This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Republican Delegate Tom Garrett faces a challenge from Democrat Angela Chainer in HD-56.

Virginia’s House District 56 spans Virginia’s Piedmont region, covering all of Appomattox, Buckingham, and Cumberland counties, as well as portions of Goochland, Fluvanna, Louisa, and Prince Edward counties. In the 2024 election it leaned Republican by double‐digit margins.

Democrat Angel Chainer is a former law enforcement officer. While working at DeKalb County Police Department, she launched one of Georgia’s first community policing programs. Chainer served as Senior Police Advisor in the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, Director of Police Development Programs in Haiti, and Captain in the United Nations Peacekeeper in post-war former Yugoslavia. 

Angela Chainer pledges to defend public education. Chainer supports family farms and advocates for improved infrastructure in rural communities. She has called out House Republicans for voting to cut Medicaid and vows to ensure access to quality healthcare.

The Opposition

Incumbent Republican Delegate Tom Garrett was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2023. He represented Virginia’s 5th Congressional District for two years, and also served as Louisa County’s Commonwealth’s Attorney and Assistant Attorney General. Delegate Garrett is a University of Richmond graduate, as well as a retired artillery officer in the U.S. Army. Amidst divorce proceedings in 2023, his wife accused him of abuse.

Constitutional Amendments
- Voted against a bill to enshrine abortion rights in the Virginia Constitution
- Voted against a Constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to returning citizens
- Voted to enshrine equal marriage rights in the Virginia Constitution

Education
- Voted against a bill to raise teacher pay to the national average
- Voted against authorizing public colleges and universities to prohibit guns on school property

Economy and Inflation
- Recorded as “Not Voting” on a bill to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2027
- Voted against a bill to establish paid family and medical leave
- Voted against a bill to repeal prohibitions on collective bargaining for public employees
- Voted against establishing regulatory bodies to establish a Virginia cannabis industry
- Voted against prohibiting landlords from requiring tenants to cover extra fees
- Voted against establishing the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
- Voted against preserving local housing

Health and Human Services
- Recorded as “Not Voting” on a bill to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board
- Voted against establishing the right to access and use FDA-approved birth control
- Voted against paid family and medical leave
- Voted against requiring insurance providers to cover birth control

Other Issues
- Voted against establishing regulations for “high-risk” AI
- Voted against authorizing Ranked Choice Voting for certain local elections
- Voted against a bill that would require secure storage of firearms in households where children live

Recommendation

While Angel Chainer does hold some progressive values, at the time of this writing, we were unable to find significant information on her priorities and stances. Delegate Tom Garrett's voting record shows he consistently votes against progressive legislation. Therefore, we cannot make a recommendation in this race. We encourage you to write in a candidate of your choice, and remember to vote in every race on your ballot.