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This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Democratic candidate Debra Gardner and Republican candidate Duc Truong will face each other in the general election for Virginia’s new 76th House of Delegates district. Gardner previously ran for the 2019 Clover Hill Chesterfield County Supervisor seat, as well as the 2021 District 27 House of Delegates seat. This is an open seat with no incumbent in the race.

Debra Gardner is a former teacher, social worker, and public servant. She received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from North Carolina Central University and a Master of Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. She worked as an adjunct professor at VCU and has held leadership positions at three state agencies: the Department of Criminal Justice Services, the Department of Corrections, and the Department of Human Services. She currently lives in North Chesterfield with her daughter.

Gardner is dedicated to policies that support Virginia working families. When her elderly mother came to live with her, Gardner understood the needs of an aging society and immediately set to work on policies that would reduce the caregiving burden on families. She also received the “Family Friendly Seal of Approval” from the Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy for her dedication to paid family and medical leave, paid sick days, quality childcare and affordable eldercare. She is also dedicated to ensuring everyone in our communities earns a living wage and receives sufficient support during the economic recovery from COVID-19.

Gardner will also prioritize access to affordable healthcare. She especially supports expanding insurance options for people who are unemployed so that access to healthcare is no longer tied to employment. Additionally, she will work to increase funding for mental health care and addiction recovery to ensure these critical services are accessible to all who need them. She will fight to decrease the price of prescriptions to make sure everyone is able to afford their necessary medications.

With her background in criminal justice and corrections, Gardner has proven her dedication to public safety. Additionally, Gardner served on the Commonwealth Domestic Violence Prevention Response Advisory Board. She will implement evidence-based and community-based programs to increase community safety. She will require updated training for all police officers and work to improve relationships between officers and communities. She sees common-sense gun violence prevention legislation as critical to ensuring community safety.

Gardner will also work to tackle the climate crisis in Virginia. She sees protecting the planet as beneficial both environmentally and economically and knows investing in clean energy will help bring jobs to the 27th District. She will fight to ensure economic growth is responsibly planned and sustainable. She also sees how public health is tied to environmental protections and will work to ensure all of her constituents, regardless of economic status, have access to clean water and healthy food.

Republican Duc Truong, a small business owner, is Gardner’s opponent in this race. Truong wants to leave the fate of healthcare in the hands of employers. He wants to help Republicans cut regulations, making us less safe. His favored solution for fostering success beyond K-12 education is to traffic graduates directly to the military.

Due to her support for the environment, affordable healthcare, and Virginia working families, Gardner is the most progressive choice for Virginia’s 76th district.
Last updated: 2023-10-06

House District 076

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Election Day November 7, 2023
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State Senate

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

Senate District 012

Born in New Jersey, Democrat Natan McKenzie moved to Virginia at a young age. He is a Virginia State University graduate, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in marketing and a certificate in project management. He has a multicultural background, having Dominican and Jamaican heritage. McKenzie participates in the NAACP, the Urban League of Greater Richmond Young Professionals, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Junior Achievers, and the Petersburg Wellness Consortium. Currently, he is a financial advisor and small business owner.

McKenzie is dedicated to uplifting women and the issues they face in the Commonwealth. He recognizes that Virginia is the last southern state to offer accessible abortion care. He also sees how systemic racial and gender inequities impact women, especially with regard to equal pay. McKenzie has volunteered with local abortion advocacy organizations and has been endorsed by others for being a champion of abortion rights.

McKenzie pushes for fully funding education and getting guns off the streets. He also supports financial literacy for all, affordable healthcare, and protecting the environment.

Natan McKenzie is facing former State Senator Glen Sturtevant. While Sturtevant’s campaign website has little information on his stances, he has drummed up some controversy regarding his position on gun violence prevention legislation. In 2019, voted in favor of an extreme risk protectionlaw, later saying he did so by accident. Sturtevant is anti-abortion and has advocated for funding dangerous crisis pregnancy centers.

While additional information could not be found on McKenzie’s stances, his commitment to the community and strong support through endorsements of well-regarded advocacy organizations and legislators, making Democrat Natan McKenzie the progressive candidate in this race.

Last updated: 2023-10-23

Born in New Jersey, Democrat Natan McKenzie moved to Virginia at a young age. He is a Virginia State University graduate, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in marketing and a certificate in project management. He has a multicultural background, having Dominican and Jamaican heritage. McKenzie participates in the NAACP, the Urban League of Greater Richmond Young Professionals, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Junior Achievers, and the Petersburg Wellness Consortium. Currently, he is a financial advisor and small business owner.

McKenzie is dedicated to uplifting women and the issues they face in the Commonwealth. He recognizes that Virginia is the last southern state to offer accessible abortion care. He also sees how systemic racial and gender inequities impact women, especially with regard to equal pay. McKenzie has volunteered with local abortion advocacy organizations and has been endorsed by others for being a champion of abortion rights.

McKenzie pushes for fully funding education and getting guns off the streets. He also supports financial literacy for all, affordable healthcare, and protecting the environment.

Natan McKenzie is facing former State Senator Glen Sturtevant. While Sturtevant’s campaign website has little information on his stances, he has drummed up some controversy regarding his position on gun violence prevention legislation. In 2019, voted in favor of an extreme risk protectionlaw, later saying he did so by accident. Sturtevant is anti-abortion and has advocated for funding dangerous crisis pregnancy centers.

While additional information could not be found on McKenzie’s stances, his commitment to the community and strong support through endorsements of well-regarded advocacy organizations and legislators, making Democrat Natan McKenzie the progressive candidate in this race.

Last updated: 2023-10-23

Senate District 015

Incumbent Democratic Senator Ghazala Hashmi was born in Hyderabad, India in 1964 and moved to the United States with her mother and brother when she was four years old. She spent nearly 30 years as a professor at the University of Richmond and Reynolds Community College. Hashmi was elected to the Virginia General Assembly in November 2019, becoming the first Muslim and the first South Asian American to serve in the Virginia Senate. She serves as the Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Public Education and sits on several Senate committees. Her top legislative priorities include education, equity, the environment, and healthcare access.

Education is a top legislative priority for Senator Hashmi, who has championed legislation and budget amendments to provide increased support for educators and vulnerable students, such as English Language Learners and students with disabilities. Senator Hashmi believes that accessible and equitable education for all students can be achieved by supporting educators and students, addressing areas of inequality, protecting vulnerable populations in schools, and keeping schools free from gun violence. Additionally, she was a chief co-patron for a bill to offer in-state tuition to Virginia students regardless of immigration status.

Senator Hashmi emphasizes that health care is a human right. Within those rights, she recognizes the need for affordable coverage, access to safe and legal abortion, and low-cost prescription drugs. She also advocates for expanding access to mental health services. Her bill to increase access to professional counselors passed during the 2023 General Assembly. As a member of the Senate Health and Education Committee, she has consistently stood against attempts to roll back progressive legislation.

Senator Hashmi recognizes the effects of human-caused climate change in the Commonwealth. She believes in policies that protect communities and the environment. Among her concerns are carbon emissions, coastal resiliency programs, flooding, and environmental justice. During the 2020 General Assembly, she patroned a bill that defined “environmental justice” and ensured it would be policy to promote throughout the state. Her bill to establish the Virginia Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Historic Preservation Fund passed during the 2022 General Assembly.

Senator Hashmi prioritizes the Care Economy, noting it is fundamental to the growth of the economy. She is a champion for expanding access to childcare, home healthcare and elder care, and proper compensation for domestic workers. She supports unions and workers’ right to collective bargaining and uplifts a living wage as a fundamental right. As a professor in both university and community college, Senator Hashmi advocates for strong career training opportunities for degree-seeking community college students.

Incumbent Democratic Senator Ghazala Hashmi is facing a challenge from Republican Hayden Fisher in the general election for Virginia’s new 15th State Senate district. Little information was found on Fisher’s stances on several issues. However, his campaign site boasts anti-trans policies when it comes to education and student sports.

Because of her history of fighting for progressive policy and her commitment to empowering communities across the Commonwealth, Senator Ghazala Hashmi is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Last updated: 2023-10-23

Incumbent Democratic Senator Ghazala Hashmi was born in Hyderabad, India in 1964 and moved to the United States with her mother and brother when she was four years old. She spent nearly 30 years as a professor at the University of Richmond and Reynolds Community College. Hashmi was elected to the Virginia General Assembly in November 2019, becoming the first Muslim and the first South Asian American to serve in the Virginia Senate. She serves as the Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Public Education and sits on several Senate committees. Her top legislative priorities include education, equity, the environment, and healthcare access.

Education is a top legislative priority for Senator Hashmi, who has championed legislation and budget amendments to provide increased support for educators and vulnerable students, such as English Language Learners and students with disabilities. Senator Hashmi believes that accessible and equitable education for all students can be achieved by supporting educators and students, addressing areas of inequality, protecting vulnerable populations in schools, and keeping schools free from gun violence. Additionally, she was a chief co-patron for a bill to offer in-state tuition to Virginia students regardless of immigration status.

Senator Hashmi emphasizes that health care is a human right. Within those rights, she recognizes the need for affordable coverage, access to safe and legal abortion, and low-cost prescription drugs. She also advocates for expanding access to mental health services. Her bill to increase access to professional counselors passed during the 2023 General Assembly. As a member of the Senate Health and Education Committee, she has consistently stood against attempts to roll back progressive legislation.

Senator Hashmi recognizes the effects of human-caused climate change in the Commonwealth. She believes in policies that protect communities and the environment. Among her concerns are carbon emissions, coastal resiliency programs, flooding, and environmental justice. During the 2020 General Assembly, she patroned a bill that defined “environmental justice” and ensured it would be policy to promote throughout the state. Her bill to establish the Virginia Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Historic Preservation Fund passed during the 2022 General Assembly.

Senator Hashmi prioritizes the Care Economy, noting it is fundamental to the growth of the economy. She is a champion for expanding access to childcare, home healthcare and elder care, and proper compensation for domestic workers. She supports unions and workers’ right to collective bargaining and uplifts a living wage as a fundamental right. As a professor in both university and community college, Senator Hashmi advocates for strong career training opportunities for degree-seeking community college students.

Incumbent Democratic Senator Ghazala Hashmi is facing a challenge from Republican Hayden Fisher in the general election for Virginia’s new 15th State Senate district. Little information was found on Fisher’s stances on several issues. However, his campaign site boasts anti-trans policies when it comes to education and student sports.

Because of her history of fighting for progressive policy and her commitment to empowering communities across the Commonwealth, Senator Ghazala Hashmi is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Last updated: 2023-10-23

House District 076

Virginia’s new 76th House of Delegates district encompasses parts of Chesterfield County. With almost 67,000 registered voters, this district leans strongly Democratic.

This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Democratic candidate Debra Gardner and Republican candidate Duc Truong will face each other in the general election for Virginia’s new 76th House of Delegates district. Gardner previously ran for the 2019 Clover Hill Chesterfield County Supervisor seat, as well as the 2021 District 27 House of Delegates seat. This is an open seat with no incumbent in the race.

Debra Gardner is a former teacher, social worker, and public servant. She received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from North Carolina Central University and a Master of Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. She worked as an adjunct professor at VCU and has held leadership positions at three state agencies: the Department of Criminal Justice Services, the Department of Corrections, and the Department of Human Services. She currently lives in North Chesterfield with her daughter.

Gardner is dedicated to policies that support Virginia working families. When her elderly mother came to live with her, Gardner understood the needs of an aging society and immediately set to work on policies that would reduce the caregiving burden on families. She also received the “Family Friendly Seal of Approval” from the Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy for her dedication to paid family and medical leave, paid sick days, quality childcare and affordable eldercare. She is also dedicated to ensuring everyone in our communities earns a living wage and receives sufficient support during the economic recovery from COVID-19.

Gardner will also prioritize access to affordable healthcare. She especially supports expanding insurance options for people who are unemployed so that access to healthcare is no longer tied to employment. Additionally, she will work to increase funding for mental health care and addiction recovery to ensure these critical services are accessible to all who need them. She will fight to decrease the price of prescriptions to make sure everyone is able to afford their necessary medications.

With her background in criminal justice and corrections, Gardner has proven her dedication to public safety. Additionally, Gardner served on the Commonwealth Domestic Violence Prevention Response Advisory Board. She will implement evidence-based and community-based programs to increase community safety. She will require updated training for all police officers and work to improve relationships between officers and communities. She sees common-sense gun violence prevention legislation as critical to ensuring community safety.

Gardner will also work to tackle the climate crisis in Virginia. She sees protecting the planet as beneficial both environmentally and economically and knows investing in clean energy will help bring jobs to the 27th District. She will fight to ensure economic growth is responsibly planned and sustainable. She also sees how public health is tied to environmental protections and will work to ensure all of her constituents, regardless of economic status, have access to clean water and healthy food.

Republican Duc Truong, a small business owner, is Gardner’s opponent in this race. Truong wants to leave the fate of healthcare in the hands of employers. He wants to help Republicans cut regulations, making us less safe. His favored solution for fostering success beyond K-12 education is to traffic graduates directly to the military.

Due to her support for the environment, affordable healthcare, and Virginia working families, Gardner is the most progressive choice for Virginia’s 76th district.
Last updated: 2023-10-06