House District 033

Democrat Kathy Beery has lived most of her life in Virginia. She grew up in a children’s home, eventually aging out of the system. Beery earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master’s of Education at James Madison University. She is a member of Virginia Educators United, Harrisonburg Education Association, and Virginia Education Association. Beery, a grassroots organizer, advocates for reproductive healthcare and education, citing her own experiences as her inspiration. Beery has 11 grandchildren and is a retired teacher.

As a retired teacher, Beery is a strong champion for quality public education. She believes the General Assembly has the responsibility to meet this need for all children in Virginia, regardless of zip code, and notes it is required by the Virginia Constitution. Beery advocates for universal preschool and investments in the Virginia Literacy Fund. She aims to focus on policies that prepare students for careers and pushes for fully funded schools.

Beery advocates for a living wage and also stresses the importance of safe physical and mental working conditions. She is a supporter of unions and is endorsed by AFL-CIO. As a supporter of workers' right to collective bargaining, she sees so-called “right to work” laws as exploitative. She expressed her pride and excitement when school workers in Harrisonburg urged the Harrisonburg School Board to recognize their right to collective bargaining.

Beery supports abortion access and called the end Roe v. Wade a form of government overreach. She believes that people should be able to make their own healthcare decisions for themselves with the guidance of their doctors. In addition to abortion, she supports sex education and affordable, reversible contraceptives.

Health care is a priority for Beery. She believes that everyone should have access to preventative medicine and recognizes the challenges this brings to rural communities, as well as small businesses and those who are self-employed. To combat those issues, Beery supports maximizing access to preventative care, sick leave, and reducing the costs of prescription medications.

Kathy Beery is challenging incumbent Republican Senator Mark Obenshain and Libertarian candidate Joshua Huffman. Senator Obenshain has served in the Virginia State Senate since 2004. Senator Obenshain consistently votes in favor of bills aimed at creating barriers to abortion access. In 2021, he voted against a bill establishing schools as a gun-free zone.

A longtime resident of the Shenandoah Valley, Libertarian Joshua Huffman is a former member of the Republican Party. As a Libertarian, he favors limited government. He expressed disappointment in the NRA not sending him a candidate survey. He is a William and Mary graduate and holds a Master’s of Arts from West Virginia University.

Because of her stances on abortion access, public education, and commitment to workers’ rights, Kathy Beery is the progressive choice in this race.

Bob was born and raised in Chicago in a family with eight kids. In 1966, Bob enlisted in the U.S. Army as a transportation movements specialist and served 19 months in South Vietnam coordinating truck convoys that resupplied troops in the field. Bob worked at USA Today at night and taught school during the day to care for his large family. Bob continues to serve his community as a member of the Edinburg VFW Post 2447 and the Woodstock American Legion Post 199. He is a member of the Edinburg Lions and is the elected Secretary of the Shenandoah Valley Democratic Committee.

Smith supports abortion access, and he would vote against attempts to ban abortion. Smith would also vote to raise the minimum wage. He supports raising teacher pay and funding school support positions like counselors and nurses. Smith believes that everyone should have access to healthcare, and that Medicaid should be expanded to ensure that the community has that access.

Speaker Todd Gilbert has served as the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates since 2022, and he currently represents the 15th district. Because of redistricting, he is running as a Republican to represent the 33rd district. Speaker Gilbert is a former prosecutor, and he was a member of the Violent Crime Prosecution Team. Speaker Gilbert supports defunding public schools in favor of private, unregulated schools. He is also against common sense gun violence prevention measures and would vote for a ban on abortion access.

While Robert Smith has some clear progressive values, we could not find enough information to make a strong recommendation.