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  • Democrat

    Nicole R. Armistead

  • Incumbent Nicole R. Armistead (D) is seeking her second term as Richmond Treasurer. She was born in Richmond and is the daughter of a former member of Richmond City Council. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications. Armistead worked for 17 years at the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond and for two years at the Virginia Credit Union. She and her husband have three children who attend Richmond Public Schools.

    Since her election in 2017, Armistead has worked to expand the role of her office to better serve Richmond residents. She has promoted financial literacy through programs to help people develop functional skills to improve their standard of living. In 2021, she launched the Financial Navigators program to assist residents facing financial hardships. The navigators will provide advice to residents over the phone to manage their finances and make referrals for other services such as rent relief, eviction protection, and employment opportunities.

    Challenging Armistead is former member of city council, Shirley Harvey, who unsuccessfully ran for the office in 2013 and 2017. Harvey has also run for mayor and a seat in the House of Delegates. Harvey wants to use the office of the treasurer to bring oversight to the city’s finance department.


    Due to her support of financial literacy and efforts to help Richmond residents during the pandemic, Armistead is the most progressive choice in this race.
    Last updated: 2023-04-05

    Nicole R. Armistead

    Incumbent Nicole R. Armistead (D) is seeking her second term as Richmond Treasurer. She was born in Richmond and is the daughter of a former member of Richmond City Council. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications.
    Incumbent Nicole R. Armistead (D) is seeking her second term as Richmond Treasurer. She was born in Richmond and is the daughter of a former member of Richmond City Council. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications. Armistead worked for 17 years at the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond and for two years at the Virginia Credit Union. She and her husband have three children who attend Richmond Public Schools.

    Since her election in 2017, Armistead has worked to expand the role of her office to better serve Richmond residents. She has promoted financial literacy through programs to help people develop functional skills to improve their standard of living. In 2021, she launched the Financial Navigators program to assist residents facing financial hardships. The navigators will provide advice to residents over the phone to manage their finances and make referrals for other services such as rent relief, eviction protection, and employment opportunities.

    Challenging Armistead is former member of city council, Shirley Harvey, who unsuccessfully ran for the office in 2013 and 2017. Harvey has also run for mayor and a seat in the House of Delegates. Harvey wants to use the office of the treasurer to bring oversight to the city’s finance department.


    Due to her support of financial literacy and efforts to help Richmond residents during the pandemic, Armistead is the most progressive choice in this race.

    Nicole R. Armistead

    Incumbent Nicole R. Armistead (D) is seeking her second term as Richmond Treasurer. She was born in Richmond and is the daughter of a former member of Richmond City Council. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications.
  • 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.

    Last updated: 2023-04-05

    Terry McAuliffe

    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.

    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.

    Terry McAuliffe

    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.

  • 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.
    Last updated: 2023-04-05

    Hala Ayala

    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.
    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.

    Hala Ayala

    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.
  • 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.
    Last updated: 2023-04-05

    Mark Herring

    Incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring is seeking his third term in office after having been first elected in 2013.
    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.

    Mark Herring

    Incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring is seeking his third term in office after having been first elected in 2013.

House of Delegates

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

  • Virginia’s new 57th House of Delegates district encompasses parts of Henrico County and parts of Goochland County. With almost 63,000 registered voters, this is a competitive district that doesn’t lean in either direction. 

    Incumbent Delegate Sally Hudson was elected in 2019 and was the first woman to represent Charlottesville in the House of Delegates. Del. Hudson obtained her bachelor’s degree in economics and math from Stanford University and her doctorate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she was a National Science Foundation Fellow. When not in session, she teaches statistics as an assistant professor at the University of Virginia’s School of Public Policy and works as an economist.

    During her first term as a legislator, one of Hudson’s primary focuses was passing legislation to tackle the climate crisis in Virginia. She worked to get the Commonwealth to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, invest in renewable energy projects like offshore wind and solar, and she voted for the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which commits Virginia to 100% clean energy by 2050. She opposes the construction of fracked gas pipelines and wants to hold polluting utility monopolies accountable. She received a 100% rating from the Sierra Club on their legislative scorecard in 2021.

    Hudson supports our public education and believes that strong schools are essential to strong communities. She voted to raise teacher salaries by 5% in 2021 and for increased funding so that schools can safely reopen during the pandemic. She supports expanding universal pre-K programs and restoring state funding for public colleges as tuition continues to rise. Earlier this year, the delegate worked with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to address a school bus driver shortage in the Charlottesville school district.

    Hudson wants to boost working families in the district so that they can live with dignity. She voted to raise the minimum wage in 2020 and for the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights the following year. Her work as a labor economist has made Delegate Hudson aware of the needs of working families during the recession brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hudson successfully sponsored legislation that streamlines unemployment benefits for Virginians. Hudson also supported providing renters with relief and protection during the pandemic.

    Delegate Hudson is also an advocate for criminal justice reform. She voted to legalize marijuana in 2020 and wants to bring justice to communities ravaged by the Drug War by passing legislation to resentence incarcerated people currently serving time on marijuana-related charges. The delegate supported legislation that prevents people burdened with court debt to pay additional interest on their fees. She also voted for the constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to returning citizens in the Commonwealth.

    Delegate Hudson is being challenged by Republican candidate Philip Andrew Hamilton. Hamilton moved to the Charlottesville area during the pandemic due to the restrictions placed in California, where he initially lived. Hamilton opposes abortion access and is against recent efforts to replace Confederate statues in Virginia. Hamilton is also against measures to keep our communities safe from gun violence.

    Due to her support of the environment, public education, Virginia working families, and criminal justice reform, Delegate Hudson is the most progressive choice in this election.
  • Virginia’s new 58th House of Delegates district encompasses parts of Henrico County. With close to 61,000 registered voters, this district leans Democratic. 

    Sara Ratcliffe is running for the 58th District seat in the House of Delegates. She is originally from the Midwest but earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from George Washington University. She used to be a staff member to former U.S. Senator J. James Exon and research assistant to political author and broadcaster Elizabeth Drew. In 2008, she worked on the Obama campaigns in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Sara and her husband reside in Greene County.

    Ratcliffe grew up in a low-income household and understands what it’s like to choose between putting food on the table and seeing a doctor. She will fight to make access to affordable, quality healthcare available to every household in the district. She wants to lower the cost of prescription drugs and protect people with pre-existing conditions from losing health coverage. As a young person, she watched her mother struggle with mental health issues, and she wants to channel resources to community-based mental health support and substance abuse treatment while also ensuring insurance covers the cost of those treatment options.

    Ratcliffe sees reliable, high-speed Internet access as crucial to the economic and educational success of the region and wants to prioritize expanding affordable broadband access to every home in the district. She believes that broadband and cell phone service should be affordable utilities for all. She will work to ensure that federal and state funding is funneled to the district to build up the telecommunication infrastructure for the district along with other projects like repairing roads and bridges.

    Ratcliffe supports protecting the environment and understands the economic opportunities available in the transition to a clean energy economy. She believes that workers in the green economy should have the right to unionize and will fight to protect farmers in the district. Ratcliffe wants to boost working families by making paid family and medical leave guaranteed so people don’t have to choose between a paycheck and taking care of themselves or loved ones in the event of an illness. She also supports making child care affordable to working families.

    Ratcliffe advocates for keeping communities safe by passing common-sense gun violence prevention measures. Fighting for reproductive freedom has been part of Sara’s career, and she supports abortion access. She wants to fully fund our public education system, raise teacher salaries, and fund early childhood education programs. She believes in holding police accountable for the violence they inflict on communities and wants to replace police as first responders with mental health professionals and social workers in certain situations.

    Ratcliffe is challenging incumbent Delegate Rob Bell (R), who was elected to represent the district in 2001. In 2018, Bell voted against expanding access to affordable healthcare to 400,000 Virginians and supported the prohibition of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented immigrants in the Commonwealth. Bell opposed the Virginia Clean Economy Act, the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, abolishing the death penalty, and marijuana legalization.

    Due to her support of affordable broadband access, the environment, working families, abortion access, and public education, Ratcliffe is the most progressive choice in this election.
  • Virginia’s new 77th House of Delegates district encompasses parts of Richmond City and parts of Chesterfield County. With almost 55,000 registered voters, this district leans strongly Democratic.

    Incumbent Delegate Cliff Hayes was born in Chesapeake and has represented the 77th District in the House of Delegates since 2016. He attended Norfolk State University, where he played basketball and completed post-graduate studies at multiple institutes of higher education. He spent his professional career working in information technology and technology policy. He also served as a member of the Chesapeake City Council from 2004 to 2012. He has two college-aged daughters and lives with his wife in Chesapeake.

    Serving as the chair of the Joint Commission on Technology and Science, Hayes is a strong advocate for technological developments that boost the economy and protect the environment. He introduced and successfully passed legislation that created a major offshore wind generation facility. His work on this project led him to receive a certificate of appreciation from the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. Del. Hayes also voted in favor of the passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which will transition Virginia’s energy grid to 100% renewable energy by 2050.

    Hayes has worked to make healthcare affordable and accessible to all Virginians. He voted in favor of Medicaid expansion in 2018, which granted access to affordable healthcare to 400,000 Virginians. Hayes was chief co-patron of a bill that expanded telemedicine services and ensured Virginians could safely see their doctors during the pandemic and beyond. He also voted to make abortion coverage available on the state health insurance exchange. He voted to cap insulin prices at $50 and he introduced and passed a bill to make it easier for pharmacies to distribute marijuana and CBD-based products.

    Hayes has supported increased school funding at all levels. He voted in favor of a budget that gave teachers a 5% raise, increased funding for school counselors and nurses, and additional money to ensure schools can safely reopen during the pandemic. Hayes also worked to make higher education more affordable by voting for the Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back (G3) program, which makes community college tuition-free for low-and middle-income students who study in certain fields.

    As a member of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, Hayes has supported bills to ensure racial equity in Virginia. He voted to recognize racism as a public health crisis in the Commonwealth. The caucus also worked to ensure that the tax dollars received from the legalization of marijuana went to the Black and Brown communities that were disproportionately affected by drug enforcement. Hayes also fought for the historical preservation and funding for the maintenance of Black cemeteries in Chesapeake.

    Hayes is facing a challenge from Republican candidate Geoffrey Burke, a Trump supporter. He believes Virginia should remain a right-to-work state, which greatly undermines the strength of unions. Burke also believes in privatizing education and opposes government regulations on polluting companies. He is against abortion access and common-sense measures aimed at keeping our communities safe from gun violence.

    Due to his support of the environment, access to affordable healthcare, public education, and racial justice, Delegate Cliff Hayes is the most progressive choice for the 77th District.

  • Virginia’s new 78th House of Delegates district encompasses parts of Richmond City. With over 68,000 registered voters, this district leans strongly Democratic.

    Democrat Melanie Cornelisse is a seamstress, educator, and community organizer running to represent the 78th District in the House of Delegates. Raised in Kansas and Florida, Cornelisse has lived in Chesapeake for the past five years. Previously, she was a public school teacher, and currently owns her own business. She is heavily involved with gun violence prevention advocacy and runs the Chesapeake chapter of Moms Demand Action. Cornelisse lives in the Great Bridge area with her husband and two children.

    As a survivor of gun violence, Cornelisse is passionate about and dedicated to gun violence prevention. She recognizes that gun violence is a public health crisis and has lobbied the General Assembly to implement policies that keep communities safe. She supports increased investment in gun violence prevention programs such as Be SMART, which teaches parents about safe gun ownership and storage. She also supports increased background checks for gun owners and increased restrictions on gun ownership, such as laws preventing domestic abusers from possessing guns. She has pledged not to accept donations from the gun lobby.

    Cornelisse advocates for policies to make the ballot box as accessible as possible. Federally, she supports the passage of the For the People Act, which would expand voting rights and access. In Virginia, she would like to implement policies that make registering and voting as easy as possible. She helped advocate for the “Change the Date, Chesapeake!” and “Change the Date, VA” campaigns, which successfully lobbied the General Assembly to move the date of local elections from May to November, in order to allow as many voters as possible to cast a ballot.

    Cornelisse advocates for policies to protect Virginia’s natural environment. She supports strong regulations on utility companies in order to ensure energy prices stay low and corporations are prioritizing the environment and Virginians’ health. She believes corporations should be held responsible for addressing the pollution and carbon emissions they produce and must pay their fair share in taxes to fund scientific research and climate protections. She also will fight for conservation efforts to protect Chesapeake wetlands.

    As a former public school teacher and parent of kids attending local public schools, Cornelisse will prioritize education funding and school safety. She helped develop and run the Chesapeake School Safety Coalition. The coalition was originally founded to address gun violence in schools but has recently taken efforts to ensure students and school staff have the resources to stay safe during the pandemic. She supports increased investment in school resources at all levels and particularly emphasizes raising teacher and staff salaries. She also supports increased investment in student mental health and counselor services.

    Cornelisse is running against incumbent Republican Delegate Jay Leftwich, an attorney who has represented the 78th district in the House of Delegates since 2014. Since his election, Leftwich has voted against expanding Medicaid coverage, raising the minimum wage, protecting insurance coverage of abortions, legalizing marijuana, and abolishing the death penalty. He also opposes keeping our communities safe by passing common sense measures to prevent gun violence.

    Due to her support for gun violence prevention, expanding voting access, environmental protections, and funding for education, Melanie Cornelisse is the most progressive choice in this race.

  • Virginia’s new 79th House of Delegates district encompasses parts of Richmond City. With almost 63,000 registered voters, this district leans strongly Democratic.

    Nadarius Clark was born in Norfolk and attended I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth and obtained his bachelor’s from Virginia Union University. Clark co-founded the Generation Now Network, an organization committed to faith-based activism, advocacy, and education. In 2017, he lobbied in Congress for the comprehensive expansion of Medicaid and Medicare. He is currently a radio host on 94.7 The Link and is one of the youngest candidates to run for delegate in Virginia.

    As a native of the Tidewater region, Clark has witnessed the effects of climate change and rising sea levels. He believes the government must take urgent action to address the climate crisis. He opposes the Mountain Valley Pipeline and if elected, will support legislation to stop the construction of new pipelines. He also supports a moratorium on new fossil fuel projects and has vowed not to take campaign contributions from fossil fuel companies.

    Clark wants to hold police accountable for the violence enacted on communities. He believes in using police alternatives to community dispute resolution to nonviolent and mental health-related crises. He supports ending qualified immunity, a practice that shields police officers from lawsuits for committing civil rights violations. Clark advocates for racial justice by promoting reparations to the descendants of enslaved people. He also believes in bringing equity to communities ravaged by the Drug War by directing revenue from the sale of legalized marijuana to Black and Brown communities.

    Clark wants to bring access to quality, affordable healthcare for all Virginians. He also wants to focus on inequities in our healthcare system by improving disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia and disparities in the mortality rate of Black and Indigenous mothers. He has raised concerns over the affordable housing crisis stating that it is a public health issue and how he will work to address high eviction rates in the district and bring more funding for public housing.

    Clark will work to provide public schools of every level with adequate funding and resources to benefit both the students and teachers. Understanding that teachers in underfunded schools often pay for materials out of pocket, Clark will ensure that teachers are paid fairly, and students can return to schools safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. He expressed his belief that students should have options outside of college and advocates for more investment in vocational programs and trade schools.

    Clark is running against Republican candidate Lawrence Mason, a Navy veteran and volunteer first responder who is originally from New York. Mason is against keeping our communities safe by passing common-sense measures to prevent gun violence. He opposes shifting resources away from police budgets to community services and affordable housing.

    Due to his support of the environment, racial justice, access to affordable healthcare, and criminal justice reform, Nadarius Clark is the most progressive choice in this race.

  • Virginia’s new 80th House of Delegates district encompasses parts of Henrico City. With over 61,000 registered voters, this district leans strongly Democratic.

    Incumbent Delegate Don Scott (D) was first elected to represent the 80th District in the House of Delegates in 2019. Scott is originally from Houston, Texas, and graduated from Texas A&M University. He later joined the U.S. Navy and earned a law degree from Louisiana State University after leaving the Navy. Scott founded his own law firm and is a member of the NAACP and VFW. He and his wife live in Portsmouth with their daughter.

    In 1994, Scott was convicted of drug charges and served seven years in federal prison. He believes in second chances and works to reform the criminal justice system to reduce its harmful impact on communities of color. He co-patroned the House bill to legalize marijuana and wants to ensure that legalization will benefit communities ravaged by the Drug War. He voted to abolish the death penalty in 2021 and unsuccessfully sponsored legislation to decriminalize certain drugs. He co-patroned the constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to returning citizens this year as well.

    As a resident of a coastal area, Scott understands the urgency of the climate crisis. In 2020, he supported the Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act, which reduces carbon emissions from power plants and provides protection to regions experiencing flooding issues. Scott advocates for incentivizing electric vehicle use for marginalized communities and creating infrastructure to support electric vehicles. In 2020, Scott voted for the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which commits the Commonwealth to 100% clean energy by 2050.

    Scott believes in keeping communities safe by passing common-sense measures to reduce gun violence prevention. In 2020, he voted for universal background checks, keeping guns out of the wrong hands with extreme risk protection orders, and restoring a limit on handgun purchases to one a month. Additionally, he voted to pass legislation to increase penalties for allowing minors to access guns. The following year, Scott supported legislation that bans guns from polling places and Richmond’s Capitol Square.

    Scott wants working families in Virginia to live with dignity and supports raising the minimum wage. He advocated expanding protections offered to tenants during the pandemic to remain in place when the pandemic is over. He also wants to make the pursuit of higher education more affordable so people have more job opportunities and voted for the Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back “G3” program, which offers free tuition at community colleges for low- and middle-income students who study in certain fields.

    Scott is facing a challenge from Republican candidate Deanna Stanton, a Portsmouth native, and hospice nurse. Stanton supports using taxpayer money to fund private education and opposes the right of workers to unionize. She opposes holding police accountable for the violence they inflict on communities and does not believe in keeping communities safe by passing common-sense measures to prevent gun violence.

    Due to his support of criminal justice reform, the environment, gun violence prevention, and working families, Scott is the most progressive choice in this race.

  • Virginia’s new 81st House of Delegates district encompasses parts of Henrico City, parts of Chesterfield County, and Charles City County. With over 60,000 registered voters, this district leans strongly Democratic.

    Podiatrist Jeffrey ”Doc” Feld is running to represent the 80th District in the House of Delegates. He has lived in Virginia Beach for 20 years where his wife is a public school teacher. A former chief resident at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Feld runs his own medical practice with several locations in the area. He spends a lot of time volunteering with youth sports organizations and at local nursing homes while raising three children with his wife.

    Understanding that strong schools are the backbone of thriving communities, Feld has unique insight into the need to improve equity in the education system because his wife is a teacher and their children attend public schools. He supports fully funding schools, universal pre-K, and raising teacher pay to attract the best talent and prevent turnover. He wants to reduce classroom sizes, increase student access to mental health resources, and make college tuition affordable in the Commonwealth.

    As a resident of a coastal area vulnerable to rising sea levels, Feld knows the urgency of the climate crisis. He believes in using a collaborative approach to find common ground for all stakeholders to implement a just transition from fossil fuels to a clean energy economy. He wants to work with local farmers and the agricultural industry to increase education on environmental issues and make available programs, such as tree planting, to help them protect the environment. Feld also believes that the eco-tourism initiatives in the 81st District can help connect the area’s tourism industry with environmental preservation.

    Feld’s experience in the medical field has led him to believe that all families in the district should have access to quality, affordable healthcare. He wants to lower prescription costs, make billing more transparent, and increase funding for mental health support and substance abuse recovery. He will fight to protect vulnerable populations and people with pre-existing conditions. He is also passionate about providing healthcare to veterans with his experience working at local veteran health facilities.

    Feld wants to boost economic opportunities for working people to live with dignity and supports a living wage. He understands the hardships people are facing during the pandemic and will work to ensure that federal and state money is funneled to the district to create jobs and build infrastructure. He wants to ensure that local businesses have access to grants and loans to stay afloat during the pandemic and will collaborate with local banks and creditors to make resources available as well.

    Feld is challenging incumbent Delegate Barry Knight (R), a hog farmer. Knight opposes keeping communities safe with common-sense measures to prevent gun violence. In 2020, he voted against increasing the minimum wage and the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which commits the Commonwealth to 100% clean energy by 2050. This year, he opposed abolishing the death penalty and the Voting Rights Act of Virginia.

    Due to his support of public education, the environment, access to affordable healthcare, and working families, Jeffrey Feld is the most progressive choice in this election.

  • Incumbent Nicole R. Armistead (D) is seeking her second term as Richmond Treasurer. She was born in Richmond and is the daughter of a former member of Richmond City Council. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications. Armistead worked for 17 years at the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond and for two years at the Virginia Credit Union. She and her husband have three children who attend Richmond Public Schools.

    Since her election in 2017, Armistead has worked to expand the role of her office to better serve Richmond residents. She has promoted financial literacy through programs to help people develop functional skills to improve their standard of living. In 2021, she launched the Financial Navigators program to assist residents facing financial hardships. The navigators will provide advice to residents over the phone to manage their finances and make referrals for other services such as rent relief, eviction protection, and employment opportunities.

    Challenging Armistead is former member of city council, Shirley Harvey, who unsuccessfully ran for the office in 2013 and 2017. Harvey has also run for mayor and a seat in the House of Delegates. Harvey wants to use the office of the treasurer to bring oversight to the city’s finance department.


    Due to her support of financial literacy and efforts to help Richmond residents during the pandemic, Armistead is the most progressive choice in this race.
    Last updated: 2023-04-05

    Nicole R. Armistead

    Incumbent Nicole R. Armistead (D) is seeking her second term as Richmond Treasurer. She was born in Richmond and is the daughter of a former member of Richmond City Council. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications.
    Incumbent Nicole R. Armistead (D) is seeking her second term as Richmond Treasurer. She was born in Richmond and is the daughter of a former member of Richmond City Council. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications. Armistead worked for 17 years at the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond and for two years at the Virginia Credit Union. She and her husband have three children who attend Richmond Public Schools.

    Since her election in 2017, Armistead has worked to expand the role of her office to better serve Richmond residents. She has promoted financial literacy through programs to help people develop functional skills to improve their standard of living. In 2021, she launched the Financial Navigators program to assist residents facing financial hardships. The navigators will provide advice to residents over the phone to manage their finances and make referrals for other services such as rent relief, eviction protection, and employment opportunities.

    Challenging Armistead is former member of city council, Shirley Harvey, who unsuccessfully ran for the office in 2013 and 2017. Harvey has also run for mayor and a seat in the House of Delegates. Harvey wants to use the office of the treasurer to bring oversight to the city’s finance department.


    Due to her support of financial literacy and efforts to help Richmond residents during the pandemic, Armistead is the most progressive choice in this race.

    Nicole R. Armistead

    Incumbent Nicole R. Armistead (D) is seeking her second term as Richmond Treasurer. She was born in Richmond and is the daughter of a former member of Richmond City Council. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications.

No Recommendation

Incumbent Antionette Irving (D) is seeking her second term as Richmond Sheriff. She grew up in Creighton Court and spent 26 years at the Henrico Sheriff’s Office. She earned a doctorate in business administration from Northcentral University. Irving and some of her staff are subject of a federal lawsuit brought on behalf of incarcerated people at the city’s jail who claim they were tear gassed by deputies under Irving’s command after they raised concerns about safety practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Irving is running unopposed. We have no recommendation in this race. However, we still encourage you to show up to vote on November 2 by writing-in the candidate of your choice for this race and the other races on your ballot.

No Recommendations - Richmond - Sheriff

Incumbent Antionette Irving (D) is seeking her second term as Richmond Sheriff. She grew up in Creighton Court and spent 26 years at the Henrico Sheriff’s Office. She earned a doctorate in business administration from Northcentral University.

No Recommendation

Incumbent Colette McEachin (D) was first elected as Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney in 2019. Her office has been accused of lacking an adequate system to hold police who abuse their power accountable. McEachin refused to reopen the investigation into the police murder of Marcus David-Peters, an unarmed black man who was shot by Richmond police while undergoing a mental health crisis. She concluded that the police officer’s use of force was justified.

McEachin is running unopposed. We have no recommendation in this race. However, we still encourage you to show up to vote on November 2 by writing in the candidate of your choice for this race and the other races on your ballot.