposes abortion access and keeping our communities safe by passing common-sense measures aimed at preventing gun violence. He supports using taxpayer money to fund private education. Avoli voted against raising the minimum wage, abolishing the death penalty, and legalizing marijuana.
Due to his support of the environment, criminal justice reform, expanding voting rights, farmers, and increased broadband access, Wolf is the most progressive choice in this election.
Activist Randall Wolf is a photographer, journalist, and outdoor enthusiast based in Stuarts Draft. In 1983, he traveled with a delegation of U.S. Congress members to war-torn countries in Central America to photograph the hardships faced by people there. Back home, he helped found a non-profit that teaches young people to fix their bikes and ride them safely. He is an active member of the cycling community in the region, serving on the board of the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition.
Wolf sees reliable, high-speed Internet access as crucial to the economic and educational success of the region and wants to prioritize expanding broadband access to every home in the district. He also sees broadband access as a way to boost farmers in the region by helping them use GPS technology to manage their crops and reduce pollution. Wolf wants to incentivize the agricultural industry of his district to use clean energy and engage in renewable energy production.
Wolf wants to boost working people by making higher education accessible and affordable to all Virginians, expand skills training, and create direct pathways to the workforce by matching students with high-paying jobs. He also sees increased infrastructure development in renewable energy as a way to reduce pollution, bring in much-needed tax revenue for schools, and incentivize corporate investment in the district. He believes that renewable energy production will be a great way to support farmers in the district.
Wolf supports marijuana legalization and expungement the arrest records of people with marijuana-related convictions in order to reduce mass incarceration. He believes that legal marijuana and the hemp industry will bring economic opportunities to the district with local production and increased tax revenue. Wolf wants to use federal money to fund free school meal programs in Virginia. He also supports expanding access to public assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Wolf believes in making the promise of democracy real for us all by expanding access to the ballot. He advocates for welcoming and inclusive policies for all Virginians, such as protections for transgender students. Wolf agrees with government efforts to keep communities safe from the COVID-19 pandemic with vaccination requirements for public employees and the military and mask mandates. He also supports new federal infrastructure spending, believing it will bring economic opportunities to the region.
Wolf is challenging incumbent Delegate John Avoli (R), a former high school principal. Avoli opposes abortion access and keeping our communities safe by passing common-sense measures aimed at preventing gun violence. He supports using taxpayer money to fund private education. Avoli voted against raising the minimum wage, abolishing the death penalty, and legalizing marijuana.
Due to his support of the environment, criminal justice reform, expanding voting rights, farmers, and increased broadband access, Wolf is the most progressive choice in this election.
House District 021
Del. Fowler was motivated to run for office after attending the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. in January 2017. As a delegate, Fowler advocates for women’s issues by voting for the Equal Rights Amendment. In 2020, she voted to repeal medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion providers. She supports a person’s right to decide when and whether to become a parent and voted to make abortion coverage available on the health insurance exchange.
As a delegate, Fowler voted to give teachers a 5% raise, believing higher teacher pay will reduce high turnover and make it easier for schools to recruit and retain the best teachers. She also voted to increase school funding in the Commonwealth, including money to help schools reopen safely during the pandemic. She also voted to grant in-state tuition to undocumented students in 2020 and make them eligible for financial aid the following year.
As a Virginia Beach native, Fowler recognizes the real threat of climate change. She hopes to create long-term solutions to preserving the green spaces in the Virginia Beach and Chesapeake areas. Fowler has patroned legislation aimed at tackling the flooding issues of the 21st District. Additionally, Fowler is in support of clean energy and green jobs and voted for the Virginia Clean Economy Act in 2020, which aims to make Virginia 100% clean energy by 2050.
Fowler believes in making the promise of democracy real for us all by supporting our fair and free elections. In 2021, she voted for the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, which prohibits discrimination at the polls. She also voted to keep voters safe during the pandemic by removing the signature requirement on absentee ballots during an emergency and establishing drop boxes for voters to leave their ballots. In 2020, she voted to extend early voter registration and to make it easier to vote absentee in Virginia.
Delegate Fowler is facing a challenge from Republican candidate Tanya Gould. She is an advocate for sex trafficking awareness and directs a non-profit. Gould is against holding police accountable for the violence they inflict on communities. Gould also opposes government efforts to keep our communities and schools safe during the pandemic.
Due to her support of abortion access, public education, voting rights, and the environment, Delegate Fowler is the most progressive choice in this election.
House District 022
Democratic candidate Greg Eaton is running for the 22nd District House of Delegates seat. No website, public information, or social media associated with his campaign are available.
Eaton is running against incumbent Delegate Kathy Byron (R), who has represented the district since 1998. During her time in office, Byron has opposed abortion access, raising the minimum wage, and allowing municipal employees collective bargaining rights. She also voted against abolishing the death penalty, legalizing marijuana, and expanding affordable health coverage to 400,000 Virginians.
Also running in this race is Libertarian candidate Sarah Jerose, a Liberty University graduate and former middle school teacher. Jerose opposes government efforts to keep communities safe from the COVID-19 pandemic, calling mask requirements for public schools “evil, sadistic, and satanic.” She supports using taxpayer money to fund private education and is against keeping communities safe by using common-sense measures to prevent gun violence.
We do not have a recommendation in this race. However, we encourage you to cast your ballot in this election by writing in a candidate of your choosing and voting in the other offices.
Democratic candidate Greg Eaton is running for the 22nd District House of Delegates seat. No website, public information, or social media associated with his campaign are available.
Eaton is running against incumbent Delegate Kathy Byron (R), who has represented the district since 1998. During her time in office, Byron has opposed abortion access, raising the minimum wage, and allowing municipal employees collective bargaining rights. She also voted against abolishing the death penalty, legalizing marijuana, and expanding affordable health coverage to 400,000 Virginians.
Also running in this race is Libertarian candidate Sarah Jerose, a Liberty University graduate and former middle school teacher. Jerose opposes government efforts to keep communities safe from the COVID-19 pandemic, calling mask requirements for public schools “evil, sadistic, and satanic.” She supports using taxpayer money to fund private education and is against keeping communities safe by using common-sense measures to prevent gun violence.
We do not have a recommendation in this race. However, we encourage you to cast your ballot in this election by writing in a candidate of your choosing and voting in the other offices.
House District 024
Sam Soghor is a recent transplant to Amherst from New York, where he worked as an actor and producer. He attended the State University of New York at Purchase, where he received a bachelor's degree in political science. As a parent of a child who attends Amherst County Public Schools, he has an interest in the local public school system. He enjoys the community and the natural environment that the 24th district offers, and has expressed an interest in protecting it if elected.
In his campaign, Soghor prioritizes public education, broadband accessibility, and support for farmers. Soghor supports marijuana legalization and wants to ensure the 24th District receives all the benefits from legalization, including increased tax revenue for public spending and economic opportunities for local farmers and entrepreneurs. Additionally, he recognizes how marijuana legalization can support the creation of new businesses and result in higher wages, stronger economic systems, and increased home values.
As a father of a student attending a public school in the district, Soghor will prioritize education if elected. He will work to ensure the district’s often overlooked rural schools receive the same amount of resources so that location is not a barrier to education. He wants to increase funding for public schools to ensure schools and teachers have all the resources necessary to provide every student a high-quality education.
He also recognizes that access to education includes access to the Internet and is actively involved in expanding broadband access in Amherst County. He wants to ensure rural schools and students, who don’t have access to the same internet resources as students in urban areas, are not left behind by the state legislature. He recognizes broadband access as an equity issue and is fighting to ensure economic status is not a barrier to education.
Soghor appreciates the district’s natural environment and enjoys exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains and the George Washington National Forest. He hopes to increase environmental protections in the area while also uplifting local farmers. He recognizes the importance of fresh, local food to both community health and the economy. He wants to make sustainable farming practices accessible and affordable for district farmers and give them the same resources industrial agriculture operations have.
Soghor’s opponent is incumbent Delegate Ronnie Campbell (R), a former Virginia State Police officer. Campbell has served in the House of Delegates since 2019. Campbell opposes abortion access and measures aimed at keeping our communities safe from gun violence. He voted against marijuana legalization, increasing the minimum wage, and the Voting Rights Act of Virginia.
Due to his support for the environment and for policies that will uplift public education and Virginia working families, Sam Soghor is the most progressive choice for Virginia’s 24th District.
House District 025
Jennifer Kitchen is an Augusta county native, mother, and community organizer. She was raised by working-class parents on farms in Augusta. She has spent her life fighting for progressive causes in Virginia, organizing for the For Our Future Fund and starting the Staunton Augusta Waynesboro (SAW) Citizen Action Group. She has also worked as a program mentor for the Arc of Augusta, which supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Additionally, she is a cancer survivor and has two children.
As a survivor of both cancer and fibromyalgia, Kitchen understands the importance of access to affordable, quality healthcare. She advocated for Medicaid expansion in Virginia in 2018, which made healthcare affordable to 400,000 Virginians, and will work to make Medicaid available to more Virginians if elected. She also supports Medicare for All. She wants to ensure drug and insurance companies are charging fair prices and that healthcare is affordable to everyone in her district, no matter their income.
Kitchen wants to support Virginia working families by raising the minimum wage, guaranteeing workers’ right to form unions and strengthening labor laws. She will work to repeal Virginia’s right-to-work law. She supports marijuana legalization and sees it as a great economic opportunity for Virginia farmers. She will fight to ensure all Virginians have equal access to the economic benefits that the new market for legalized marijuana will provide and to ensure people with criminal records with marijuana-related charges are expunged.
Kitchen also recognizes that protecting the environment will provide opportunities for new jobs in rural Virginia. She fully endorses the Green New Deal Virginia, which aims to tackle climate change and ensure that the state will benefit from a renewable energy economy while guaranteeing access to clean air and water. She also hopes to adopt programs that will encourage farmers to move to more environmentally friendly farming practices. Additionally, she stood against the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines and will oppose any future fracked gas pipeline.
Kitchen wants to improve the district’s infrastructure by increasing spending on transportation and broadband projects. She would like to increase revenue for local public transportation and invest in improvements on Interstate 81. Acknowledging that investment in broadband is critical for rural Virginians to thrive in the 21st century, she is proposing a large-scale broadband infrastructure package similar to New Deal programs of the 1930s that supplied electricity to rural areas.
Kitchen’s opponent is incumbent Delegate Chris Runion (R), a business leader from the Shenandoah Valley who has represented the 25th District since 2020. While serving in the General Assembly, Runion voted against the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, marijuana legalization, the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, and abolishing the death penalty. Additionally, he opposes a person’s right to decide when and whether to become a parent and opposes gun violence prevention legislation.
Due to her support of the environment, access to affordable healthcare, and working families, Jennifer Kitchen is the most progressive choice for Virginia’s 25th district.
Jennifer Kitchen is an Augusta county native, mother, and community organizer. She was raised by working-class parents on farms in Augusta. She has spent her life fighting for progressive causes in Virginia, organizing for the For Our Future Fund and starting the Staunton Augusta Waynesboro (SAW) Citizen Action Group. She has also worked as a program mentor for the Arc of Augusta, which supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Additionally, she is a cancer survivor and has two children.
As a survivor of both cancer and fibromyalgia, Kitchen understands the importance of access to affordable, quality healthcare. She advocated for Medicaid expansion in Virginia in 2018, which made healthcare affordable to 400,000 Virginians, and will work to make Medicaid available to more Virginians if elected. She also supports Medicare for All. She wants to ensure drug and insurance companies are charging fair prices and that healthcare is affordable to everyone in her district, no matter their income.
Kitchen wants to support Virginia working families by raising the minimum wage, guaranteeing workers’ right to form unions and strengthening labor laws. She will work to repeal Virginia’s right-to-work law. She supports marijuana legalization and sees it as a great economic opportunity for Virginia farmers. She will fight to ensure all Virginians have equal access to the economic benefits that the new market for legalized marijuana will provide and to ensure people with criminal records with marijuana-related charges are expunged.
Kitchen also recognizes that protecting the environment will provide opportunities for new jobs in rural Virginia. She fully endorses the Green New Deal Virginia, which aims to tackle climate change and ensure that the state will benefit from a renewable energy economy while guaranteeing access to clean air and water. She also hopes to adopt programs that will encourage farmers to move to more environmentally friendly farming practices. Additionally, she stood against the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines and will oppose any future fracked gas pipeline.
Kitchen wants to improve the district’s infrastructure by increasing spending on transportation and broadband projects. She would like to increase revenue for local public transportation and invest in improvements on Interstate 81. Acknowledging that investment in broadband is critical for rural Virginians to thrive in the 21st century, she is proposing a large-scale broadband infrastructure package similar to New Deal programs of the 1930s that supplied electricity to rural areas.
Kitchen’s opponent is incumbent Delegate Chris Runion (R), a business leader from the Shenandoah Valley who has represented the 25th District since 2020. While serving in the General Assembly, Runion voted against the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, marijuana legalization, the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, and abolishing the death penalty. Additionally, he opposes a person’s right to decide when and whether to become a parent and opposes gun violence prevention legislation.
Due to her support of the environment, access to affordable healthcare, and working families, Jennifer Kitchen is the most progressive choice for Virginia’s 25th district.