House District 081

Former Democratic Delegate Lashresce Aird served in the House of Delegates from 2016 to 2022. Her election made her the youngest woman elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. Aird earned her undergraduate and doctorate degrees from Virginia State University. She is a graduate of the Sorenson Political Leadership Program at the University of Virginia and the Minority Political Leadership Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a trusted community leader in Petersburg where she and her husband are raising two sons.

Aird is committed to criminal justice reform. She successfully carried legislation that bans the use and purchase of facial recognition technology by all local law enforcement agencies and campus police without explicit authorization from the state. Aird sponsored “Breonna’s Law,” which bans police from using no-knock warrants to enter and search a home without notifying the resident. She voted to abolish the death penalty and legalize marijuana in 2021 as well.

Aird also successfully sponsored historic legislation that recognizes racism as a public health crisis in Virginia. This bill will implement a series of policies geared towards addressing systemic racism in Virginia. She advocates for access to affordable, quality healthcare by working to lower drug costs and voting to cap the price of insulin in 2020. She voted to expand Medicaid to 400,000 Virginians in 2018 and supported establishing a state-run health insurance marketplace, which helps uninsured or underinsured residents who aren’t covered by an employer-provided health plan to get affordable coverage.

Aird understands the urgency of the climate crisis and is focused on passing legislation to protect the environment. She advocates for equitable energy by successfully sponsoring legislation to make access to clean, affordable water a human right in 2021. She voted for the Virginia Clean Economy Act in 2020, which commits the Commonwealth to 100% clean energy by 2050. The Virginia League of Conservation Voters awarded her a score of 100% for the 2020 session.

Aird supports Virginia’s public education system, voting for a 5% raises for teachers and additional funding to help schools reopen safely during the pandemic. She worked to pass legislation that would make higher education more equitable for applicants by banning public universities from asking criminal history questions on admissions applications. The delegate also co-sponsored the School Equity and Staffing Act, which would address spending discrepancies between schools in low income communities versus other communities. She was named one of the Legislators of the Year in 2021 by the Virginia Education Association.

Democratic candidate Lashrecse Aird and Republican candidate Eric Ditri will face each other in the general election for Virginia’s new 13th State Senate district. Ditri was born and raised in Prince George County and has a background in construction and finance. While his campaign website lists several priorities, no information could be found on his stances on progressive issues such as abortion and LGBTQ rights.

Due to her support of criminal justice reform, public education, affordable healthcare, and the environment, Lashrecse Aird is the progressive choice in this race.

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.