Rachel Levy ran for the 55th district in 2019, and through community engagement, helped to increase voter turnout to 30 percent. She personally visited every precinct within the district, and due to redistricting, she is now running for the 59th district. Levy was raised by two civil rights lawyers, which sparked her passion for civic engagement that inspired her to earn her doctorate in educational leadership and policy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Levy is a leader in the group Together Hanover, and she is a member of the Hanover Democratic Committee and the Hanover NAACP. She is also a Jury Commissioner for the Ashland District of Hanover, and she serves on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. The list covering her involvement in Virginia government is extensive, and it includes a number of committees, local councils, and a board of directors.

Levy is an experienced educator and leader in in her field, holding a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy. She has classroom experience and policy expertise, and her dedication to promoting equity within our public education system benefits all types of students. She advocates for policies that benefit students of color, special needs students, English Language Learners, and low-income students. She also wants increased salaries for teachers and protections for trans and non-binary students. Levy believes that laws should be developed and enforced for the purpose of ensuring the safety and funding of schools, including the improvement of buildings’ quality.

Levy wants accessible healthcare for everyone, which includes lowered or capped drug prices, expanding access to medicaid, funding and resources for mental health services, including for substance abuse disorders. She also supports the protection of reproductive rights and expanding access to abortion and contraception. Levy believes that racial disparities need to be addressed along with socio-economic and gender-based disparities in access to healthcare.

Rachel Levy supports responsible gun ownership, and she wants to uplift the need for legislation that aims to prevent injuries and deaths from gun accidents, deaths by suicide, along with gun violence. Levy also wants gun safety training for gun owners, extreme risk protection orders, secure storage policies, along with other policies to ensure the safety of members in the community.

Buddy Fowler is a Republican who has served the 55th District since 2014. He is a graduate of Hermitage High School, and he is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Mary Washington with a degree in History. He serves as the Vice Chair of Finance and he is Chair of Subcommittee 2 for Local Taxation in the House of Delegates. He also serves on a number of other committees. Fowler voted against notices that would protect renters from rising rent without adequate notice, and he also supported legislation to restrict privacy and participation in sports for trans children. He also sponsored a bill to allow anyone with a concealed handgun permit to be exempted from the one-gun-a-month law.

Rachel Levy is the progressive choice for this race, as she maintains an extensive platform, which includes gun safety, reproductive rights, and accessible healthcare.



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