City of Roanoke

The election for President of the United States is on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Vice President Kamala Harris (D) is running against former president, Donald J. Trump (R), a businessman and former reality television star.
For her running mate, Vice President Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. For his running mate, former president Trump chose JD Vance.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris is running to be the 47th President of the United States. She previously served as a US Senator for the state of California, as well as the Attorney General for California, and the District Attorney for San Francisco.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is the Democratic candidate for Vice President of the United States. He previously served as a congressman for Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District. Governor Walz is a National Army Guard veteran and retired school teacher. 

Together on the Issues
⭐ They support reproductive freedom and access to abortion and will never allow a national abortion ban to become law!
⭐ They support affordable housing!
⭐ They support investing in small businesses–especially when it comes to entrepreneurs from marginalized communities!
⭐ They support making healthcare more accessible and affordable!
⭐ They support affordable quality childcare and education!
⭐ They support high-quality clean energy jobs and environmental justice!
⭐ They support passing the Equality Act and protecting the rights and freedoms of LGBTQIA+ communities!
⭐ They support common-sense gun violence prevention legislation!

There’s definitely more, but you get it by now.

The Opposition
Former Republican President Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance are facing off against Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz. 

The Republican candidate for president is Donald Trump. If you’ve found yourself looking at our voter guide, we probably don’t need to tell you all the reasons not to vote for him–so we’ll just do a few. Donald Trump’s administration is responsible for legislation and deregulation that led to disasters such as deregulated meat distribution and increases in working class tax payments due to his 2017 tax law. Trump also fired the CDC team that was responsible for detecting zoological diseases in wildlife in China, which was a decision that directly led to the mishandling of Covid-19. Even before his presidency, Trump had a terribly long history of racism, homophobia, sexism, violence against women, and fraudulent activity. One paragraph is not enough to cover his record of being an absolutely horrible human being, let alone a deplorable president.

Let’s not forget: thirty-four counts. And an insurrection. 🤬

JD Vance, on the other hand, is just your run-of-the-mill racist. He’s not even exceptionally good at it, seeing as how he admitted to creating false stories about Haitians on national television. He also talked about single childfree women (who are free to have children or not if they wish) using “childless cat ladies” as an insult. JD Vance’s pivot from his previous statements about Trump exposes how weak his constitution is, and how it has affected his political motivations. At best, JD Vance is a grifter who was extremely critical of Trump before he realized there was money in extreme MAGA Trumpism. At his worst, Vance is your everyday sexist who knows that the general public will excuse him for being fatally boring if he spews racist and sexist rhetoric. Please, for the love of all that is good and even somewhat enjoyable, do not vote for these vile men. 

Recommendation (Note: Not an endorsement!)
For many–maybe even countless–reasons, Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz are without a doubt the progressive candidates in this race. We don’t even need to say anything more about the other two.

This election will be held on November 5, 2024. Incumbent Democratic candidate Tim Kaine and Republican candidate Hung Cao will face each other in the general election for United States Senator for Virginia.

United States Democratic Senator Tim Kaine was first elected to the Senate in 2012. He served as Virginia’s governor from 2006 until 2010. Prior to that, he was the lieutenant governor. Additionally, Senator Kaine served as Richmond’s mayor from 1998 until 2001 and City Council District 2 representative from 1994 until 2001. In 2016, Hilary Clinton announced Senator Kaine as her running mate in her bid for the presidency. He is married to Anne Holton, former Virginia Secretary of Education. 

On the Issues 
⭐ Champions reproductive rights and access to abortion 
⭐ Was a deciding vote to protect the Affordable Care Act
⭐ Advocated for quality public education since his time in Virginia local and state politics
⭐ Helped pass the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act
⭐ Strong supporter of DACA
⭐ Passed his EMBRACE Act to improve climate resiliency at military facilities
⭐ Supports Equality Act
⭐ Popularly known as America’s Dad

The Opposition
Senator Kaine is facing a challenge from Republican candidate Hung Cao, a retired Navy captain. Cao unsuccessfully ran for Virginia’s Congressional District 10 seat against former Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton in 2022. Cao is anti-abortion, regularly uses anti-immigrant rhetoric, and boldly supports former president Donald Trump. 🤬

Recommendation (Note: Not an endorsement!)
Because of his decades-long proven track record of being a champion for the people, Senator Tim Kaine is the progressive candidate in this race. 
 

Virginia’s 6th district includes 21 counties and parts of Roanoke County and Bedford County. With a population of 784,909, this district leans Republican.

This election will be held on November 5, 2024. Incumbent Republican Ben Cline and Democratic candidate Ken Mitchell, and Independent candidate Robby Wells will face each other in the general election for Virginia’s 6th Congressional District. Congressman Ben Cline has served in the House of Representatives since 2019.

Democrat Ken Mitchell is challenging Republican incumbent Congressman Ben Cline. Mitchell is an Army veteran with a background in telecommunications, specifically in building broadband systems. Part of his time in the military was spent at the White House in an apolitical role during the Bush and Clinton administrations. He started a construction company that specialized in history renovation in rural Virginia and was hired to oversee infrastructure construction on Monticello. Mitchell also worked for an engineering firm, managing upgrades to water management systems. He lives on a small farm in Rockingham County with his fiance.

On the Issues
⭐ Expressed need to protect voter’s rights, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ rights
⭐ Believes (rightfully so) that decades of tax policies have favored the wealthy and large corporations
⭐ Notes the mental health crisis as a priority
⭐ Urges the need for Congress to codify the right of citizens to have control over their reproductive planning, supports the right to choose
⭐ Seeks to expand infrastructure into the rural areas
⭐ Endeavors to help small business owners and farmers manage changes in prices and climate
⭐ Wants to ensure every child has access to high-quality education

Things to Note
While we couldn’t find too much detailed information on this candidate, if he holds true to what he says, he would be considered a progressive choice.

The Opposition
Democrat Ken Mitchell is challenging Republican incumbent Congressman Ben Cline has been in office since 2019. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2002 until 2018. Congressman Cline holds a law degree from the University of Richmond. Previously, he was an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. During part of his time in the House of Delegates, he served as the Chairman of the Conservative Caucus. 😑He is vehemently opposed to abortion. 🤬 His votes consistently back up that claim. Congressman Cline is also seemingly against teacher unions. Unsurprisingly, he is firmly opposed to any gun violence prevention legislation. 🙄

Another Opponent
Congressman Cline also faces a challenge from Independent candidate Robby Wells, who previously ran as a Presidential candidate. Wells received a Bachelors of Arts at Furman University and a Masters in Education from the University of South Carolina. At the latter, he was an assistant football coach before moving on to be the defensive coordinator at South Carolina State University. In 2006, Wells joined the National Guard. He serves as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and is the vice president of an aviation sales company. Additionally, he owns a life insurance agency.

A couple of his priorities include:
🤡 Doubling border patrol and providing a pathway to citizenship
🤡 Employing half a million veterans to supplement school resource officers as a way to combat gun violence

Recommendation (Note: Not an endorsement!)
While there is little information on both challengers, the incumbent, Republican Congressman Ben Cline is decidedly NOT progressive. Independent Robby Wells has some questionable stances. Of the three candidates, Democrat Ken Mitchell is the most progressive choice.

Virginia’s 9th district includes 26 counties, and parts of Roanoke County and Bedford County. With a population of 785,166, this district leans strongly Republican.

This election will be held on November 5, 2024. Incumbent Republican Morgan Griffith and Democratic candidate Karen Baker will face each other in the general election for Virginia’s 9th Congressional District. Congressman Morgan Griffith has served in the House of Representatives since 2011.

Democrat Karen Baker grew up in the Midwest and graduated from William Smith College in New York. She earned a JD from Catholic University Law School. She also became a nurse in 2011 after attending Greenville Technical College. Baker has continued to do pro bono work for disabled individuals seeking disability benefits.

On the Issues
⭐ Will stand up for our reproductive rights
⭐ Wants to increase FMLA to all families with federal funding
⭐ Will advocate for paid leave to increase to 3-4 months for all families
⭐ Will advocate for decentralized, competent, women's healthcare and preventative care
⭐ Calls for an increase in funding for our public schools
⭐Will advocate for increased teacher pay and support
⭐ Advocates to make pre-K education accessible to all families
⭐ Promotes STEM education and expand vocational training programs
⭐ Advocates for increased federal funding for the construction and maintenance of affordable housing units
⭐ Advocates for policies that ensure fund for all housing, especially in economically disadvantaged areas, to meet high safety and quality standards
⭐ Believes that every person in Southwest Virginia deserves access to well-paying jobs that offer a path to advancement.

The Opposition
Democrat Karen Baker is challenging Republican incumbent Congressman Morgan Griffith, who has served in the House of Representatives since 2011. He previously served in the Virginia State House of Delegates from 1994 until 2011. His votes speak for themselves:
🤡 Voted NO on Women's Health Protection Act of 2022
🤡 Voted NO on Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022
🤡 Voted NO on Women's Health Protection Act of 2021
🤡 Voted NO to Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021 and in 2019 despite his stance to “fight for our farmers”
🤡 Voted NO to Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act
🤡 Voted NO on Assault Weapons Ban of 2022
🤡 Voted NO on the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021
🤡 Voted NO on the Protecting Our Kids Act
🤡 Working to increase coal production, which goes against climate equity.

Representative Griffith is decidedly NOT progressive.

Recommendation (Note: not an endorsement!)
While there is not a considerable amount of information on Karen Baker’s stances, what is listed on her campaign site shows good intent and progressive values. Congressman Griffith is clearly not progressive. While we cannot make a strong recommendation, Democrat Karen Baker is the progressive candidate in this race.