House District 041

A Rockbridge County native, Democratic candidate Jade Harris, currently lives in Glasgow, Virginia. She traces her lineage back to enslaved individuals at Buffalo Forge. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in political science from Mary Baldwin University in 2020. Harris is a grassroots organizer who has lobbied at the state level, served as a member of Glasgow town council, and was the town’s first ever Vice-Mayor. Additionally, Harris is a novelist, having published her first book in March 2023.

Harris identifies as queer and advocates for LGBTQ+ protections. She supports enshrining same-sex marriage in the Virginia Constitution, removing the current ban. She has expressed her support of the transgender community, stating she would sponsor legislation to make the Commonwealth a safe harbor for those and their families who are fleeing anti-trans criminalization. In announcing her endorsement from Equality Virginia, she stated she would be a “bold fighter for equality.”

Harris supports raising teacher pay to at least the national average. She opposes voucher school systems and believes public money should stay in public schools. Harris believes tax payer dollars should fund our public schools, not private, unregulated, unaccredited, for-profit schools. To foster a strong workforce, she advocates for expanding technical education. She aims to prioritize students and faculty of the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind, noting that she wants Virginia to be in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Harris believes that gun violence is a public health issue in the Commonwealth, and will seek real bipartisan solutions to this problem. She proposes instating a gun education and safety course in public schools, advocating for safe storage practices, and expanding and enforcing extreme risk protection laws. She believes that combining early mental health intervention and removing the stigma, along with common sense laws can aid in preventing gun violence in the Commonwealth.

Harris has expressed the need to stand up against the attacks on abortion access. She believes the decision should be with individuals and their doctors. She supports enshrining the right to abortion in the Virginia Constitution. Additionally, she advocates for comprehensive sex education, accessible and affordable contraceptives, and expanded childcare services. During the 2023 House of Delegates District 24 Special Election, Harris was endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia.

Harris is facing Delegate Chris Head. Delegate Head has served in the House of Delegates since 2012. He is anti-abortion and has pushed for legislation that creates barriers to access. He received a 100% rating from the National Rifle Association. In 2019, he supported Roanoke becoming a 2nd Amendment sanctuary. He is against making voting accessible and has supported bills to remove ballot boxes.

Because of her support for LGBTQ+ communities, abortion access, and public schools, Jade Harris is the progressive choice in this race.

Trish White-Boyd is a Roanoke City Council member and Vice-Mayor. She has focused on bringing jobs to her district and is a successful business owner of a home health care company. She was the inaugural chair of Roanoke City’s Equity and Empowerment Advisory Board, which addressed systemic racism and other inequities. White-Boyd ran for the House of Delegates in 2013. She has lived in the district for over 40 years, raising her family there.

During her time on City Council, White-Boyd supported a plan to paint a mural reading “END RACISM NOW” along Campbell Avenue downtown. She has voted to remove Confederate monuments and remove the names of Confederates from city parks. White-Boyd has also supported green initiatives, such as funding e-bike programs and voting to expand the city’s trails.

White-Boyd is an education advocate. She supports safety in schools, expanding STEM and skilled trade education and smaller class sizes. She supports increasing teacher pay as a way to attract and retain quality educators. White-Boyd emphasizes teacher pay as one of the first pieces of legislation she would introduce. She looks at the work on the matter done in Roanoke City as a way to start.

White-Boyd is also committed to sustainability and combating climate change on the local level. To improve the city’s sustainability, she wishes to improve public transportation, search for viable options for solar and renewable energy sources for municipal buildings and local businesses, and implement neighborhood-specific sustainable development strategies. As Vice Mayor, she helped pass an ordinance towards banning single-use plastic bags.

White-Boyd believes everyone should make their own healthcare decisions without the involvement of legislators. She recognizes Virginia’s need to keep abortion accessible, especially considering the lack of access in neighboring states like Tennessee and North Carolina. With the current Republican administration, she understands that the people of the Commonwealth are in jeopardy of losing these rights. She will fight any legislation that might prohibit abortion.

White-Boyd believes in common-sense gun violence prevention laws, including restricting the purchase of assault rifles to those over 21 years old and implementing a 24-hour waiting period before purchasing a handgun. She argues that these laws can help protect residents and prevent gun violence, but more needs to be done to ensure that residents are safe. She believes that local governments need more tools to combat gun violence and that legislation should be put in place to protect residents from gun owners who should not be allowed to carry them, such as those with a mental condition or prior criminal history.

White-Boyd is facing incumbent Senator Dave Sutterlein, who has served in the State Senate since 2016. He opposes both commonsense gun violence prevention measures and access to reproductive health care. Suetterlein voted against repealing the death penalty. He also voted against restoring civil rights to returning citizens. He supports Governor Youngkin’s abortion ban.

Because of her stances on education, abortion access, and gun violence prevention, Trish White-Boyd is the progressive choice in this race.

Note: Portions of this recommendation were pulled from our previous recommendation from White-Boyd’s City Council reelection campaign.

Lily Franklin is the Democratic candidate for HD 41. She is a Virginia native, and she graduated from Northside High School. Franklin got her start in politics by working in Delegate Sam Rasoul’s legislative office, which led to her being promoted to chief of staff. Franklin wants to use her experience to uplift the issues of people living in rural areas.

Franklin wants to invest in working families, which includes advocating for paid family and medical leave, paid sick leave, and affordable housing. She also wants to focus on mental health resources so that Virginians can get the help that they need. She believes that bureaucracy should not make accessing health care more difficult, especially when it comes to children and adolescents who need help.

Franklin wants to combat the public education problems that she has recognized as an issue for years. She is a former Teach for America teacher, and she wants to use her experience to bring attention to issues within Virginia public schools. She believes that Virginia teachers are underpaid, and public schools are underfunded, which has led to dropout rates increasing, crime rates, and teacher availability.

Franklin believes that healthcare should be accessible and affordable to everyone, and that no one should be at risk of bankruptcy due to illness. She also believes that abortion access should be protected, and that mental health services should be readily available to those who need it. In relation to the health of Virginians, Franklin helped pass legislation that would set a limit for contaminants and “forever chemicals” in water. She also supports legislation to combat climate change and public utility corruption that affects the health of Virginians.

Chris Obenshain is the Republican candidate for this race. He is a lifelong conservative, and he was the Chairman of the UVA Chapter of the Federalist Society in law school. He served as a prosecutor. He does not support access to abortion or common sense measures to prevent gun violence. Obenshain would support allowing untrained parents to determine school curriculum instead of educational experts.

Lily Franklin is the progressive choice for this race, as she supports affordable healthcare, investments in families, and increased school funding.