Virginia

Virginia’s 1st district includes 15 counties and parts of Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover Counties. With 810,541, this district leans Republican. 

This election will be held on November 5, 2024. Incumbent Republican Rob Wittman and Democratic candidate Leslie Mehta will face each other in the general election for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. Congressman Rob Wittman has served in the House of Representatives since 2007.

Leslie Mehta is the Democratic candidate for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. She is a civil rights attorney and previous legal director at the ACLU of Virginia. Mehta received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina. She completed her law degree at Howard University School of Law. She is an advocate for people with Rett’s Syndrome, losing her own daughter to the disorder in 2021. She grew up in North Carolina and currently resides in Chesterfield County with her husband and daughter.

On the Issues
⭐ Committed to protecting access to abortion, contraceptives, IVF, and the full spectrum of reproductive care
⭐ Lists equitable healthcare as a top priority and will fight for access to affordable, quality healthcare for all
⭐ Advocates for rare disease awareness and supports ongoing funding for rare diseases
⭐ Supports common sense gun violence prevention legislation and prioritizes community safety

Things to Note
Appointed to Governor Northam’s Commision to Examine Racial and Economic Inequity
Served on Governor Youngkin’s Rare Disease Council
Mehta represented Jason Kessler, organizer for the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Her reasoning was that the First Amendment rights of Americans should be defended.

The Opposition
Leslie Mehta is challenging Republican incumbent, Congressman Rob Wittman. He has represented CD1 since 2007. Prior to that, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2006-2007. Here are just some of his bad votes while in Congress:
🤡 Voted to defund Planned Parenthood [emoji]
🤡 Voted against Women’s Health Protection Act
🤡 Voted “NO” on the Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act
🤡 Voted “NO” on the Strength in Diversity Act
🤡 Voted against CROWN Act of 2021
🤡 Voted against George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021
🤡 Voted in favor of repealing the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
🤡 Voted against gun violence prevention bills
🤡 Voted against assault weapons ban
And he co-sponsored legislation to loosen restrictions on gun purchases. 🤡🤡🤡

Recommendation (Note: Not an Endorsement!)
While we could not find a significant amount of information on her views and values, based on her commitment to protecting access to abortion and support for gun violence prevention intervention, Leslie Mehta is the progressive candidate in this race.

Virginia’s 2nd district includes 6 counties and parts of Southampton county and Chesapeake City. With a population of 780,161, this district leans Republican.

This election will be held on November 5, 2024. Incumbent Republican Jen Kiggans and Democratic candidate Missy Cotter Smasal will face each other in the general election for Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District. Congresswoman Jen Kiggans has served in the House of Representatives since 2022.

Missy Cotter Smasal is a former small business owner who served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy. She is an adjunct professor at Old Dominion University and the executive director of Valor Run, a nonprofit organization that honors service women through running events. Smasal serves as the Virginia Citizen representative of the Chesapeake Bay Commission. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in political science from Villanova University and her Master or Science in Education from Old Dominion University. She lives with her husband and two children in Virginia Beach.

On the Issues
⭐ Champions reproductive freedom and access to abortion
⭐ Supports codifying access to abortion
⭐ Stated she will never support cuts to Social Security and Medicare, urging action that ensures both remain strong
⭐ Advocates for expanding Medicare’s ability to negotiate lower prescription prices
⭐ Supports fair share taxes on wealthy to increase revenue for social services
⭐ Against privatization of Social Security
⭐ Advocated for Virginia Beach’s ERA resolution
⭐ Expressed need to hold corporations accountable for price gouging
⭐ Advocates for policies that focus on economic growth in Coastal Virginia
⭐ Public Service is about delivering results for your community.


The Opposition
Missy Cotter Smasal is challenging Republican incumbent Congresswoman Jen Kiggans, who has served in Congress since 2022. Previously, she served as a Virginia State Senator from 2020-2021. She is a U.S. Navy veteran and nurse practitioner. Kiggans does not support access to abortion or common sense gun violence prevention legislation. While in the state legislature she introduced anti-trans legislation that targeted trans students. Progress Virginia has taken issue with her stances for years. Here are just some of her bad votes while in the state legislature and as a member of Congress:
🤡 Voted against establishing the Reproductive Health Protection Act
🤡 Voted against repealing the Abortion Prohibition in Virginia Health Insurance Plans
🤡 Voted against establishing gun-free zones on School Board property
🤡 Voted against prohibiting the possession of firearms within 40 feet of a polling place
🤡 Voted against establishing protections for transgender students
🤡 Voted to force schools to out transgender students to their parents regardless of their safety
🤡 Voted against increasing the amount of time the State Department has to complete firearm background checks
🤡 Voted against prohibiting individuals subject to a protective order from possessing firearms
She also co-sponsored a bill to prohibit mask mandates in schools at the height of the pandemic. 🤮 And she endorsed Donald Trump. Eww. 🤬

Recommendation (Note: Not an Endorsement!)
Missy Cotter Smasal is a strong advocate for reproductive freedoms, holding corporations accountable, and fair share taxes. Because of this, Missy Cotter Smasal is the progressive candidate in this race.

Virginia’s 3rd district includes 4 counties and parts of Chesapeake City. With a population of 781,088 this district leans Democratic.

This election will be held on November 5, 2024. Incumbent Democrat Bobby Scott, Republican candidate John Sitka, and Independent candidate Rhoda Taylor-Young will face each other in the general election for Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District. Congressman Bobby Scott has served in the House of Representatives since 1993.

Democrat incumbent Congressman Bobby Scott has served in Congress since 1993. He previously served in the State Senate from 1983 until 1993, as well as the House of Delegates from 1978 until 1983. He grew up in Newport News and is a graduate of Harvard College and Boston College Law School. Previously, he served in the National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve. He is the Top Democrat of the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Crime Subcommittee on the House Judiciary Committee.

On the Issues
⭐ Supports reproductive freedom and the right to abortion
⭐ Co-sponsored Women’s Health Protection Act, Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act of 2023, and Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom
⭐ Sponsored the Raise the Wage Act of 2023 alongside Senator Bernie Sanders
⭐ Praises the Affordable Healthcare Act and opposes attempts to weaken or repeal the act
⭐ Is a member of the Pro-Choice Caucus and co-sponsored the Access to Family Building Act (establishes a federal right to access IVF)
⭐ Introduced the Lower Drug Costs for American Families Act
⭐ Sponsored the Safe, Accountable, Fair, and Effective (SAFE) Justice Act
⭐ Supports gun violence prevention and helped introduce the Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act
⭐ Voted in favor of an assault weapons ban
⭐ As Co-Chair of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus, voted in favor of the John Lewis Voting Rights Bill
⭐ There are more good things… simply too much too list here.

Things to Note
Founded the Peninsula Legal Aid Center
One of the youngest branch presidents of the Newport News NAACP
Serves on the Committee on the Budget
Vice-chair of the House Democratic Caucus Gun Violence Prevention TasK Force

The Opposition
Congressman Bobby Scott is being challenged by Republican John Sitka. 🤡 He unsuccessfully ran for the Virginia House of Delegates District 93 seat against Delegate Jackie Glass in 2023. Sitka has a Doctorate in Education Leadership from Liberty University. He is a Navy Veteran. His issues page engages in anti-immigrant rhetoric, and he looks to “a wall” as a way to enforce clearly anti-immigrant/anti-immigration ideas. Sitka opposes gun violence prevention legislation. In other words, he is absolutely not a progressive. 🤬

Recommendation (Note: Not an Endorsement!)
Because of his decades-long career in progressive politics and his track record of fighting for the people, Bobby Scott is the progressive candidate in this race. Honestly, we couldn’t even include all the amazing legislation he has been part of.

Virginia’s 4th district includes 12 counties and parts of Chesterfield County, Henrico County, and Southampton County. With a population of 790,811 this district leans Democratic.

This election will be held on November 5, 2024. Incumbent Democrat Jennifer McClellan and Republican candidate Bill Moher will face each other in the general election for Virginia’s 4th Congressional District. Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan has served in the House of Representatives since 2023, when she won the special election following the death of Congressman Don McEachin, making her Virginia’s first Black congresswoman.

Democrat Incumbent Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan has served in Congress since 2023. Prior to serving in Congress, she served in the Virginia State Senate from 2017 until 2023 and the House of Delegates from 2006 until 2017. She is the daughter of community leaders and educators. She graduated from the University of Richmond and received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law. She lives in Richmond with her husband and two children.

On the Issues
⭐ Worked to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment
⭐ Passed the Voting Rights Act of Virginia 🤩
⭐ Passed the Virginia Clean Economy Act and the Solar Freedom Act
⭐ Passed the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights
⭐ Passed the Reproductive Health Protection Act and the Pregnant Worker Fairness Act
⭐ Created a state-based health exchange under Obamacare
⭐ Carried the bill to make Virginia the first state in the South to remove the ban on abortion coverage for health insurance plans offered through the state health insurance exchange
⭐ Expanded tenant rights and protections and strengthened foreclosure protections for homeowners
⭐ Introduced legislation to fully fund public education
⭐ Introduced legislation for all kids in the Commonwealth to have access to healthcare, regardless of citizenship
⭐ Co-sponsored legislation to reinstate Virginia’s “one-gun-a-month rule” and to allow localities to prohibit guns in certain public spaces
⭐ Note: this isn’t even everything–not even close– but we think you get the picture.

Things to Note
Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
2020 Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic’s Legislative Leadership & Courage Award
2020 NARAL of Virginia’s Legislator of the Year Award

The Opposition
Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan is being challenged by Republican Bill Moher. He is a native of Arlington and an entrepreneur. He is also an investor and advisor. Moher prioritizes protecting the Second Amendment. He wants to “crack down” on immigration. 🙄We couldn’t find too much information on his priorities, but we found enough to know he is not the one.

Recommendation (Note: Not an Endorsement!)
Congresswoman McClellan has an incredible track record of introducing legislation with progressive values. Based on her longstanding history of advocating for reproductive rights, healthcare for all, and gun violence prevention, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan is the clear progressive candidate in this race.

Virginia’s 5th district includes 21 counties and parts of Albemarle County, Bedford County, and Hanover County. With a population of 797,420 this district leans Republican. 

This election will be held on November 5, 2024. Republican candidate John McGuire and Democratic candidate Gloria Tinsley Witt will face each other in the general election for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. The current representative is Congressman Bob Good, who was not chosen as the Republican candidate in the 2024 primary election.

Democratic candidate Gloria Tinsley Witt grew up on a small farm in Amherst. She began working in a tobacco field when she was 14 years old. Witt earned a degree in communications and economics from Randolph College. She spent over three decades working at a leading global energy company. After retiring in 2013, she started a coaching company aimed at developing the next generation of executives and leaders.

On the Issues
⭐ Expresses the need to restore reproductive rights
⭐ Wants to expand access to basic quality healthcare, enhance mental health access for all, and advance affordable childcare
⭐ Pushes to preserve Protect the PACT Act - the largest expansion of health care and benefits for veterans
⭐ Advocates for preserving Social Security, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act
⭐ Wants to expand access to voting - Advance the John Lewis Voting Act
⭐ Supports gun violence prevention legislation, such as banning assault weapons and mandated waiting periods
⭐ Pushes for re-inventing k-12 public school education and replace “No Child Left Behind” policies
⭐ Advocates for supporting teachers through licensure, pay, and development
⭐ Wants to strengthen pathways to workforce skill development: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs
⭐ Wants to adjust the federal minimum wage
⭐ Emphasizes need for smart climate-friendly economic growth and fair share tax policies
⭐ Wishes to expand access to voting - Advance the John Lewis Voting Act.

Things to Note
Served in leadership roles at several civic organizations
Previously president of the NAACP Amherst Branch and the Central Virginia Academy for Nonprofit Excellence
Endorsed as a Virginia Gun Sense Candidate
Wants to innovate immigration processing solutions to assess, relocate, employ, or deport individuals 🤔
Little information exists outside her website, so much of this information is pulled directly from that source. If possible, always seek additional confirmation of positions from other sources.

The Opposition
Gloria Tinsley Witt is facing off against Republican State Senator John McGuire. Senator McGuire has served in the Virginia State Senate since 2024. Previously, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2018 until 2024. Through legislation he introduced and his votes on others’ bills, Senator McGuire has shown time and again that he is anti-abortion. He also tried to repeal risk-protection order laws. He has also voted:
🤡 against establishing an independent policing auditor to oversee civilian law enforcement oversight groups
🤡 against extending voting rights to citizens on parole
🤡 against repealing the death penalty
🤡 against repealing the “Gay Panic” murder defense
🤡 against establishing better standards for LEO training and qualifications
🤡 against prohibiting no-knock search warrants
🤡 against establishing gun-free zones on School Board property

He also co-sponsored a bill to deny trans women and girls the right to participate in sports and a bill to require the forced outing of students exploring their gender identities to parents who may be hostile to them. Additionally, Senator McGuire voted against requiring schools to create policies friendly to transgender students. 🤬

Things to Note
The first thing you will see on McGuire’s website, after an embedded form to donate, is the following endearing statement:
About John
Pro-Life. Pro-Gun. Pro-Trump. 🤮
This should tell you all you need to know.

Recommendation (Note: Not an endorsement!)
There is too much that can be said about Senator John Mcguire. Suffice it to say, he is a Trumper through and through and is hostile to the rights of anyone who isn’t a straight white Christian man. Gloria Tinsley Witt shares many of our values, and her policy positions indicate her progressive intent. If she holds to her word, Gloria Tinsley Witt 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 7th district includes 9 counties and parts of Prince William County and Albemarle  County. With a population of 798,820, this district leans Democratic and Republican.

This election will be held on November 5, 2024. Democratic candidate Eugene Vindman and Republican candidate Derrick Anderson will face each other in the general election for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District. The current representative is Abigail Spanberger, who is not seeking reelection. Congresswoman Spanberger is in the running for Governor of Virginia in 2025.

Eugene Vindman is an Army veteran and former JAG Corps officer, where he served as a prosecutor. He was born in Soviet Ukraine and grew up in Brooklyn after immigrating to the United States. Vindman attended SUNY Binghamton and later put himself through law school. With his brother, blew the whistle on former President Donald Trump’s attempted extortion of the Ukrainian President, for which they were fired.


On the Issues
⭐ Considers himself an ally for LGBT rights
⭐ Asserts he will stand up to MAGA Republicans and protect a woman’s right to an abortion
⭐ Supports common sense gun violence prevention legislation
⭐ Advocates for fair, safe, and strong immigration reforms
⭐ Pledges to support family farms
⭐ Wants to expand access to rural broadband and rural healthcare
⭐ Pushes for restoration of Roe with the passing of the Women’s Health Protection Act
⭐ Says he will stop attempts to ban abortion, IVF, or contraceptives
⭐ Wants to improve resources for veterans
⭐ Supports public education and stands against book bans
⭐ Supports unions and says he will co-sponsor the PRO Act
⭐ Advocates for supporting Ukraine
⭐Stands against Project 2025

NOTE: We could find few sources for Vindman’s positions outside of his website. Nearly all of the news about him pertains to his role as a whistleblower in the Trump White House and his service in the Army.

The opposition
Eugene Vindman is facing off against Republican Derrick Anderson. Anderson worked in the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the White House during former President Donald Trump’s administration. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science (Legal Option), and then joined the U.S. Army as an infantry officer. In 2019, Derrick graduated from Georgetown University Law Center. Anderson applauded the overturning of Roe v. Wade. 😡He celebrated the March for Life, whose goal is to “end abortion,” and enthusiastically campaigned with Yesli Vega even after she doubted women could get pregnant from rape. Anderson has also unsurprisingly spewed some anti-immigrant rhetoric. There’s more, but we doubt you need more convincing that this guy is not the one.

Recommendation (Note: Not an endorsement!)
Anderson tries to fashion himself as your everyday working man. Still, his policy positions and intentional alignment with Donald Trump make it clear that his number one priority is preserving a Christian nationalist state at the expense of millions’ human rights.

Vindman’s policy positions are broadly progressive and align generally with our values. We must include a caveat, as it has been noted many times during the primary that Vindman is not as well integrated into the area as some of the other candidates were and does not appear to know as much about local politics as many would like. That said, he seems intent to put in the work to fill in the gaps there and has earned support from many local officials. Eugene Vindman is the more progressive choice in this race.

Virginia’s 8th district includes Arlington County, Alexandria County, and Falls Church County counties and part of Fairfax County. With a population of 784,684, this district leans strongly Democratic.

This election will be held on November 5, 2024. Incumbent Democrat Don Beyer Jr., Republican candidate Jerry Torres, and Independent candidates Bentley Foster Hensel and David R. Kennedy will face each other in the general election for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District. Congressman Don Beyer Jr. has served in the House of Representatives since 2015.

Incumbent Congressman Don Beyer is serving his fifth term as the U.S. Representative from Virginia’s 8th District. He served as Lieutenant Governor from 1990 until 1998. He was Virginia’s Democratic nominee for Governor in 1997.Rep. Beyer is the senior House Democrat on Congress’s Joint Economic Committee, and serves on the essential House Committee on Ways and Means. He is a member of the New Democrat Coalition’s Climate Change Task Force and the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He has served in a number of leadership roles both in business and for progressive causes. He lives in Alexandria with his wife.

On the Issues
⭐ Voted for Emergency Medical Services for Children Reauthorization Act of 2023
⭐ Voted for Action for Dental Health Act of 2023
⭐ Voted for Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act
⭐ Co-sponsor of Medicare for All and sponsor of the Choose Medicare Act because “I firmly believe in a future with universal healthcare”
⭐ Voted AGAINST Lower Costs, More Transparency Act in accordance with the wishes of the American Hospital Association, who wrote Speaker Johnson and Leader Jeffries in opposition of the bill for “site-neutral payment cuts” in the bill that would cut over $3.7B over 10 years to essential drug administration services.
⭐ Co-sponsored the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022
⭐ Voted for Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022, co-sponsored Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021
⭐ Repeatedly voted against politically motivated anti-abortion bills
⭐ Voted against politically motivated condemnation of Biden administration’s handling of the border
⭐ Voted against the Police Our Border Act
⭐ Voted against the politically motivated bills attacking immigrants
⭐ Voted for the Federal Prison Oversight Act
⭐ Repeatedly voted against politically motivated attacks on efforts to hold police accountable
⭐ Voted for Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act of 2022
⭐ Voted to protect and provide care for pregnant women in custody
⭐ Voted for the Mental Health Justice Act of 2022
⭐ Co-Sponsored and Voted for the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2021
⭐ Voted for the Family Violence Prevention Order Act of 2021

The Opposition
Incumbent Democrat Congressman Don Beyer is being challenged by Republican Jerry Torres, as well as Independents Bentley Hensel and David R. Kennedy. We could not find social media accounts or a campaign website for Jerry Torres. 🤔

Independent Bentley Hensel grew up in Louisiana and has since worked on campaigns to elect Democrats. He is a Sr. Data and DevOps engineer at CivicActions. He supports fair taxes and notes campaign finance reform as a priority. Hensel wants to establish a non-partisan panel of security experts, consumer advocates, and other experts to review data breaches and determine what must be done to counteract them and compensate their victims. Interestingly, Hensel lists Digital Gaming Rights as one of his key issues. Specifically, he is focused on the industry’s DRM (Digital Rights Management) issue. There are many issues in the games sphere, many of which have been highlighted and targeted by the EU. Hensley’s suggestions mirror some of the better policy that has been implemented in this arena. This is a niche issue, but it is one worth mentioning. Gaming is big business, and many of the worst, most predatory practices in the corporate world have gone largely unchecked in the gaming industry.

Independent David R. Kennedy was born in New Jersey. He is a recent graduate from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C. and also has earned a Master’s in public policy studies from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Lehigh University. He has worked in higher education financial policy and advocated for federal government support for medical research, science and technology for over thirty years. He is a ten-year resident of Northern Virginia and lives with his wife and their three cats. He supports the right to choose and advocates for affordable housing solutions and fair wages. Kennedy also looks to partnerships between schools, police, the criminal justice system, and the faith community to make our streets safe.

Recommendation (Note: Not an endorsement!)
Hensel’s policy proposals are undoubtedly progressive, but there are too few areas he discusses. We simply do not know his positions on some of the issues we most passionately advocate for, so we cannot fully recommend him. That said, he appears to have a good head on his shoulders and offers good advice for how to better tackle the growing tech industry and its problems.

What Kennedy has listed as his issues and priorities are all certainly progressive ideals. His career and life path prove that he has walked the walk as well. That said, he has too little information on too few things for us to truly know how robust his progressive ideals are. He is a progressive choice in this race, but we cannot fully recommend him for these reasons.

Rep. Beyer has a strong record as a progressive representative. He is a champion of healthcare rights across the board and for criminal justice. For these reasons, Representative Don Beyer is the progressive candidate in this race.

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.

Virginia’s 10th district includes 5 counties, and parts of Prince William County and Fairfax County. With a population of 784,684, this district leans both Democratic and Republican.

This election will be held on November 5, 2024. Democratic candidate Suhas Subramanyam and Republican candidate Mike Clancy will face each other in the general election for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District. The current representative is Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D), and she will not be seeking re-election.

Democratic candidate Suhas Subramanyam is a Virginia State Senator for District 32. He has served in the State Senate since 2024. He also served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2020 until 2024. He holds a law degree from Northwestern University. Previously, he served as a policy aid at Capitol Hill and a White House Technology Policy Advisor to President Obama. He was also a volunteer medic, EMT, and firefighter. He lives in Ashburn with his wife and two children.

On the Issues
⭐ Voted YES to repeals the Abortion Prohibition in Virginia Health Insurance Plans
⭐ Voted YES to establish the "Reproductive Health Protection Act"
⭐ Will defend reproductive rights
⭐ Worked on the Affordable Care Act and helped pass the law in Congress
⭐ Supports making Medicare a health care option for everyone so we can reduce costs for working families
⭐ Will take steps to expand access to mental health care providers and advocate for increasing research into preventative steps for our communities to support their neighbors
⭐ Has a history of advocating for gun violence prevention
⭐ Subramanyam is the primary author of SB 273, which would establish a 5 day firearm purchase waiting period for any gun purchased in the Commonwealth of Virginia
⭐ Voted YES to require Background Check for Firearm Transfers
The Opposition
Republican Mike Clancy is challenging Democratic Senator Suhas Subramanyam. Clancy is a lawyer, business executive, and national media commentator. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in government and philosophy from University of Notre Dame, as well as a JD from George Washington University Law School and a Masters from the University of Pennsylvania. He served on then Governor-elect Youngkin’s Technology and Cybersecurity Transition Team. Clancy does not support reproductive rights and will not defend abortion rights federally. 🤡 He blames immigrants for fentanyl overdoses as well as human trafficking. He opposes commonsense gun protections and will not support assault weapons ban. 🤬

Recommendation (Note: not an endorsement!)
Based on his longstanding history of support for both gun violence prevention, upholding reproductive rights, and upholding other progressive values, Suhas Subramanyam is the progressive candidate for this race.

Virginia’s 11th district includes Fairfax City and part of Fairfax County. With a population of 784,031, this district leans strongly Democratic.

This election will be held on November 5, 2024. Incumbent Democrat Gerry Connolly and Republican candidate Van Meter will face each other in the general election for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District. Congressman Gerry Connolly has served in the House of Representatives since 2009.

Democratic incumbent Congressman Gerry Connolly has served in the House of Representatives since 2009. He has Bachelor of Arts in literature from Maryknoll College. He is a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and chairs the Subcommittee on Government Operations. He also serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and sits on two of its subcommittees. Congressman Connolly is the president of the North Atlantic Treat Organization Parliamentary Assembly. He is the recipient of numerous awards and has sat on several boards of different committees. He lives in Mantua with his wife.

On the Issues
⭐ Has and will continue to support abortion rights
⭐ An original co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act
⭐ Co-sponsor of Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022
⭐ Continues to be a champion of LGBTQ+ rights
⭐ Supports The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
⭐ Supports the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act
⭐ Understands the need for holistic, system-wide approaches to materially improve the lives of Black, Brown, indigenous and immigrant adults, children, and families, to fully confront and address the history of racism in this country and the ways in which it still manifests today.
⭐ Advocates for gun violence prevention
⭐ Voted YES on Assault Weapons Ban of 2022
⭐ Mom’s Demand Action Gun Sense candidate
⭐ This list only accounts for a small portion of progressive legislation that Congressman Connolly has supported.

The Opposition
Republican Mike Van Meter is challenging Democratic incumbent Congressman Gerry Connolly. Van Meter is a former naval officer, police officer, and FBI agent. He holds several degrees and is a behavioral therapist. He is anti-abortion, anti-immigrant, and anti gun violence prevention legislation. 🤬 Van Meter opposes LGBTQ+ education and is unsurprisingly anti-trans. 🙄 He also has a podcast.

Recommendation (Note: not an endorsement!)
Congressman Gerry Connolly is the progressive choice for this race due to his outstanding support for equity in our communities, his dedication to preserving reproductive and abortion rights, and his commitment to reducing gun violence in our communities.