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Green

Blaizen Buckshot Bloom

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The at-large election for Chesapeake City School Board takes place on November 8, 2022. All registered voters in the city of Chesapeake are eligible to vote in this election, regardless of which district they live in. Kimberly M. Alameda (R), Shirley P. Auguste (I), Blaizen Buckshot Bloom (GPUS), Amanda Grace Dean (R), Jennifer Lynn Economy (R), Gayle M. Gilmore (I), Malia Leilani Huddle (D), Michael K. Lamonea (R), John Michael McCormick (R), Jared Miller (R), Bradley Edward Moore (I), Kimberly Scott (R), Tiffany H. Thompson (D), and Brittany Walker (R) will compete for five spots. There are no incumbents in the race.

Green Party campaigner Blaizen Buckshot Bloom has been advocating for the city of Chesapeake since 2017, earning the President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2018 for their efforts. Blaizen values transparency and the inclusion of those most impacted in the decision making. Whether it be addressing the staff shortages or the mental wellness of our students only made worse by the COVID-19, Blaizen believes that this approach of collaboration and cooperation will only strengthen our schools.

Campaigner Bloom maintains that the mental health of students is a priority matter. Bloom advocates that “more resources must be allocated in our schools to ensure that students and their families have the support, resources, and knowledge needed to support mental wellbeing.” This candidate insists that “the measures we currently have in place are no longer enough to support our students.” Blaizen Bloom pledges to stand for the mental health of students in public schools.

As a school board member, Bloom intends on supporting teachers. Acknowledging that teachers are an essential part of a child’s growth and development, Bloom points out that the Chesapeake district has been experiencing a shortage of qualified teachers to support the students. They contend that strong action must be taken to lessen the stress of the workplace, as well as implement policies that reward and provide Chesapeake teachers with opportunities for advancement and higher education.

Candidate Blaizen Bloom will work towards fixing the school budget. “If we want to ensure that our schools have the resources they need to succeed, then we must start with the budget to determine if resources can be reallocated from inefficient spending to crucial areas such as increasing teacher pay.” Bloom maintains that a strong budget is needed in order for any organization to succeed, and aims to remove the cloud of secrecy with budget allocation breakdowns.

Bloom strives to partner with the community in order to ensure that our schools work in conjunction with the communities they reside in. Bloom has a plan to lay the groundwork for school administration, the parents and families of students, and the community at-large to “come together in a collaborative effort to build a climate that fosters learning for our students.” Bloom aims to bolster family-school engagement opportunities to focus on opportunities that will lessen the burden of teachers and faculty.

Bloom is running against John McCormick, Mike Lamonea, Kimberly Alameda, Kim Scott, Jennifer Economy, Jared Miller, Gayle Gilmore, Brittany Walker, and Amanda Dean.

Republican candidate John Michael McCormick is a lawyer as well as the Chairman of the Board for Roc Solid Foundation. Additionally, he has served the City of Chesapeake as a Planning Commissioner for five years, including in leadership roles as Secretary and Vice-Chairman. McCormick stands for banning accurate history in public education as well as book banning.

Former Special Agent for the Homeland Security Investigations, Michael “Mike” Lamonea is running as a Republican candidate. Lamonea has held several leadership positions such as Chair of the Chesapeake Youth Committee, Chair of the Chesapeake Youth Foundation, Vice-President of a special needs organization known as Hope and Happiness. He was appointed by Governor Youngkin to serve as the Chair of Virginia's Commission on Human Trafficking Prevention and Survivor Support and supports the involvement of law enforcement’s participation in more school based incidents.

An employee of Chesapeake Public Schools and minister, Gayle M. GIlmore, is running this year as a Democratic candidate. She is a Virginia Commonwealth University and Old Dominion University graduate. While we were unable to find information on this candidate’s policies, we know that Gilmore is passionate about the issues of COVID safety, supporting mask mandates, school shootings, LGBTQ issues, suicides, and cyber bullying.

Kimberly M. Alameda decided to campaign for a seat on the school board after participating in school board meetings in 2021. A first time candidate, Alameda supports the removal of mask mandates and the removal of accurate historical teaching in the school system.

Republican candidate Kimberly A. Scott is a former PTA President with sixteen years of healthcare experience under her belt. Scott believes that “the agenda driven influence of political activism has no place in our schools,” aiming to support the fundamental rights of parents affirmed in VA - Rights of Parents Code. Scott is against the Virginia Department of Education’s model policy which expands rights and protections for transgender and nonbinary students.

Jennifer L Economy is a school board candidate running on the principles of “consistency, transparency, and accountability.” Describing herself as a “grassroots conservative candidate for the people not a political party,” Economy disagrees with school board mandates and accurate history being taught in schools. Economy currently serves as an Assistant Chief Officer of Election for the City of Chesapeake as well as a private investigator. Economy would underfund our schools in the name of tax cuts as a key factor in her campaign for school board.

Jared D. Miller is a former U.S. Army soldier who started his school board campaign amid frustration of the school board mask mandate. Miller believes that it is a parents' rights issue instead and led that as motivation to run for this year’s election.He also disapproves of trans inclusive language as well as accurate history teaching in schools. Miller encourages the implementation of armed school security as well as school enforcement officers and auditing school security cameras for blindspots.

Dr. Brittany N. Walker is an educator and former Chesapeake Public Schools teacher of six years, and later Assistant Principal, who campaigns to showcase her inside perspective to understand how decisions directly impact our students and staff. Walker’s political stances are not found on her platforms.

Republican candidate Amanda Grace Dean is a Chesapeake native and currently works as a Supply Chain Consultant. Amanda Dean’s transphobic views prompted her to run for school board after being “shocked” by school board meeting agenda items such as transgender policies that were to be implemented into the school. We were unable to find any other information on this candidate's politics.

There are five seats open for this race.
Blaizen Buckshot Bloom is a progressive choice for this race due to their pledge to support teachers, fix the school budget and partner with the community to ensure school and community conjunctions.
Last updated: 2023-04-05

City of Chesapeake

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Election Day November 8, 2022
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Congress

Depending on where you live, you may have one of the below congressional districts on your ballot.

2nd Congressional District

U.S. Representative

Elaine Luria photo
Democrat

Elaine Luria

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Virginia’s 2nd district includes 6 counties and parts of Southampton county and Chesapeake City. With a population of 780,161, this district leans Republican.

This election will be held on November 8, 2022. Incumbent Congresswoman Elaine Luria (D), a US Navy veteran who was first elected in 2018, faces State Senator Jen Kiggans (R), a former geriatric nurse practitioner and retired US Navy veteran. Kiggans has served in the Virginia State Senate since 2020.

Democratic incumbent Representative Elaine Luria has served Virginia’s Second District since 2019. She is a 20-year Navy veteran who served as a Surface Warfare Officer and nuclear engineer. She was one of the first women to attend the Naval Nuclear Power School. In 2013, she started a family business, Mermaid Factory, which created jobs and added over $250,000 to Hampton Roads’ economy. She currently serves on the House Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Luria is a staunch advocate for clean air and water, as well as access to natural environments. She introduced the Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act, bipartisan legislation for $85 million to fund clean up of the Chesapeake Bay. Additionally, she spoke out against offshore drilling, and in 2020, cosponsored the Great American Outdoors Act. Earlier this year, she introduced legislation that would authorize a study to designate Coastal Virginia as a National Heritage Area.

Access to quality and affordable healthcare is a top priority for Luria. She supports strengthening the Affordable Care Act and works to lower prescription drug prices. In early 2022, Luria advanced legislation supporting health care access to veterans with certain illnesses as a result of burn pits. She also pushed TRICARE to increase access to free COVID tests to service members and military families. Luria criticized the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, as well as Governor Youngkin’s plan to change abortion laws in Virginia.

Luria is a gun safety advocate who believes in commonsense measures to keep people safe from gun violence. She supports universal background checks for gun purchases and transfers, with certain exceptions. She cosponsored the Keep Americans Safe Act, which would prohibit the possession or transfer of large-capacity ammunition magazines, a common weapon used in mass shootings. Similarly, Luria cosponsored the Assault Weapons Ban of 2019, which prohibited the importation, sale, or transfer of semiautomatic weapons.

Racial equity is important to Luria, and she believes that systemic racism must be holistically addressed. She voted in favor of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which dealt with law enforcement accountability for misconduct and would restrict certain practices. She also supported the No Funding for Confederate Symbols Act. With the hope of fixing the Black maternal mortality crisis, Luria supported the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act. To address racial equity in education, she secured $10 million for Historic Preservation Grants for HBCUs.

Luria is running against nurse practitioner, Navy veteran, and Virginia State Senator Jen Kiggans (R). This past session, Kiggans introduced legislation attempting to bar trans girls from playing school sports. She also patroned legislation aiming to ban the teaching of accurate history in public schools. She applauded the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, calling the moment a chance to “stand against the extremist Democrat policies…”

Due to Kiggans’ extreme views on abortion access and trans rights and her lack of support for public education, Congresswoman Luria is the most progressive candidate in this race.

Last updated: 2023-04-05

3rd Congressional District

U.S. Representative

Bobby Scott photo
Democrat

Bobby Scott

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Virginia’s 3rd district includes 4 counties and parts of Chesapeake City. With a population of 781,088 this district leans Democratic.

This election will be held on November 8, 2022. Longtime incumbent, Congressman Bobby Scott (D), who has served since 1993, is running for re-election against Terry Namkung (R), a retired senior non-commissioned officer of the Air Force and renewable energy researcher.

Democratic incumbent Congressman Bobby Scott has represented Virginia’s Third District since 1993. Before being elected to Congress, Scott served in the Virginia General Assembly for 15 years as a member of both the House of Delegates (1978-1983) and the State Senate (1983-1993). Having a maternal grandfather of Filipino ancestry, he is the first American of Filipino descent to serve as a voting member of Congress, in addition to being the first African American Representative from Virginia since Reconstruction.

As co-chair of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force, Scott advocates for protecting the environment and preserving the Chesapeake Bay. Together with Congresswoman Elaine Luria, he co-authored the Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act. He also introduced the Chesapeake Bay Science, Education and Ecosystem Enhancement Act with Maryland Congressman John Sarbanes and Virginia Congressman Rob Wittman. He opposes the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, as well as offshore drilling. Alternatively, he cosponsored the Offshore Wind American Manufacturing Act and supports the Green New Deal.

Since his early days in Congress, Scott has been fighting for criminal justice reform and gun violence prevention. In 2017, he sponsored the Safe, Accountable, Fair, and Effective (SAFE) Act, which addressed the country’s prison population problem. He also cosponsored the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants and address accountability for law enforcement misconduct. Scott serves as vice-chair of the House Democratic Caucus Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. Recently, he voted in favor of the Protecting Our Kids Act.

Scott has been a cosponsor of Medicaid for All since his first congressional term. He has introduced legislation to improve the Affordable Care Act by putting limits on deductibles, expanding eligibility for subsides, and expanding on open enrollment outreach efforts. He coauthored the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, aiming to save Americans $500 billion on prescription drug costs over the next decade. Additionally, he introduced the Ban Surprise Billing Act to protect patients from unexpected medical bills.

Investments in education and training are the long-term solution to recovering economy for Scott. He views this as key to keeping the US competitive in the global marketplace.He introduced the Raise the Wage Act to ultimately increase minimum wage to $15. Scott also introduced the PRO Act (Protecting the Right to Organize), which would strengthen workers’ right to unionize. To protect older workers, he introduced the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act. Scott supported the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

Scott is facing Terry Namkung (R), a retired senior non-commissioned officer of the Air Force and renewable energy researcher. Namkung is against children masking and future school shutdowns, as well as mandated vaccines. He has spoken out against teaching accurate history in public schools. Namkung received Governor Glenn Youngkin’s endorsement in the race.

Due to Namkung’s views on the COVID-19 pandemic and his spreading of disinformation, Bobby Scott is the most progressive candidate in this race.

Last updated: 2023-04-05

Endorsed By: SEIU , Virginia Sierra Club

City of Chesapeake

Chesapeake At Large Board (top-two vote getters)

Dr. Pat King photo
Democrat

Dr. Pat King

Website (Twitter)

Chesapeake is an independent city located in Hampton Roads. It is surrounded by Norfolk and Portsmouth to the north, Suffolk to the west, and Virginia Beach to the east. It is the second most populous independent city in Virginia. The city has close to 175,000 registered voters. The city skews Republican, though it is considered a bellwether. 

The at-large election for Chesapeake City Council takes place on November 8, 2022. All registered voters in the city of Chesapeake are eligible to vote in this election, regardless of their district. Santiera Brown-Yearling (I), Jeff Bunn (R), Brian Economy (I), Baxter Ennis (R), Pat King (D), Bayi Dee Knowles (R), Karen Moultrie (I), Amanda Newins (R), Les Smith (I), and Daniel Whitaker (R) will face incumbents John de Triquet (I), Susan Vitale (I), Ella Ward (I). The top five vote getters will win.

Dr. Pat King has been serving on the Chesapeake School Board since 2018. She attended Howard University and Meharry Medical College. Previously, she was a public school teacher in Norfolk. She curently serves on the Board of Trustees at Eastern Virginia Medical School.

As a licensed psychiatrist and former teacher, King has been fighting to enforce COVID-19 safety regulations. King voted against Youngkin’s mandate to remove the mask mandate in public schools. King also strongly advocates for the mental health of young people due to exposure to gun violence. She speaks out on behalf of school children to address the traumatic effects of violence on public school students, demanding that legislation be put in place to make sure that we feel safer in our communities.

In August of 2021, the Chesapeake School Board failed to vote on adopting protections for transgender students. Dr. Pat King was the only board member who moved to vote on the protections. Because of this failed vote, King stated she believed in doing so, the school board let transgender students down.

Brown-Yearling and King are running against Susan Vitale, Baxter Ennis, Lee Smith Jr, Karen Moultrie, John deTriquet, Jeff Bunn, Ella Porter Ward, Daniel Whitaker, Brian Economy, B.D. Knowles, and Amanda Newins.

Incumbent Susan Vitale has served on the Chesapeake City Council since July 1, 2018. She currently serves as a chair of Southside Network Authority for broadband. Vitale advocates for senior citizens, moving to increase the property tax abatement cap for seniors and has been working to equip South Norfolk with its own pharmacy and urgent care facility. Vitale was also in favor that the city consider looking into recycling drop-off locations instead of curbside service which makes recycling inequitable to those far from a center and those who have transportation.

Currently serving as the Chesapeake Hospital Authority, Baxter Ennis is a retired Army Veteran with a career in academic, political, defense and publishing positions. We were unable to find any information on Baxter’s political stances.

Les Smith Jr. served 28 years in the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Department despite their various crimes against the citizens they are sworn to protect. Smith wants safety to be the main focus in areas of transportation, schools, and the community as a whole. He values growing the economy by attracting more businesses as well as the growth of recreational and entertainment amenities. He wants to increase education and employment opportunities for all.

We were unable to find any information on Karen Moultrie.

Incumbent John deTriquet was first elected to City Council in 1994 and currently serves as Vice Mayor. With over forty years of medical and pediatric experience, deTriquet was appointed to the Board of Health by former Governor Bob McDonnell, where he served from 2010-2015. deTriquet was unanimously voted out by the Chesapeake City Council members in 2016 because "council members felt they wanted a change."

We were unable to find any information regarding Jeff Bunn’s politics.

Ella Ward has been a member of the Chesapeake City Council since 2006. She also served on the Chesapeake School Board from 2000 through 2008 and the Virginia Board of Education from 2003 through 2011. Despite her extensive background in education, we were unable to confirm where Porter stands on important issues like education and gun violence prevention. She does, however, support “balanced” growth and economic development of Chesapeake, education funding, public safety, and improved transportation infrastructure.

Republican Daniel Whitaker has been campaigning for Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, notorious for her love of guns, Attorney General Jason Miyares, who was called out by Senator Louise Lucas for gaslighting and firing members of the civil rights division, and Governor Glenn Youngkin, well known for “not getting it.” Whitaker wishes to promote small businesses and “develop a measured response for new residential development.” Mixing church and state, Whitaker presents himself as, “first and foremost a man of faith which sets the tone for all other personal aspirations.”

We were not able to find much information on first-time Independent candidate Brian Economy other than he centers his campaign on government transparency, fiscal responsibility, and levels of service.

Bayi Dee or “B.D.” Knowles is a retired member of the Marine Corps. After receiving a degree from Old Dominion University, Knowles went on to teach in the Portsmouth Public Schools and later opened his own preschool with his wife. Knowles focuses on enforcing a strong educational system, believing that it would aid in lowering crime and promoting economic growth. Knowles intends to help the police force with ensuring they are well paid and well equipped, despite their historical violence towards community members.

Former prosecutor Amanda Newins, is a civil and criminal litigation attorney. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Young Lawyers Conference of the Virginia State Bar as well as the Women’s Division of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Chesapeake. She also serves on the Executive Board of the Chesapeake Bar Association as Vice President. Newins supports giving more money to police departments and is endorsed by the Chesapeake Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 9.

Due to her advocacy for mental health services and support for LGBTQ students, Dr. Pat King is a progressive choice for this year's election.
Last updated: 2023-04-05
Santiera Brown-Yearling photo
Independent

Santiera Brown-Yearling

Website Facebook Endorsements (Twitter)

Chesapeake is an independent city located in Hampton Roads. It is surrounded by Norfolk and Portsmouth to the north, Suffolk to the west, and Virginia Beach to the east. It is the second most populous independent city in Virginia. The city has close to 175,000 registered voters. The city skews Republican, though it is considered a bellwether. 

The at-large election for Chesapeake City Council takes place on November 8, 2022. All registered voters in the city of Chesapeake are eligible to vote in this election, regardless of their district. Santiera Brown-Yearling (I), Jeff Bunn (R), Brian Economy (I), Baxter Ennis (R), Pat King (D), Bayi Dee Knowles (R), Karen Moultrie (I), Amanda Newins (R), Les Smith (I), and Daniel Whitaker (R) will face incumbents John de Triquet (I), Susan Vitale (I), Ella Ward (I). The top five vote getters will win.

Appointed as a board member during the Northam administration in 2018, Santiera Brown-Yearling believes in “putting people above politics.” Originally born in Suffolk, Virginia, Brown-Yearling currently serves as the Chair for the Respiratory Advisory Board. Brown-Yearling has an advanced Master of Science in Healthcare Administration degree, which she obtained from the University of Maryland Global Campus. She is currently attending Regent University to pursue a Master of Arts in Law with a concentration in healthcare.

Brown-Yearling is a community health advocate who desires to “challenge the status quo and support initiatives that address the overarching concerns of health care disparities and education” among her other priorities. She advocates for well-resourced schools and has partnered with the Women’s Center at Tidewater Community College to volunteer for the Women Inspiring Self-Empowerment (WISE) program to mentor a student who desires to work in healthcare and improve their leadership skills. Brown-Yearling also serves on the Advisory Board of Respiratory Care.

This is the first time Brown-Yearling has run for office, but she serves as an advocate for racial justice as a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and was selected to serve on Sentara Diversity and Inclusion Council at Sentara Leigh as the Co-Chair for the Multicultural and Communications Committee. She also volunteers with the Urban League of Hampton Roads, Inc in their mission “to enable African Americans and others to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights.”

As a councilor, Santiera Brown-Yearling pledges to maintain fiscal responsibility when evaluating city contracts and implementing programs promising to “be a good steward of your hard earned tax dollars.” Additionally, she supports local businesses and can be seen frequently promoting businesses through her social media pages.

Lastly, Brown-Yearling advocates for better public transportation, standing behind a “less stressful commute.” She hosts a variety of resources on her official website for those in need of transportation including options for the elderly as well as disabled peoples in the community. Implementing her service-driven leadership, she strives for “strong relationships with city staff, community leaders, and elected officials at every level to help resolve your issues and find innovative solutions for the challenges we face as a city.”

Brown-Yearling is running against Susan Vitale, Baxter Ennis, Lee Smith Jr, Karen Moultrie, John deTriquet, Jeff Bunn, Ella Porter Ward, Daniel Whitaker, Brian Economy, B.D. Knowles, and Amanda Newins.

Incumbent Susan Vitale has served on the Chesapeake City Council since July 1, 2018. She currently serves as a chair of Southside Network Authority for broadband. Vitale advocates for senior citizens, moving to increase the property tax abatement cap for seniors and has been working to equip South Norfolk with its own pharmacy and urgent care facility. Vitale was also in favor that the city consider looking into recycling drop-off locations instead of curbside service which makes recycling inequitable to those far from a center and those who have transportation.

Currently serving as the Chesapeake Hospital Authority, Baxter Ennis is a retired Army Veteran with a career in academic, political, defense and publishing positions. We were unable to find any information on Baxter’s political stances.

Les Smith Jr. served 28 years in the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Department despite their various crimes against the citizens they are sworn to protect. Smith wants safety to be the main focus in areas of transportation, schools, and the community as a whole. He values growing the economy by attracting more businesses as well as the growth of recreational and entertainment amenities. He wants to increase education and employment opportunities for all.

We were unable to find any information on Karen Moultrie.

Incumbent John deTriquet was first elected to City Council in 1994 and currently serves as Vice Mayor. With over forty years of medical and pediatric experience, deTriquet was appointed to the Board of Health by former Governor Bob McDonnell, where he served from 2010-2015. deTriquet was unanimously voted out by the Chesapeake City Council members in 2016 because "council members felt they wanted a change."

We were unable to find any information regarding Jeff Bunn’s politics.

Ella Ward has been a member of the Chesapeake City Council since 2006. She also served on the Chesapeake School Board from 2000 through 2008 and the Virginia Board of Education from 2003 through 2011. Despite her extensive background in education, we were unable to confirm where Porter stands on important issues like education and gun violence prevention. She does, however, support “balanced” growth and economic development of Chesapeake, education funding, public safety, and improved transportation infrastructure.

Republican Daniel Whitaker has been campaigning for Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, notorious for her love of guns, Attorney General Jason Miyares, who was called out by Senator Louise Lucas for gaslighting and firing members of the civil rights division, and Governor Glenn Youngkin, well known for “not getting it.” Whitaker wishes to promote small businesses and “develop a measured response for new residential development.” Mixing church and state, Whitaker presents himself as, “first and foremost a man of faith which sets the tone for all other personal aspirations.”

We were not able to find much information on first-time Independent candidate Brian Economy other than he centers his campaign on government transparency, fiscal responsibility, and levels of service.

Bayi Dee or “B.D.” Knowles is a retired member of the Marine Corps. After receiving a degree from Old Dominion University, Knowles went on to teach in the Portsmouth Public Schools and later opened his own preschool with his wife. Knowles focuses on enforcing a strong educational system, believing that it would aid in lowering crime and promoting economic growth. Knowles intends to help the police force with ensuring they are well paid and well equipped, despite their historical violence towards community members.

Former prosecutor Amanda Newins, is a civil and criminal litigation attorney. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Young Lawyers Conference of the Virginia State Bar as well as the Women’s Division of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Chesapeake. She also serves on the Executive Board of the Chesapeake Bar Association as Vice President. Newins supports giving more money to police departments and is endorsed by the Chesapeake Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 9.

Due to her advocacy for better public transportation, her strong position to address healthcare and educational disparities as well as racial issues, Santiera Brown-Yearling is a progressive choice for this year's election.
Last updated: 2023-04-05

Chesapeake School Board At-Large

Blaizen Buckshot Bloom photo
Green

Blaizen Buckshot Bloom

Website Facebook (Twitter)

Chesapeake is an independent city located in Hampton Roads. It is surrounded by Norfolk and Portsmouth to the north, Suffolk to the west, and Virginia Beach to the east. It is the second most populous independent city in Virginia. The city has close to 175,000 registered voters. The city skews Republican, though it is considered a bellwether. 

The at-large election for Chesapeake City School Board takes place on November 8, 2022. All registered voters in the city of Chesapeake are eligible to vote in this election, regardless of which district they live in. Kimberly M. Alameda (R), Shirley P. Auguste (I), Blaizen Buckshot Bloom (GPUS), Amanda Grace Dean (R), Jennifer Lynn Economy (R), Gayle M. Gilmore (I), Malia Leilani Huddle (D), Michael K. Lamonea (R), John Michael McCormick (R), Jared Miller (R), Bradley Edward Moore (I), Kimberly Scott (R), Tiffany H. Thompson (D), and Brittany Walker (R) will compete for five spots. There are no incumbents in the race.

Green Party campaigner Blaizen Buckshot Bloom has been advocating for the city of Chesapeake since 2017, earning the President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2018 for their efforts. Blaizen values transparency and the inclusion of those most impacted in the decision making. Whether it be addressing the staff shortages or the mental wellness of our students only made worse by the COVID-19, Blaizen believes that this approach of collaboration and cooperation will only strengthen our schools.

Campaigner Bloom maintains that the mental health of students is a priority matter. Bloom advocates that “more resources must be allocated in our schools to ensure that students and their families have the support, resources, and knowledge needed to support mental wellbeing.” This candidate insists that “the measures we currently have in place are no longer enough to support our students.” Blaizen Bloom pledges to stand for the mental health of students in public schools.

As a school board member, Bloom intends on supporting teachers. Acknowledging that teachers are an essential part of a child’s growth and development, Bloom points out that the Chesapeake district has been experiencing a shortage of qualified teachers to support the students. They contend that strong action must be taken to lessen the stress of the workplace, as well as implement policies that reward and provide Chesapeake teachers with opportunities for advancement and higher education.

Candidate Blaizen Bloom will work towards fixing the school budget. “If we want to ensure that our schools have the resources they need to succeed, then we must start with the budget to determine if resources can be reallocated from inefficient spending to crucial areas such as increasing teacher pay.” Bloom maintains that a strong budget is needed in order for any organization to succeed, and aims to remove the cloud of secrecy with budget allocation breakdowns.

Bloom strives to partner with the community in order to ensure that our schools work in conjunction with the communities they reside in. Bloom has a plan to lay the groundwork for school administration, the parents and families of students, and the community at-large to “come together in a collaborative effort to build a climate that fosters learning for our students.” Bloom aims to bolster family-school engagement opportunities to focus on opportunities that will lessen the burden of teachers and faculty.

Bloom is running against John McCormick, Mike Lamonea, Kimberly Alameda, Kim Scott, Jennifer Economy, Jared Miller, Gayle Gilmore, Brittany Walker, and Amanda Dean.

Republican candidate John Michael McCormick is a lawyer as well as the Chairman of the Board for Roc Solid Foundation. Additionally, he has served the City of Chesapeake as a Planning Commissioner for five years, including in leadership roles as Secretary and Vice-Chairman. McCormick stands for banning accurate history in public education as well as book banning.

Former Special Agent for the Homeland Security Investigations, Michael “Mike” Lamonea is running as a Republican candidate. Lamonea has held several leadership positions such as Chair of the Chesapeake Youth Committee, Chair of the Chesapeake Youth Foundation, Vice-President of a special needs organization known as Hope and Happiness. He was appointed by Governor Youngkin to serve as the Chair of Virginia's Commission on Human Trafficking Prevention and Survivor Support and supports the involvement of law enforcement’s participation in more school based incidents.

An employee of Chesapeake Public Schools and minister, Gayle M. GIlmore, is running this year as a Democratic candidate. She is a Virginia Commonwealth University and Old Dominion University graduate. While we were unable to find information on this candidate’s policies, we know that Gilmore is passionate about the issues of COVID safety, supporting mask mandates, school shootings, LGBTQ issues, suicides, and cyber bullying.

Kimberly M. Alameda decided to campaign for a seat on the school board after participating in school board meetings in 2021. A first time candidate, Alameda supports the removal of mask mandates and the removal of accurate historical teaching in the school system.

Republican candidate Kimberly A. Scott is a former PTA President with sixteen years of healthcare experience under her belt. Scott believes that “the agenda driven influence of political activism has no place in our schools,” aiming to support the fundamental rights of parents affirmed in VA - Rights of Parents Code. Scott is against the Virginia Department of Education’s model policy which expands rights and protections for transgender and nonbinary students.

Jennifer L Economy is a school board candidate running on the principles of “consistency, transparency, and accountability.” Describing herself as a “grassroots conservative candidate for the people not a political party,” Economy disagrees with school board mandates and accurate history being taught in schools. Economy currently serves as an Assistant Chief Officer of Election for the City of Chesapeake as well as a private investigator. Economy would underfund our schools in the name of tax cuts as a key factor in her campaign for school board.

Jared D. Miller is a former U.S. Army soldier who started his school board campaign amid frustration of the school board mask mandate. Miller believes that it is a parents' rights issue instead and led that as motivation to run for this year’s election.He also disapproves of trans inclusive language as well as accurate history teaching in schools. Miller encourages the implementation of armed school security as well as school enforcement officers and auditing school security cameras for blindspots.

Dr. Brittany N. Walker is an educator and former Chesapeake Public Schools teacher of six years, and later Assistant Principal, who campaigns to showcase her inside perspective to understand how decisions directly impact our students and staff. Walker’s political stances are not found on her platforms.

Republican candidate Amanda Grace Dean is a Chesapeake native and currently works as a Supply Chain Consultant. Amanda Dean’s transphobic views prompted her to run for school board after being “shocked” by school board meeting agenda items such as transgender policies that were to be implemented into the school. We were unable to find any other information on this candidate's politics.

There are five seats open for this race.
Blaizen Buckshot Bloom is a progressive choice for this race due to their pledge to support teachers, fix the school budget and partner with the community to ensure school and community conjunctions.
Last updated: 2023-04-05
Bradley E. Moore photo
Independent

Bradley E. Moore

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Chesapeake is an independent city located in Hampton Roads. It is surrounded by Norfolk and Portsmouth to the north, Suffolk to the west, and Virginia Beach to the east. It is the second most populous independent city in Virginia. The city has close to 175,000 registered voters. The city skews Republican, though it is considered a bellwether. 

The at-large election for Chesapeake City School Board takes place on November 8, 2022. All registered voters in the city of Chesapeake are eligible to vote in this election, regardless of which district they live in. Kimberly M. Alameda (R), Shirley P. Auguste (I), Blaizen Buckshot Bloom (GPUS), Amanda Grace Dean (R), Jennifer Lynn Economy (R), Gayle M. Gilmore (I), Malia Leilani Huddle (D), Michael K. Lamonea (R), John Michael McCormick (R), Jared Miller (R), Bradley Edward Moore (I), Kimberly Scott (R), Tiffany H. Thompson (D), and Brittany Walker (R) will compete for five spots. There are no incumbents in the race.

A graduate of Old Dominion University, with a minor in Children’s Rights and a Master’s Degree in History, Bradley Moore is running on the belief that “our public education system can and should remain free from the trappings of partisan politics.” Running as an Independent candidate, Moore’s key issues include labor rights, education, children’s rights, and transparency.

Bradley is committed to racial equality in public schools. He wishes to address the racial and socio-economic disparities in regard to security measures and disciplinary action are implemented. He demands more than the district’s initiatives to collect data on said disparities and promises action to ensure every student feels safe.

Moore prioritizes the intervention of technology into Chesapeake schools. pointing out the official CPS website as an example of the lack of technological updates, Moore is running to improve the schools technological infrastructure and keep our schools ahead of the learning curve.

Additionally, Moore prioritizes transparency and accountability. He is committed to responding to the community, believing that citizens deserve more insight to the decision making process of the school board. Moore advocates for stronger relationships between the public, school administrators, and other city officials. In an effort to gain trust between district decision makers in the public, Moore also wants to implement a series of modifications to the city charter that will serve as a form of checks and balances for the school district.

Moore is running against John McCormick, Mike Lamonea, Kimberly Alameda, Kim Scott, Jennifer Economy, Jared Miller, Gayle Gilmore, Brittany Walker, and Amanda Dean.

Republican candidate John Michael McCormick is a lawyer as well as the Chairman of the Board for Roc Solid Foundation. Additionally, he has served the City of Chesapeake as a Planning Commissioner for five years, including in leadership roles as Secretary and Vice-Chairman. McCormick stands for banning accurate history in public education as well as book banning.

Former Special Agent for the Homeland Security Investigations, Michael “Mike” Lamonea is running as a Republican candidate. Lamonea has held several leadership positions such as Chair of the Chesapeake Youth Committee, Chair of the Chesapeake Youth Foundation, Vice-President of a special needs organization known as Hope and Happiness. He was appointed by Governor Youngkin to serve as the Chair of Virginia's Commission on Human Trafficking Prevention and Survivor Support and supports the involvement of law enforcement’s participation in more school based incidents.

An employee of Chesapeake Public Schools and minister, Gayle M. GIlmore, is running this year as a Democratic candidate. She is a Virginia Commonwealth University and Old Dominion University graduate. While we were unable to find information on this candidate’s policies, we know that Gilmore is passionate about the issues of COVID safety, supporting mask mandates, school shootings, LGBTQ issues, suicides, and cyber bullying.

Kimberly M. Alameda decided to campaign for a seat on the school board after participating in school board meetings in 2021. A first time candidate, Alameda supports the removal of mask mandates and the removal of accurate historical teaching in the school system.

Republican candidate Kimberly A. Scott is a former PTA President with sixteen years of healthcare experience under her belt. Scott believes that “the agenda driven influence of political activism has no place in our schools,” aiming to support the fundamental rights of parents affirmed in VA - Rights of Parents Code. Scott is against the Virginia Department of Education’s model policy which expands rights and protections for transgender and nonbinary students.

Jennifer L Economy is a school board candidate running on the principles of “consistency, transparency, and accountability.” Describing herself as a “grassroots conservative candidate for the people not a political party,” Economy disagrees with school board mandates and accurate history being taught in schools. Economy currently serves as an Assistant Chief Officer of Election for the City of Chesapeake as well as a private investigator. Economy would underfund our schools in the name of tax cuts as a key factor in her campaign for school board.

Jared D. Miller is a former U.S. Army soldier who started his school board campaign amid frustration of the school board mask mandate. Miller believes that it is a parents' rights issue instead and led that as motivation to run for this year’s election.He also disapproves of trans inclusive language as well as accurate history teaching in schools. Miller encourages the implementation of armed school security as well as school enforcement officers and auditing school security cameras for blindspots.

Dr. Brittany N. Walker is an educator and former Chesapeake Public Schools teacher of six years, and later Assistant Principal, who campaigns to showcase her inside perspective to understand how decisions directly impact our students and staff. Walker’s political stances are not found on her platforms.

Republican candidate Amanda Grace Dean is a Chesapeake native and currently works as a Supply Chain Consultant. Amanda Dean’s transphobic views prompted her to run for school board after being “shocked” by school board meeting agenda items such as transgender policies that were to be implemented into the school. We were unable to find any other information on this candidate's politics.

There are five open seats for this race.
Bradley Moore is a progressive choice for this race due to his dedication to racially quality improving the technological infrastructure of schools and his prioritization of accountability and transparency.
Last updated: 2023-04-05
Jeremy D. Rodden photo
Democrat

Jeremy D. Rodden

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Chesapeake is an independent city located in Hampton Roads. It is surrounded by Norfolk and Portsmouth to the north, Suffolk to the west, and Virginia Beach to the east. It is the second most populous independent city in Virginia. The city has close to 175,000 registered voters. The city skews Republican, though it is considered a bellwether. 

The at-large special election for Chesapeake City School Board takes place on November 8, 2022. All registered voters in the city of Chesapeake are eligible to vote in this election, regardless of their district. Norman Gene Pool (R), Jeremy Rodden (D), Dana Cormier (I), and Brenda Joyce Johnson (I) will face each other. There is no incumbent in this race.

Jeremy Rodden is a Democratic candidate with a Master's in Education. He has experience as an educator with the School District of Philadelphia, JobCorps, and Together We Can Foundation. Rodden is also experienced in community service, committing time to volunteering in the City of Chesapeake as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children, soft skills educator for disconnected youth, and coach in Chesapeake Little League. He is also the co-founder of Pride in the 'Peake, Chesapeake's first annual Pride event.

Jeremy strives for a student centered focus in our public schools. He supports equipping schools with the best teachers and staff, as well as incorporating expert-driven health and safety policies. Issues such pandemic management,mental health awareness, and LGBTQ+ acceptance are areas in which Jeremy believes the consultation of experts is beneficial. Equitable educational access is also on the agenda for Rodden, as he believes that ZIP Codes should not determine the quality of education that each child receives.

Rodden also acknowledges that the best resources that we could offer to the students of Chesapeake schools are the best teachers and staff. He prioritizes paying teachers and staff well and cultivating good working conditions, so the students receive the best education and teachers and staff feel valued for their contribution.

Jeremy is running against candidates Norman Pool, Dana Cormier, and Brenda Johnson.

Endorsed by the Chesapeake Democratic Committee in the 2014 school board election, Brenda J. Johnson is an Independent candidate for the school board special election. Candidate Johnson has served on boards for the Oscar Smith Middle School PTO, South Norfolk Revitalization Commission and South Norfolk Civic League. We were unable to find information on her policies.

We were unable to find any information on candidate Norman Pool.

We were unable to find information on candidate Dana Cormier.

Jeremy Rodden is the progressive choice for this race due to his students centered focus in public schools as well as his prioritization of improving working conditions for staff and teachers.
Last updated: 2023-04-05
Malia L. Huddle photo
Democrat

Malia L. Huddle

Website Endorsements

Chesapeake is an independent city located in Hampton Roads. It is surrounded by Norfolk and Portsmouth to the north, Suffolk to the west, and Virginia Beach to the east. It is the second most populous independent city in Virginia. The city has close to 175,000 registered voters. The city skews Republican, though it is considered a bellwether. 

The at-large election for Chesapeake City School Board takes place on November 8, 2022. All registered voters in the city of Chesapeake are eligible to vote in this election, regardless of which district they live in. Kimberly M. Alameda (R), Shirley P. Auguste (I), Blaizen Buckshot Bloom (GPUS), Amanda Grace Dean (R), Jennifer Lynn Economy (R), Gayle M. Gilmore (I), Malia Leilani Huddle (D), Michael K. Lamonea (R), John Michael McCormick (R), Jared Miller (R), Bradley Edward Moore (I), Kimberly Scott (R), Tiffany H. Thompson (D), and Brittany Walker (R) will compete for five spots. There are no incumbents in the race.

Democratic candidate Malia L. Huddle has served as a public educator for over thirty-five years. An advocate for public schools in Virginia, Huddle is the President of the Chesapeake Education Association and a founding member of the Elizabeth River Retired Educators organization. Malia’s priorities are ensuring the safety and security of public schools, increasing teacher salaries to a livable wage, and fostering open communication with not only school staff and families, but community stakeholders as well.

Experienced educator Malia Huddle aims to ensure that Chesapeake schools are hiring and retaining highly qualified educators for every classroom in every school.
Huddle also strives to advocate for teachers by raising the Chesapeake teacher salary to the national average and ensuring a living wage for all school employees.

Huddle aims to serve the community and cultivate community collaborations by “building consensus, focusing on common ground, and finding meaningful opportunities to partner with parents, staff, and stakeholders to move the school division forward, united in a singular mission, through cooperation and collegiality.”

A self proclaimed “stalwart advocate for public schools in Chesapeake, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the nation,” Huddle believes in fostering open and productive communication with parents, staff, and community stakeholders.

Huddle is running against John McCormick, Mike Lamonea, Kimberly Alameda, Kim Scott, Jennifer Economy, Jared Miller, Gayle Gilmore, Brittany Walker, and Amanda Dean.

Republican candidate John Michael McCormick is a lawyer as well as the Chairman of the Board for Roc Solid Foundation. Additionally, he has served the City of Chesapeake as a Planning Commissioner for five years, including in leadership roles as Secretary and Vice-Chairman. McCormick stands for banning accurate history in public education as well as book banning.

Former Special Agent for the Homeland Security Investigations, Michael “Mike” Lamonea is running as a Republican candidate. Lamonea has held several leadership positions such as Chair of the Chesapeake Youth Committee, Chair of the Chesapeake Youth Foundation, Vice-President of a special needs organization known as Hope and Happiness. He was appointed by Governor Youngkin to serve as the Chair of Virginia's Commission on Human Trafficking Prevention and Survivor Support and supports the involvement of law enforcement’s participation in more school based incidents.

An employee of Chesapeake Public Schools and minister, Gayle M. GIlmore, is running this year as a Democratic candidate. She is a Virginia Commonwealth University and Old Dominion University graduate. While we were unable to find information on this candidate’s policies, we know that Gilmore is passionate about the issues of COVID safety, supporting mask mandates, school shootings, LGBTQ issues, suicides, and cyber bullying.

Kimberly M. Alameda decided to campaign for a seat on the school board after participating in school board meetings in 2021. A first time candidate, Alameda supports the removal of mask mandates and the removal of accurate historical teaching in the school system.

Republican candidate Kimberly A. Scott is a former PTA President with sixteen years of healthcare experience under her belt. Scott believes that “the agenda driven influence of political activism has no place in our schools,” aiming to support the fundamental rights of parents affirmed in VA - Rights of Parents Code. Scott is against the Virginia Department of Education’s model policy which expands rights and protections for transgender and nonbinary students.

Jennifer L Economy is a school board candidate running on the principles of “consistency, transparency, and accountability.” Describing herself as a “grassroots conservative candidate for the people not a political party,” Economy disagrees with school board mandates and accurate history being taught in schools. Economy currently serves as an Assistant Chief Officer of Election for the City of Chesapeake as well as a private investigator. Economy would underfund our schools in the name of tax cuts as a key factor in her campaign for school board.

Jared D. Miller is a former U.S. Army soldier who started his school board campaign amid frustration of the school board mask mandate. Miller believes that it is a parents' rights issue instead and led that as motivation to run for this year’s election.He also disapproves of trans inclusive language as well as accurate history teaching in schools. Miller encourages the implementation of armed school security as well as school enforcement officers and auditing school security cameras for blindspots.

Dr. Brittany N. Walker is an educator and former Chesapeake Public Schools teacher of six years, and later Assistant Principal, who campaigns to showcase her inside perspective to understand how decisions directly impact our students and staff. Walker’s political stances are not found on her platforms.

Republican candidate Amanda Grace Dean is a Chesapeake native and currently works as a Supply Chain Consultant. Amanda Dean’s transphobic views prompted her to run for school board after being “shocked” by school board meeting agenda items such as transgender policies that were to be implemented into the school. We were unable to find any other information on this candidate's politics.


There are five seats open for this race:
Malia Huddle is one of the progressive choices for this race because of her mission to ensure that Chesapeake schools are hiring and retaining highly qualified educators, her desire to serve the community and cultivate community collaborations, and her pledge to uphold school security.
Last updated: 2023-04-05
Shirley P. Auguste photo
Independent

Shirley P. Auguste

Website Facebook (Twitter)

Chesapeake is an independent city located in Hampton Roads. It is surrounded by Norfolk and Portsmouth to the north, Suffolk to the west, and Virginia Beach to the east. It is the second most populous independent city in Virginia. The city has close to 175,000 registered voters. The city skews Republican, though it is considered a bellwether. 

The at-large election for Chesapeake City School Board takes place on November 8, 2022. All registered voters in the city of Chesapeake are eligible to vote in this election, regardless of which district they live in. Kimberly M. Alameda (R), Shirley P. Auguste (I), Blaizen Buckshot Bloom (GPUS), Amanda Grace Dean (R), Jennifer Lynn Economy (R), Gayle M. Gilmore (I), Malia Leilani Huddle (D), Michael K. Lamonea (R), John Michael McCormick (R), Jared Miller (R), Bradley Edward Moore (I), Kimberly Scott (R), Tiffany H. Thompson (D), and Brittany Walker (R) will compete for five spots. There are no incumbents in the race.

Dr. Shirley P. Auguste is the founder of Jasaron Learning Institute, LLC in Chesapeake, VA, an international motivational speaker, published author, educator and trainer, and former PreK to 8th-grade administrator. Dr. Auguste has been working in the field of leadership, training, education, curriculum development, and management for over twenty-five years. Not much could be found on Auguste’s policies other than her support for improving public school systems, declaring her passion for education and working with children and families.

Auguste is running against John McCormick,, Mike Lamonea, Kimberly Alameda, Kim Scott, Jennifer Economy, Jared Miller, Gayle Gilmore, Brittany Walker, and Amanda Dean.

Republican candidate John Michael McCormick is a lawyer as well as the Chairman of the Board for Roc Solid Foundation. Additionally, he has served the City of Chesapeake as a Planning Commissioner for five years, including in leadership roles as Secretary and Vice-Chairman. McCormick stands for banning accurate history in public education as well as book banning.

Former Special Agent for the Homeland Security Investigations, Michael “Mike” Lamonea is running as a Republican candidate. Lamonea has held several leadership positions such as Chair of the Chesapeake Youth Committee, Chair of the Chesapeake Youth Foundation, Vice-President of a special needs organization known as Hope and Happiness. He was appointed by Governor Youngkin to serve as the Chair of Virginia's Commission on Human Trafficking Prevention and Survivor Support and supports the involvement of law enforcement’s participation in more school based incidents.

An employee of Chesapeake Public Schools and minister, Gayle M. GIlmore, is running this year as a Democratic candidate. She is a Virginia Commonwealth University and Old Dominion University graduate. While we were unable to find information on this candidate’s policies, we know that Gilmore is passionate about the issues of COVID safety, supporting mask mandates, school shootings, LGBTQ issues, suicides, and cyber bullying.

Kimberly M. Alameda decided to campaign for a seat on the school board after participating in school board meetings in 2021. A first time candidate, Alameda supports the removal of mask mandates and the removal of accurate historical teaching in the school system.

Republican candidate Kimberly A. Scott is a former PTA President with sixteen years of healthcare experience under her belt. Scott believes that “the agenda driven influence of political activism has no place in our schools,” aiming to support the fundamental rights of parents affirmed in VA - Rights of Parents Code. Scott is against the Virginia Department of Education’s model policy which expands rights and protections for transgender and nonbinary students.

Jennifer L Economy is a school board candidate running on the principles of “consistency, transparency, and accountability.” Describing herself as a “grassroots conservative candidate for the people not a political party,” Economy disagrees with school board mandates and accurate history being taught in schools. Economy currently serves as an Assistant Chief Officer of Election for the City of Chesapeake as well as a private investigator. Economy would underfund our schools in the name of tax cuts as a key factor in her campaign for school board.

Jared D. Miller is a former U.S. Army soldier who started his school board campaign amid frustration of the school board mask mandate. Miller believes that it is a parents' rights issue instead and led that as motivation to run for this year’s election.He also disapproves of trans inclusive language as well as accurate history teaching in schools. Miller encourages the implementation of armed school security as well as school enforcement officers and auditing school security cameras for blindspots.

Dr. Brittany N. Walker is an educator and former Chesapeake Public Schools teacher of six years, and later Assistant Principal, who campaigns to showcase her inside perspective to understand how decisions directly impact our students and staff. Walker’s political stances are not found on her platforms.

Republican candidate Amanda Grace Dean is a Chesapeake native and currently works as a Supply Chain Consultant. Amanda Dean’s transphobic views prompted her to run for school board after being “shocked” by school board meeting agenda items such as transgender policies that were to be implemented into the school. We were unable to find any other information on this candidate's politics.


There are five open seats in this race.
Dr. Shirley Auguste is a progressive candidate for this election due to her history as an educator and dedication to improving Chesapeake public schools.
Last updated: 2023-04-05