City of Richmond

Democratic Representative Donald McEachin was first elected to Virginia’s Fourth District seat in 2016. Before running for Congress, he served in both the Virginia State House of Delegates and the Virginia State Senate. McEachin is a Regional Whip, as well as Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus. He is a lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, the NAACP, and the Virginia State Bar. He is married to Collette McEachin, who serves as Commonwealth Attorney for the City of Richmond.

McEachin sits on several environmental committees, including the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the House Committee on Natural Resources, the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, the Black Caucus’ Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force, and the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. He also co-founded the United for Climate and Environmental Justice Congressional Task Force. He criticized the Supreme Court’s opinion that rolled back EPA authority, and was honored by the Choose Clean Water Coaltion.

A longtime supporter of the Affordable Care Act, McEachin pushes for expanding affordable healthcare, which he considers a human right. He supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act and spoke out against attempts at repealing the Affordable Care Act. He voted in support of both the Inflation Reduction Act and the American Rescue Plan. Along with members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, he introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus to help address the Black maternal health crisis.

In 2020, NARAL Pro-Choice America gave McEachin a score of 100% for his voting record on reproductive freedom and abortion access. He voted in favor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, as well as the Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act. McEachin spoke out against the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe V. Wade and denounced Senate Republicans who blocked the Women’s Health Protection Act. He is a cosponsor of the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022.

McEachin introduced the Firearm Owners Responsibility and Safety Act, calling the gun violence epidemic a public health crisis. To combat gun violence in Richmond, he secured almost $1 million for Virginia Commonwealth University’s RVA Gun Violence Prevention Framework. He believes in limiting access to firearms and implementing red-flag laws.He voted in favor of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, and the Protecting Our Kids Act.

McEachin’s opponent is Leon Benjamin (R), a retired Navy veteran and pastor. He is a proud supporter of former President Trump, and engages in anti-LGBTQ and racist rhetoric. He opposes abortion and promotes disinformation. In 2010, Benjamin urged the U.S. Congress not to repeal the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. He also questions the results of the 2020 presidential election. Benjamin ran against McEachin in the 2020 race, losing with less than 40% of the vote.

Due to his extensive service to constituents in his district and commitment to progressive values, Congressman Donald McEachin is the most progressive candidate for Virginia’s 4th Congressional District.

Josh Throneburg (D), is an ordained minister and small business owner based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Together with his wife, they own Nooks & Crannies, an eco-friendly cleaning buisness. Prior to moving to Charlottesville, he was a minister in Massachusetts. He mentions his role as a father as a driving force behind his desire to serve. Throneburg comes from a farming family and grew up in a small town in Illinois. Dismantling systemic racism, investing in rural areas, and climate change are among his top priorities.

If elected, Throneburg hopes to join the House Committee on Natural Resources. To address climate change, he believes individuals and corporations can be incentivized to switch to renewable energy sources. He also sees this as a way to create jobs and uplift rural communities. He includes salary matches, housing assistance, affordable healthcare, pension support, and priority job placement as part of a just transition for fossil fuel workers. Throneburg is in favor of placing taxes or fines on the country’s largest carbon emitters as a response to the economic costs associated with climate change.

Throneburg supports abortion access and believes protections should be enshrined in federal law to prevent states from interfering with safe and accessible abortion care. He also supports policy that expands resources for families, like paid family and medical leave and Medicaid expansion to cover pregnant people through pregnancy and the first year postpartum, as well as federal adoption subsidies. He supports sustainable funding streams for community-based organizations, noting their positive affects on the maternal mortality rate for people of color. He believes private insurance companies should cover the full range of contraceptive methods at no cost to patients.

As the father of one Black daughter and one biracial daughter, Throneburg emphasizes his commitment to racial justice and equity. One way he aims to address this is through housing justice. He favors zero- or low-interest loans for homebuyers of color to counter effects of redlining. Additionally, he calls for investing in HBCUs through direct granting programs, extending Pell Grants to HBCU students, and free community college for everyone. He also sees racial justice as a need for criminal justice reform. He wants to studythe federal decriminalization of marijuana and would push for accountability and transparency in law enforcement.

Throneburg advocates for LGBTQ+ protections and supports the passage of the Equality Act, which would guarantee equal protection in employment, housing, credit, and education among other areas. It would also prohibit discrimination in public spaces. He also supports passing the Safe Schools Improvement Act, which deals with bullying and harassment. He wants to prohibit child welfare agencies that receive federal funds from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. He opposes use of the “gay/trans panic” as a defense in trial. He pushes collecting data to research economic well-being of LGBTQ+ Americans.

Throneburg is facing incumbent Bob Good (R), a former fundraiser for Liberty University and Campbell County Supervisor. Good opposes transgender bathroom policies and sanctuary cities. He was criticized for racist comments made regarding Afghan refugees. He considers himself, “unashamedly 100% pro-life,” and introduced legislation to recognize National Pregnancy Center Week. He also believes that classrooms should have cameras.

Due to his commitment to racial and environmental justice, support for abortion access, and his stance on LGBTQ+ rights, Josh Throneburg is the more progressive candidate in this race.