Progressive Voters Guide Powered by Progress Virginia

No Recommendation

Former Congressman Thomas Garrett is a Republican, and he is the sole candidate for this race. He served in the House of Representatives from 2017-2019, representing Congressional District 5. He left Congress after campaign finance violations and other allegations. Garrett does not support common sense gun legislation, and he is endorsed by the NRA. His campaign site refers to him as 100% pro-gun. He is also anti-abortion, and he promises to support any legislation that restricts the reproductive right to abortion.

There is no progressive recommendation for this race. We encourage you to write-in a candidate of your choice. Remember, there are other races this election.

Former Congressman Thomas Garrett is a Republican, and he is the sole candidate for this race. He served in the House of Representatives from 2017-2019, representing Congressional District 5. He left Congress after campaign finance violations and other allegations. Garrett does not support common sense gun legislation, and he is endorsed by the NRA. His campaign site refers to him as 100% pro-gun. He is also anti-abortion, and he promises to support any legislation that restricts the reproductive right to abortion.

There is no progressive recommendation for this race. We encourage you to write-in a candidate of your choice. Remember, there are other races this election.

House District 056

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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 009

State Senator

No Recommendation

Incumbent Republican Senator Frank Ruff has voted against immigrant communities at every opportunity and has an anti-choice record. He also opposes commonsense gun violence prevention measures. He voted against raising the minimum wage. He vocally opposed Medicaid expansion in Virginia and drew vocal condemnation for racist remarks about the proposal in 2014. In the 2023 General Assembly, he co-patroned anti-trans legislation that would impact trans athletes. He also co-patroned several bills that would make voting less accessible.

Because Senator Ruff is running unopposed, there is no recommendation in this race. We encourage you to show up and vote by writing in a candidate. Remember, there are other races in this year’s elections.

Incumbent Republican Senator Frank Ruff has voted against immigrant communities at every opportunity and has an anti-choice record. He also opposes commonsense gun violence prevention measures. He voted against raising the minimum wage. He vocally opposed Medicaid expansion in Virginia and drew vocal condemnation for racist remarks about the proposal in 2014. In the 2023 General Assembly, he co-patroned anti-trans legislation that would impact trans athletes. He also co-patroned several bills that would make voting less accessible.

Because Senator Ruff is running unopposed, there is no recommendation in this race. We encourage you to show up and vote by writing in a candidate. Remember, there are other races in this year’s elections.

Senate District 010

State Senator

No Recommendation

Republican Delegate John McGuire is running unopposed in the general election for Virginia’s new 10th State Senate district. Delegate McGuire has served in the House of Delegates since 2018. He is anti-abortion and received a 100% score from the Family Foundation. In the 2023 General Assembly, he introduced legislation to prohibit public funds from going towards abortion services for low-income people. He also patroned a bill aimed at removing ballot drop boxes, one of several attempts of his to make voting less accessible. Delegate McGuire co-patroned a bill that would require the forced outing of students by principals or their designees.

Because McGuire is running unopposed, there is no recommendation in this race. We encourage you to show up and vote by writing in a candidate. Remember, there are still other races in this year’s elections.

Republican Delegate John McGuire is running unopposed in the general election for Virginia’s new 10th State Senate district. Delegate McGuire has served in the House of Delegates since 2018. He is anti-abortion and received a 100% score from the Family Foundation. In the 2023 General Assembly, he introduced legislation to prohibit public funds from going towards abortion services for low-income people. He also patroned a bill aimed at removing ballot drop boxes, one of several attempts of his to make voting less accessible. Delegate McGuire co-patroned a bill that would require the forced outing of students by principals or their designees.

Because McGuire is running unopposed, there is no recommendation in this race. We encourage you to show up and vote by writing in a candidate. Remember, there are still other races in this year’s elections.

House District 056

Delegate

No Recommendation

Former Congressman Thomas Garrett is a Republican, and he is the sole candidate for this race. He served in the House of Representatives from 2017-2019, representing Congressional District 5. He left Congress after campaign finance violations and other allegations. Garrett does not support common sense gun legislation, and he is endorsed by the NRA. His campaign site refers to him as 100% pro-gun. He is also anti-abortion, and he promises to support any legislation that restricts the reproductive right to abortion.

There is no progressive recommendation for this race. We encourage you to write-in a candidate of your choice. Remember, there are other races this election.

Former Congressman Thomas Garrett is a Republican, and he is the sole candidate for this race. He served in the House of Representatives from 2017-2019, representing Congressional District 5. He left Congress after campaign finance violations and other allegations. Garrett does not support common sense gun legislation, and he is endorsed by the NRA. His campaign site refers to him as 100% pro-gun. He is also anti-abortion, and he promises to support any legislation that restricts the reproductive right to abortion.

There is no progressive recommendation for this race. We encourage you to write-in a candidate of your choice. Remember, there are other races this election.

District Offices

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

District #1 District Offices

District #1 School Board

Sandra Barefoot-Reid photo
Democrat

Sandra Barefoot-Reid

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This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Incumbent Sandra Purkey Barefoot-Reid is facing a challenge from Lucy Meredith Moses in the race for Goochland County School Board District 1.

Incumbent School Board Member Sandra Barefoot-Reid was appointed as the Board Chairperson in 2023. She has three children and her husband and she share thirteen grandchildren. She has worked in several areas, including credit management, lumber brokerage, agriculture, legal assisting, secretarial, bus driver, and Human Resources for Goochland County Schools.

During her time on the School Board, Barefoot-Reid has committed herself to accountability and integrity. She has done so by supporting the sound funding and building of the new Goochland Elementary School and ensuring that all other schools remain at the top of their game. This work helped to ensure that all five Goochland schools were acknowledged as Apple Distinguished Schools for innovation, leadership, and educational excellence. Additionally, she earned the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association.

Barefoot-Reid has committed herself to safety in Goochland schools. She promoted student safety by voting for the Memorandum of Understanding between the Sheriff’s Department and the schools. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked to “protect the children and staff” and proved her commitment to this principle.

Barefoot-Reid has proven herself an advocate for teachers and staff. She voted for promoting a salary scale that is competitive with surrounding communities to continue hiring the best qualified and diverse teachers and staff. She also voted for bonus payments for employee service during COVID for all employees. She voted to restore health insurance and benefits for bus drivers and cafeteria staff and voted for the maximum raise possible for all employees while being fiscally responsible and staying within budget constraints.

In contrast with her opponent, Barefoot-Reid has been a strong voice for inclusivity and understanding. She voted to promote community involvement to identify and eliminate bullying behaviors and discrimination. She voted to encourage open discussions on cultural diversity to reduce social divisions and voted to ensure GCPS’ no discrimination policy is enforced at all levels.

Challenging Barefoot Reid is Lucy Meredith Moses, a teacher. Moses believes that education on inclusivity and diversity is inappropriate in schools. She uses coded language that falls in line with Republican book-banning and forced outing policies. She denies the autonomy of students and children and wants to police every aspect of their learning.

Given her record and positions as a public school advocate, Barefoot-Reid is the progressive choice in this race.
Last updated: 2023-10-06

District #2 District Offices

District #2 Supervisor

No Recommendation

This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Incumbent Republican candidate Neil Spoonhower is running unopposed in the race for Goochland County Board of Supervisors District 2.

Incumbent Supervisor Neil Spoonhower is an avowed Republican. His policy positions are not overtly awful, but he touts typical Republican talking points that suggest he is more interested in cutting taxes and regulations than in taking a hard look at what’s necessary to ensure successful and sustainable development.

There is no recommendation in this race. We encourage people to vote and write in a candidate. Remember, there are other races this year that need your vote, so we encourage you to show up to vote anyway.
Last updated: 2023-10-06

District #2 School Board

No Recommendation

This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Incumbent Karen Horn is facing a challenge from Karen Wirsing in the race for Goochland County School Board District 2.

Incumbent School Board Member Karen Horn has served on the board since 2018. Her policy positions are vague but allude to popular Republican dog whistles. It is difficult to discern her actual stances, but we were able to find a letter addressed to Governor Northam during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that uses Republican language that frames efforts by the government to curb the spread of the virus as “government overreach”. Because of this, we cannot recommend her as a progressive choice.

Horn’s opponent, Karen Wirsing, is no better. She would join the Republican onslaught against public schools and libraries and proudly considers herself a conservative and non-union teacher.

There is no recommendation in this race. We encourage people to vote and write in a candidate. Remember, there are other races this year that need your vote, so we encourage you to show up to vote anyway.
Last updated: 2023-10-06

District #3 District Offices

District #3 Supervisor

No Recommendation

This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Republican candidate Tom Winfree is running unopposed in the race for Goochland County Board of Supervisors District 3.

Republican Tom Winfree is a political newcomer. He does not have a website or any socials, so we could not find any policy positions or statements.

There is no recommendation in this race. We encourage people to vote and write in a candidate. Remember, there are other races this year that need your vote, so we encourage you to show up to vote anyway.
Last updated: 2023-10-06

District #4 District Offices

District #4 Supervisor

No Recommendation

This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Incumbent Republican Charles Vaughters is facing Democratic candidate Steven Schawaroch in the race for Goochland County Board of Supervisors District 4.

There are two candidates in this race: Incumbent Republican Charles Vaughters and Democratic challenger Steven Schawaroch. Vaughters lists only vague priorities that, while not terrible, lack enough substance or information to know what he really means. Schawaroch is similarly vague, but he seems to lean mostly on business acumen to make his case, which is not a telltale sign of a progressive candidate.

There is no recommendation in this race. We encourage people to vote and write in a candidate. Remember, there are other races this year that need your vote, so we encourage you to show up to vote anyway.
Last updated: 2023-10-06

District #5 District Offices

District #5 Supervisor

No Recommendation

This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Independent candidate Jonathan Lyle is running unopposed in the race for Goochland County Board of Supervisors District 5.

Jonathan Lyle, Chairman of the Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Directors, is running as an Independent. Lyle does not have a website or any social media and does not list any policy positions, but we were able to find on John McGuire’s Facebook account promoting Lyle as a “low-tax, individual freedom, limited-government conservative”. Given the allusions to Republican policy and his association with a hard-right candidate like McGuire, we cannot consider Lyle a progressive.

There is no recommendation in this race. We encourage people to vote and write in a candidate. Remember, there are other races this year that need your vote, so we encourage you to show up to vote anyway.
Last updated: 2023-10-06

District #5 School Board

No Recommendation

This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Ellen Robinson is running unopposed in the race for Goochland County School Board District 5.

By law, school board races are non-partisan. In spite of this, Ellen Robinson proudly aligns herself with Republicans and is endorsed by organized efforts to attack trans kids in schools.

There is no recommendation in this race. We encourage people to vote and write in a candidate. Remember, there are other races this year that need your vote, so we encourage you to show up to vote anyway.
Last updated: 2023-10-06