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This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Democratic candidate Michael Jones is running unopposed in the general election for Virginia’s new 77th House of Delegates district. He previously served in the Richmond City Council District 9 seat.

Richmond City Councilman Mike Jones is the son of a Navy SEAL and proud Richmonders who taught him to overcome any obstacles that life can throw your way. He graduated from Maggie Walker Governor’s School. His parents taught him to never judge someone based on the superficial aspects because of what they witnessed growing up in a segregated Richmond. For most of his life, Jones has channeled the values taught to him to fight for the rights of others. He has been about the people.

Jones knows that climate change is real and that we must take action to reduce emissions and protect the public health of Richmond citizens. He believes that it is unacceptable that Richmond has some of the highest rates of asthma in the country and flooding in our neighborhoods. He also understands the need for environmental justice, as some parts of the 77th district are 10% hotter than others. He believes that we need to fight at the state level for tree canopies, greenspace, and improvements to the James River Park System. Jones has taken a pledge not to take any campaign contributions from Dominion Energy and has been endorsed by Sierra Club.

Jones has garnered a reputation of fighting for the streets. Black, White or Brown, he has sought to amplify the voices of those that are too often overlooked. In a part of the City that has been left out of so many conversations, Jones has a way of matching problems with legislation. He has shown his ability to lead during tough times by chairing the Council’s Finance Committee, calling for more fiscal responsibility. He is willing to say what so many are afraid to say in a tone of empathy and compassion. Jones tries to educate and inform while others might seek to alienate.

As a Black man, Jones knows people of color are over-represented in the criminal justice system and underrepresented in elected office. We need to rectify some of the wrongs of the past, but more importantly, stop the next generation from being pulled into the system. Jones wants to slow the school-to-prison pipeline, reform policing, help returning citizens get into the workforce, and eliminate mandatory minimum sentences. On the city council, Jones led the fight to gain local control of the Confederate Monuments in the City of Richmond. Standing alone, he endured backlash and death threats. That did not stop him. He is leading the charge for more accountability with Law Enforcement seeking to move to a true form of public safety.

Jones also supports access to abortion and feels strongly that the government should never limit access to or prevent someone from making their own reproductive choices. He also wants to give kids a pathway to the middle class by providing jobs with good benefits, a $15/hr minimum wage, and creating a great economy that works for everyone.

Councilman Jones is running unopposed, but given his stance on criminal justice reform, climate change, and racial justice, he is decidedly the progressive choice in this race.
Last updated: 2023-10-06

House District 077

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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 014

Incumbent Democratic Senator Lamont Bagby is running unopposed in the general election for Virginia’s new 14th State Senate district. He was born and raised in Richmond and later earned degrees at both Norfolk State and Virginia Commonwealth University. Before being elected to the Senate in a special election, he served in the House of Delegates from 2015 until 2023. In 2009, he was the youngest elected official in the Richmond area after his election to the Henrico County School Board at the age of 32. He serves as chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus.

As chairman of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, Senator Bagby introduced and passed important bills for racial equity. He advocated for the removal of Confederate monuments and led the charge for the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue at the State Capitol. He voted for legislation in 2020 that allows localities to remove Confederate statues or memorials. He has also worked for the preservation of Black history, expanding the Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund to include battlefields where Black soldiers fought and died.

Senator Bagby has also worked for criminal justice reform to ensure fair treatment of Black and Brown community members. He successfully patroned legislation that implements a process for the automatic expungement of certain criminal convictions. This bill ensures those with criminal records have access to housing, employment, and educational opportunities. He voted to abolish the death penalty and legalize marijuana, both of which have disproportionately impacted Black and Brown Virginians. Additionally, Sen. Bagby supports ending qualified immunity for police officers and mandatory minimums for those who have been convicted of certain crimes.

As a co-patron of the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, Senator Bagby worked to ensure no Virginian faces discriminatory barriers to voting. He also supported making absentee voting more accessible and extending early voting. He introduced and successfully passed a bill to introduce in-person early voting hours on Sundays. These bills help ensure Virginians have more options for when, where, and how to vote so that voting is accessible to all.

Due to his track record for supporting progressive legislation, Senator Lamont Bagby is the sole progressive candidate in this race.

Note: Portions of this write-up came from a previous Progressive Voters Guide recommendation for this candidate.

Last updated: 2023-10-27

Incumbent Democratic Senator Lamont Bagby is running unopposed in the general election for Virginia’s new 14th State Senate district. He was born and raised in Richmond and later earned degrees at both Norfolk State and Virginia Commonwealth University. Before being elected to the Senate in a special election, he served in the House of Delegates from 2015 until 2023. In 2009, he was the youngest elected official in the Richmond area after his election to the Henrico County School Board at the age of 32. He serves as chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus.

As chairman of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, Senator Bagby introduced and passed important bills for racial equity. He advocated for the removal of Confederate monuments and led the charge for the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue at the State Capitol. He voted for legislation in 2020 that allows localities to remove Confederate statues or memorials. He has also worked for the preservation of Black history, expanding the Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund to include battlefields where Black soldiers fought and died.

Senator Bagby has also worked for criminal justice reform to ensure fair treatment of Black and Brown community members. He successfully patroned legislation that implements a process for the automatic expungement of certain criminal convictions. This bill ensures those with criminal records have access to housing, employment, and educational opportunities. He voted to abolish the death penalty and legalize marijuana, both of which have disproportionately impacted Black and Brown Virginians. Additionally, Sen. Bagby supports ending qualified immunity for police officers and mandatory minimums for those who have been convicted of certain crimes.

As a co-patron of the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, Senator Bagby worked to ensure no Virginian faces discriminatory barriers to voting. He also supported making absentee voting more accessible and extending early voting. He introduced and successfully passed a bill to introduce in-person early voting hours on Sundays. These bills help ensure Virginians have more options for when, where, and how to vote so that voting is accessible to all.

Due to his track record for supporting progressive legislation, Senator Lamont Bagby is the sole progressive candidate in this race.

Note: Portions of this write-up came from a previous Progressive Voters Guide recommendation for this candidate.

Last updated: 2023-10-27

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 077

Virginia’s new 77th House of Delegates district encompasses parts of Richmond City and parts of Chesterfield County. With almost 55,000 registered voters, this district leans strongly Democratic.

This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Democratic candidate Michael Jones is running unopposed in the general election for Virginia’s new 77th House of Delegates district. He previously served in the Richmond City Council District 9 seat.

Richmond City Councilman Mike Jones is the son of a Navy SEAL and proud Richmonders who taught him to overcome any obstacles that life can throw your way. He graduated from Maggie Walker Governor’s School. His parents taught him to never judge someone based on the superficial aspects because of what they witnessed growing up in a segregated Richmond. For most of his life, Jones has channeled the values taught to him to fight for the rights of others. He has been about the people.

Jones knows that climate change is real and that we must take action to reduce emissions and protect the public health of Richmond citizens. He believes that it is unacceptable that Richmond has some of the highest rates of asthma in the country and flooding in our neighborhoods. He also understands the need for environmental justice, as some parts of the 77th district are 10% hotter than others. He believes that we need to fight at the state level for tree canopies, greenspace, and improvements to the James River Park System. Jones has taken a pledge not to take any campaign contributions from Dominion Energy and has been endorsed by Sierra Club.

Jones has garnered a reputation of fighting for the streets. Black, White or Brown, he has sought to amplify the voices of those that are too often overlooked. In a part of the City that has been left out of so many conversations, Jones has a way of matching problems with legislation. He has shown his ability to lead during tough times by chairing the Council’s Finance Committee, calling for more fiscal responsibility. He is willing to say what so many are afraid to say in a tone of empathy and compassion. Jones tries to educate and inform while others might seek to alienate.

As a Black man, Jones knows people of color are over-represented in the criminal justice system and underrepresented in elected office. We need to rectify some of the wrongs of the past, but more importantly, stop the next generation from being pulled into the system. Jones wants to slow the school-to-prison pipeline, reform policing, help returning citizens get into the workforce, and eliminate mandatory minimum sentences. On the city council, Jones led the fight to gain local control of the Confederate Monuments in the City of Richmond. Standing alone, he endured backlash and death threats. That did not stop him. He is leading the charge for more accountability with Law Enforcement seeking to move to a true form of public safety.

Jones also supports access to abortion and feels strongly that the government should never limit access to or prevent someone from making their own reproductive choices. He also wants to give kids a pathway to the middle class by providing jobs with good benefits, a $15/hr minimum wage, and creating a great economy that works for everyone.

Councilman Jones is running unopposed, but given his stance on criminal justice reform, climate change, and racial justice, he is decidedly the progressive choice in this race.
Last updated: 2023-10-06