City of Virginia Beach

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 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.

This election will be held on November 5, 2024.

Sharon Felton has earned the endorsement of our education partners at The Virginia Voter Guide, which we have included below. You can also learn more about her on their website here. 

Sharon Felton is running for an at-large seat on the Virginia Beach School Board in the 2024 election. She has been a dedicated member of the Virginia Beach School Board since 2015 and has consistently advocated for policies supporting equity in education, modernization of school facilities, and improving student mental health resources.

This election will be held on November 5, 2024. 

Jen Franklin has earned the endorsement of our education partners at The Virginia Voter Guide, which we have included below. You can also learn more about her on her website here. 

Jen Franklin has called Hampton Roads home since 1989. She came here with the military but stayed because of her love for Virginia Beach and its community. Having worked for many years as a single mom, she understands the rigors of balancing work, raising kids, and supporting the teachers that work with our children every day. Jen has served on the Virginia Beach School Board since 2021. Her passion for supporting the division started over 25 years ago. She worked with the schools through the PTSA, and she spent the last four years of her involvement with PTSA on the Kempsville High School board serving as President. For over 20 years, she served as a Naval Reservist (retired), Small Business Owner, Fitness Instructor, Coach/Trainer, and Career Mortgage Banker in the Hampton Roads area. Born in Korea and then adopted into a hard-working family in Pennsylvania, Jennifer has a great appreciation for everything that this country offers and the opportunities it holds. She never takes that for granted and will work hard to continue to make positive strides on the School Board. She looks at every issue with a thoughtful perspective and stays focused on the solutions needed to create an environment where all students can thrive and school employees can feel supported.

She lives in the Kempsville area with her husband, Rob. Their three children all attended K-12 in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools division. Jen and Rob feel that all their children thrived in the environment of VBCPS. She looks forward to the opportunity to continue to give back to her great community.
 

This election will be held on November 5, 2024.

Alveta Green has earned the endorsement of our education partners at The Virginia Voter Guide, which we have included below. You can also learn more about her on their website here. 

Dr. Alveta Green is a candidate for Virginia Beach School Board District 4. Alveta retired from Virginia Beach City Public Schools in 2022 as the Executive Director of Student Support Services after 39 years in public education. Prior to coming to VBCPS where she spent 17 years, Alveta was a teacher, school counselor, administrator, and Specialist with the Virginia Department of Education.

She received her Bachelor of Arts in English and Master of Education in Guidance and Counseling degrees from Virginia State University. She also earned a Doctorate in Education Administration and Policy Studies from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

This election will be held on November 5, 2024.

Melinda Josa Rogers has earned the endorsement of our education partners at The Virginia Voter Guide, which we have included below. You can also learn more about her on their website here.  

Melinda’s connection to Virginia Beach began in 2016 when her husband, Josh, secured a position with Armada Hoffler in Town Center. A dedicated family woman, Melinda and Josh are proud parents to three children: Alex (17), enrolled in the Visual Performing Arts Academy at Salem High School; Lilly (14), a student at Kellam High School; and Jacob (12), attending Princess Anne Middle School.

Beyond their roles as parents, the family actively engages in community service. They have contributed to cleanup initiatives with “Lynnhaven Now” and frequently participate in the Walk for Alzheimer’s, demonstrating a commitment to both environmental and health-related causes. Melinda extends her service to the local school division, taking on leadership roles such as President of the Band Boosters for Salem High School and involvement with the Friends of the Academy (FOTA) at Salem. Through these volunteer efforts, Melinda and her family embody a commitment to community well-being and actively contribute to the enrichment of educational and civic life in Virginia Beach.
 

This election will be held on November 5, 2024.

Matthew Cummings has earned the endorsement of our education partners at The Virginia Voter Guide, which we have included below. You can also learn more about him on their website here.  

Matt Cummings is a proud parent of two children in the Virginia Beach Public School System—one attending Salem Middle School and the other enrolled in the Global Language Academy at Tallwood. With over 13 years of experience in education, Matt is running for the Virginia Beach District Seven School Board. His career includes three years teaching ESL in Shanghai, China, five years working in higher education with college access programs, and five years as a Vice President, where he scaled a vocational training program that provided certifications in Cybersecurity, UX Design, and Software Engineering to retail workers, distribution center employees, and formerly incarcerated individuals. Matt's platform emphasizes the need for advocating for recruitment and retention of our educators and support staff, strong student outcomes, safe learning environments, robust support for music and arts education, expanded vocational training opportunities, enhanced dual-credit partnerships, and a strong commitment to equity and justice within the school system. Through Matt’s professional experiences, he has expertise in student interventions, operations, data analytics, and equity-driven leadership make him a compelling candidate with the vision and experience to make a significant impact on the school board. Matt has been married for 19 years and currently resides in the Salem Woods neighborhood of Virginia Beach
with his two kids and three dogs.