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Democrat

Michelle Maldonado

Incumbent Democratic Delegate Michelle Maldonado is a former attorney and small business owner. She was born in Massachusetts and raised by teachers who instilled in her the importance of education, equity, and hard work. She received her undergraduate degree at Barnard College at Columbia University and her law degree from the George Washington University School of Law. She has lived in Virginia for the past 28 years with her husband, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and her son.

Del. Maldonado priorities addressing the climate crisis. She supports the Virginia Clean Economy Act and sees it as a great start for investing in green infrastructure and jobs. She co-patroned policy to add incentives for the preservation and restoration of local green spaces in urban areas. She wants to ensure Virginia’s infrastructure is resilient to the weather challenges that climate change brings. She believes that creating green-collar jobs in the fields of renewable energy, electric vehicles, and recycled materials will be great for the environment and workers. She has also co-patroned HB1721, a policy created to monitor the occurrences of microplastics in the drinking water.

As a small business owner and working mother, Delegate Maldonado prioritizes policies to uplift Virginia families. She supports living wages for all workers so that people can live with dignity as well as co-patroning bills that give workers compensation for workplace injuries and stressors. She believes that paid family and medical leave, and high-quality, affordable childcare options for parents help keep people out of poverty. Maldonado also advocates for equal pay for women and minorities and will fight for policies to prevent workplace discrimination. Del. Maldonado co-patroned HB2115, a policy to support those in need of unemployment compensation.

Delegate Maldonado supports educational policies that will uplift both teachers and students. She supports increasing teacher salaries and advocates for the collective bargaining rights of teachers and other public employees. She supports updates to school infrastructure, including new ventilation systems to provide clean air during the return to in-person teaching during the pandemic. She has voted in support of mental health education in elementary and secondary education. Del. Maldonado has also co-patroned to extend the eligibility for those seeking to obtain the Brown v Board of Education Scholarship.

Delegate Maldonado wants to ensure all Virginians can participate in our fair and free elections. She opposes any effort to create deliberate barriers to voting access. She recognizes that early and mail-in voting were crucial to keeping voters safe and healthy during the 2020 election. She knows that many restrictions to voting access unfairly target minorities and is dedicated to ensuring people of color have equal access to participating in our elections. She co-patroned HB1552 a policy that prohibits personal funds to be used during campaigns, as well as HB2049 which assists those with disabilities on where to vote at their polling location.

Delegate Maldonado is running against Sharon E Ashurst, a resident of Manassas for 33 years. Ashurts believes in funding the police department despite their various violent crimes towards communities of color. She has no plan to combat the growing threat of an abortion ban in the Commonwealth nor does she have a plan to fight the climate crisis we are in.


Due to her support for working families, the environment, voting rights, and criminal justice reform, Delegate Michelle Maldonado is the most progressive choice for Virginia’s 50th District

Last updated: 2023-10-23

Incumbent Democratic Delegate Michelle Maldonado is a former attorney and small business owner. She was born in Massachusetts and raised by teachers who instilled in her the importance of education, equity, and hard work. She received her undergraduate degree at Barnard College at Columbia University and her law degree from the George Washington University School of Law. She has lived in Virginia for the past 28 years with her husband, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and her son.

Del. Maldonado priorities addressing the climate crisis. She supports the Virginia Clean Economy Act and sees it as a great start for investing in green infrastructure and jobs. She co-patroned policy to add incentives for the preservation and restoration of local green spaces in urban areas. She wants to ensure Virginia’s infrastructure is resilient to the weather challenges that climate change brings. She believes that creating green-collar jobs in the fields of renewable energy, electric vehicles, and recycled materials will be great for the environment and workers. She has also co-patroned HB1721, a policy created to monitor the occurrences of microplastics in the drinking water.

As a small business owner and working mother, Delegate Maldonado prioritizes policies to uplift Virginia families. She supports living wages for all workers so that people can live with dignity as well as co-patroning bills that give workers compensation for workplace injuries and stressors. She believes that paid family and medical leave, and high-quality, affordable childcare options for parents help keep people out of poverty. Maldonado also advocates for equal pay for women and minorities and will fight for policies to prevent workplace discrimination. Del. Maldonado co-patroned HB2115, a policy to support those in need of unemployment compensation.

Delegate Maldonado supports educational policies that will uplift both teachers and students. She supports increasing teacher salaries and advocates for the collective bargaining rights of teachers and other public employees. She supports updates to school infrastructure, including new ventilation systems to provide clean air during the return to in-person teaching during the pandemic. She has voted in support of mental health education in elementary and secondary education. Del. Maldonado has also co-patroned to extend the eligibility for those seeking to obtain the Brown v Board of Education Scholarship.

Delegate Maldonado wants to ensure all Virginians can participate in our fair and free elections. She opposes any effort to create deliberate barriers to voting access. She recognizes that early and mail-in voting were crucial to keeping voters safe and healthy during the 2020 election. She knows that many restrictions to voting access unfairly target minorities and is dedicated to ensuring people of color have equal access to participating in our elections. She co-patroned HB1552 a policy that prohibits personal funds to be used during campaigns, as well as HB2049 which assists those with disabilities on where to vote at their polling location.

Delegate Maldonado is running against Sharon E Ashurst, a resident of Manassas for 33 years. Ashurts believes in funding the police department despite their various violent crimes towards communities of color. She has no plan to combat the growing threat of an abortion ban in the Commonwealth nor does she have a plan to fight the climate crisis we are in.


Due to her support for working families, the environment, voting rights, and criminal justice reform, Delegate Michelle Maldonado is the most progressive choice for Virginia’s 50th District

Last updated: 2023-10-23

House District 020

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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 029

Incumbent Democratic Senator Jeremy McPike has served in the State Senate since 2016. He received his Bachelor's and Master's of Public Administration degrees from George Mason University. He is a volunteer firefighter and led the design and construction of an innovative, environmentally conscious, and award-winning volunteer fire station. He is a department director for the City of Alexandria and has worked for the city for 22 years.

Senator McPike has supported numerous progressive bills during his time in the Senate. He sponsored a bill to ensure foster children can keep their healthcare while transitioning into adulthood after turning 18. He is also committed to advancing common-sense gun safety measures, like universal background checks and blocking domestic abusers’ access to firearms. He considers redistricting reform as one of his fundamental policy goals. Sen. McPike voted to expand Medicaid in Virginia and to raise Virginia’s minimum wage.

Senator McPike recognizes abortion rights in Virginia are on the line, noting abortion ban attempts this past General Assembly session. He has stated that he fully supports reproductive rights, the right to safe and legal abortion, and access to contraceptives. He believes the government should not interfere with critical medical decisions and that Virginians should have the right to make their own choices. He voted to support the Reproductive Health Protection Act in 2020, and prioritizes codifying access to abortion into the Virginia Constitution.

Senator McPike supports public education and trusts teachers to know what is best in the classrooms. He considers Governor Youngkin’s teacher tip line as an extreme tactic to spy on educators. Senator McPike wants to invest in school facilities and teacher resources. He also stresses the importance of teaching real history.

Senator McPike advocates for workers' rights and is pro-union. He voted in favor of removing the ban on public sector collective bargaining and passed legislation to hold companies accountable for wage theft from Virginia workers. He believes in continuing to raise the minimum wage and so workers have fair pay. He also advocates for all workers having access to paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave.

Senator McPike is facing a challenge from Republican Nikki Rattray Baldwin. Baldwin grew up in Florida in the foster care system until her second placement. She earned her Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts in Psychology and her Master’s in Public Administration. Her campaign site fails to mention her stances on several issues.

Due to his record for protecting abortion access, workers rights, and public education, Senator Jeremy McPike is the progressive choice in this race.

Note: portions of this write-up were compiled from a previous Progressive Voters Guide recommendation for this candidate.

Last updated: 2023-10-27

Incumbent Democratic Senator Jeremy McPike has served in the State Senate since 2016. He received his Bachelor's and Master's of Public Administration degrees from George Mason University. He is a volunteer firefighter and led the design and construction of an innovative, environmentally conscious, and award-winning volunteer fire station. He is a department director for the City of Alexandria and has worked for the city for 22 years.

Senator McPike has supported numerous progressive bills during his time in the Senate. He sponsored a bill to ensure foster children can keep their healthcare while transitioning into adulthood after turning 18. He is also committed to advancing common-sense gun safety measures, like universal background checks and blocking domestic abusers’ access to firearms. He considers redistricting reform as one of his fundamental policy goals. Sen. McPike voted to expand Medicaid in Virginia and to raise Virginia’s minimum wage.

Senator McPike recognizes abortion rights in Virginia are on the line, noting abortion ban attempts this past General Assembly session. He has stated that he fully supports reproductive rights, the right to safe and legal abortion, and access to contraceptives. He believes the government should not interfere with critical medical decisions and that Virginians should have the right to make their own choices. He voted to support the Reproductive Health Protection Act in 2020, and prioritizes codifying access to abortion into the Virginia Constitution.

Senator McPike supports public education and trusts teachers to know what is best in the classrooms. He considers Governor Youngkin’s teacher tip line as an extreme tactic to spy on educators. Senator McPike wants to invest in school facilities and teacher resources. He also stresses the importance of teaching real history.

Senator McPike advocates for workers' rights and is pro-union. He voted in favor of removing the ban on public sector collective bargaining and passed legislation to hold companies accountable for wage theft from Virginia workers. He believes in continuing to raise the minimum wage and so workers have fair pay. He also advocates for all workers having access to paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave.

Senator McPike is facing a challenge from Republican Nikki Rattray Baldwin. Baldwin grew up in Florida in the foster care system until her second placement. She earned her Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts in Psychology and her Master’s in Public Administration. Her campaign site fails to mention her stances on several issues.

Due to his record for protecting abortion access, workers rights, and public education, Senator Jeremy McPike is the progressive choice in this race.

Note: portions of this write-up were compiled from a previous Progressive Voters Guide recommendation for this candidate.

Last updated: 2023-10-27

Senate District 030

Virginia’s new 30th State Senate district encompasses parts of Prince William County, Manassas City, and Manassas Park City. With almost 135,000 registered voters, this district leans Democratic.

This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Democratic Delegate Danica Roem and Republican candidate Bill Woolf are facing each other in the general election for Virginia’s new 30th State Senate district. Delegate Roem has served in the House of Delegates since 2018.

Democratic Delegate Danica Roem has served in the House of Delegates since 2018 and is now seeking the Senate District 30 seat. Before being elected, she was a journalist for the Gainsville Times and the Prince William Times. She is the first out transgender member of the Virginia General Assembly. She was born and raised in Manassas and went on to graduate from St. Bonaventure University. Delegate Roem is the executive director of EmergeVA, an organization aimed at getting Democratic women from diverse backgrounds to run for office.

With her background in journalism, ethics and transparency are major issues of concern to Delegate Roem. She introduced legislation to increase government accountability and transparency through her Shield Law. This law prevents reporters from being detained for protecting the identities of confidential sources. She also supports making the Freedom of Information Act more accessible to those requesting public information. She supports the creation of a FOIA ombudsman and the reduction or elimination of fees associated with FOIA.

Delegate Roem supports commonsense legislation for gun violence prevention. She has voted in favor of bills for allowing localities to decide how to handle firearms in government buildings, universal background checks, and extreme risk protection orders to keep firearms out of the hands of people who pose a danger to themselves or others. She also advocates for including students in the topic of gun violence prevention. She hosted a student-led roundtable discussion with US Senator Tim Kaine in 2018.

Delegate Roem is a champion for ending childhood hunger. Ten of her bills that target ending childhood hunger have been signed into law. Additionally, she has passed two that aim to help adults facing food insecurity. One of her bills focused on banning alternative meals from being served to children who have school meal debt. Other bills increased enrollment in a federal program that offered free meals to kids at eligible schools. She also proactively legislated to end school meal debt.

When Delegate Roem took office in 2018, she was without health insurance. Understanding many of her constituents were also in a similar situation, she campaigned on expanding Medicaid. Along with voting for expansion, she also voted to decrease premiums by having Virginia establish its own health insurance exchange. Additionally, in 2020, her bill to end discrimination against transgender Virginians in health insurance passed. She also voted to protect reproductive freedoms, including abortion access, transition care, and in vitro fertilization. She vows to continue to stand against policies that attack the Affordable Care Act.

Delegate Danica Roem is facing Republican candidate Bill Woolf. Woolf is a lifelong resident of Prince William County and a former law enforcement officer. When asked about Governor Youngkin’s proposed 15-week abortion ban, Woolf did not say he would vote against the bill. He supports education programs that would divert funds from public schools to private institutions that aren’t regulated.

Because of her commitment to economic justice, views on transparency, and Delegate Danica Roem is the progressive choice in this race.
Last updated: 2023-09-21

House District 020

Incumbent Democratic Delegate Michelle Maldonado is a former attorney and small business owner. She was born in Massachusetts and raised by teachers who instilled in her the importance of education, equity, and hard work. She received her undergraduate degree at Barnard College at Columbia University and her law degree from the George Washington University School of Law. She has lived in Virginia for the past 28 years with her husband, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and her son.

Del. Maldonado priorities addressing the climate crisis. She supports the Virginia Clean Economy Act and sees it as a great start for investing in green infrastructure and jobs. She co-patroned policy to add incentives for the preservation and restoration of local green spaces in urban areas. She wants to ensure Virginia’s infrastructure is resilient to the weather challenges that climate change brings. She believes that creating green-collar jobs in the fields of renewable energy, electric vehicles, and recycled materials will be great for the environment and workers. She has also co-patroned HB1721, a policy created to monitor the occurrences of microplastics in the drinking water.

As a small business owner and working mother, Delegate Maldonado prioritizes policies to uplift Virginia families. She supports living wages for all workers so that people can live with dignity as well as co-patroning bills that give workers compensation for workplace injuries and stressors. She believes that paid family and medical leave, and high-quality, affordable childcare options for parents help keep people out of poverty. Maldonado also advocates for equal pay for women and minorities and will fight for policies to prevent workplace discrimination. Del. Maldonado co-patroned HB2115, a policy to support those in need of unemployment compensation.

Delegate Maldonado supports educational policies that will uplift both teachers and students. She supports increasing teacher salaries and advocates for the collective bargaining rights of teachers and other public employees. She supports updates to school infrastructure, including new ventilation systems to provide clean air during the return to in-person teaching during the pandemic. She has voted in support of mental health education in elementary and secondary education. Del. Maldonado has also co-patroned to extend the eligibility for those seeking to obtain the Brown v Board of Education Scholarship.

Delegate Maldonado wants to ensure all Virginians can participate in our fair and free elections. She opposes any effort to create deliberate barriers to voting access. She recognizes that early and mail-in voting were crucial to keeping voters safe and healthy during the 2020 election. She knows that many restrictions to voting access unfairly target minorities and is dedicated to ensuring people of color have equal access to participating in our elections. She co-patroned HB1552 a policy that prohibits personal funds to be used during campaigns, as well as HB2049 which assists those with disabilities on where to vote at their polling location.

Delegate Maldonado is running against Sharon E Ashurst, a resident of Manassas for 33 years. Ashurts believes in funding the police department despite their various violent crimes towards communities of color. She has no plan to combat the growing threat of an abortion ban in the Commonwealth nor does she have a plan to fight the climate crisis we are in.


Due to her support for working families, the environment, voting rights, and criminal justice reform, Delegate Michelle Maldonado is the most progressive choice for Virginia’s 50th District

Last updated: 2023-10-23

Incumbent Democratic Delegate Michelle Maldonado is a former attorney and small business owner. She was born in Massachusetts and raised by teachers who instilled in her the importance of education, equity, and hard work. She received her undergraduate degree at Barnard College at Columbia University and her law degree from the George Washington University School of Law. She has lived in Virginia for the past 28 years with her husband, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and her son.

Del. Maldonado priorities addressing the climate crisis. She supports the Virginia Clean Economy Act and sees it as a great start for investing in green infrastructure and jobs. She co-patroned policy to add incentives for the preservation and restoration of local green spaces in urban areas. She wants to ensure Virginia’s infrastructure is resilient to the weather challenges that climate change brings. She believes that creating green-collar jobs in the fields of renewable energy, electric vehicles, and recycled materials will be great for the environment and workers. She has also co-patroned HB1721, a policy created to monitor the occurrences of microplastics in the drinking water.

As a small business owner and working mother, Delegate Maldonado prioritizes policies to uplift Virginia families. She supports living wages for all workers so that people can live with dignity as well as co-patroning bills that give workers compensation for workplace injuries and stressors. She believes that paid family and medical leave, and high-quality, affordable childcare options for parents help keep people out of poverty. Maldonado also advocates for equal pay for women and minorities and will fight for policies to prevent workplace discrimination. Del. Maldonado co-patroned HB2115, a policy to support those in need of unemployment compensation.

Delegate Maldonado supports educational policies that will uplift both teachers and students. She supports increasing teacher salaries and advocates for the collective bargaining rights of teachers and other public employees. She supports updates to school infrastructure, including new ventilation systems to provide clean air during the return to in-person teaching during the pandemic. She has voted in support of mental health education in elementary and secondary education. Del. Maldonado has also co-patroned to extend the eligibility for those seeking to obtain the Brown v Board of Education Scholarship.

Delegate Maldonado wants to ensure all Virginians can participate in our fair and free elections. She opposes any effort to create deliberate barriers to voting access. She recognizes that early and mail-in voting were crucial to keeping voters safe and healthy during the 2020 election. She knows that many restrictions to voting access unfairly target minorities and is dedicated to ensuring people of color have equal access to participating in our elections. She co-patroned HB1552 a policy that prohibits personal funds to be used during campaigns, as well as HB2049 which assists those with disabilities on where to vote at their polling location.

Delegate Maldonado is running against Sharon E Ashurst, a resident of Manassas for 33 years. Ashurts believes in funding the police department despite their various violent crimes towards communities of color. She has no plan to combat the growing threat of an abortion ban in the Commonwealth nor does she have a plan to fight the climate crisis we are in.


Due to her support for working families, the environment, voting rights, and criminal justice reform, Delegate Michelle Maldonado is the most progressive choice for Virginia’s 50th District

Last updated: 2023-10-23