Pittsylvania County

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Republican incumbent Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears and former Democratic US Representative Abigail Spanberger will face each other in the general election for Governor of Virginia.

The Democratic nominee for Governor, Abigail Spanberger actually fights to expand healthcare and reproductive freedom instead of rolling over when conservatives threaten to restrict abortion rights. She’s committed to investing in clean energy, holding polluters accountable, and reducing energy costs for working families. Her gun-safety agenda goes far beyond “thoughts and prayers,” taking on the NRA head-on instead of cashing their donation checks. Spanberger’s pragmatic progressive vision gives suburban moderates and left-leaners tired of corporate centrism and culture-war theatrics a real reason to show up.

The Opposition

The Republican nominee for Governor, Winsome Earle-Sears is all about slashing taxes for big corporations while telling unemployed workers that losing a job is “no big deal.” She grandstands against critical race theory and “woke” classrooms to score culture-war points instead of tackling real education challenges. By waving her Marine Corps credentials, she sells herself as the ultimate tough-on-crime candidate, conveniently ignoring how lax gun laws endanger communities. Her true believers are MAGA zealots who think banning books, rolling back reproductive freedoms, and erasing civil liberties are more important than looking out for working families.

Recommendation

Due to her advocacy for abortion access, gun violence prevention, and clean energy, Abigail Spanberger is the progressive candidate in this race.

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Democratic Virginia State Senator Ghazala Hashmi and Republican John Reid will face each other in the general election for Lt. Governor of Virginia.

The Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor, Ghazala Hashmi is fighting to pump real money into public schools instead of the right’s perennial budget cuts and culture-war book bans. She defends reproductive freedom and Medicaid expansion for working families while conservatives keep dialing back healthcare access and waving anti-abortion placards. Her clean-energy agenda and environmental-justice bills actually target polluters, not the customary GOP handouts to pipeline lobbyists. Dreamers, suburban progressives fed up with partisan hijinks, and anyone who’d trade culture-war theatrics for equity and opportunity will cheer her unapologetic stand for Virginia’s working families.

The Opposition

The Republican nominee for Lt. Governor, John Reid is a self-styled small-government crusader who’ll happily cut taxes for wealthy donors while pretending he’s doing the same for working Virginians. He rails against “woke” curriculum and critical race theory, because apparently teaching actual American history is more offensive to him than runaway inequality. He touts law-and-order credentials and celebrity as a conservative radio host, hawking gun rights like they’re the ultimate public-safety strategy. He even plans to torpedo constitutional protections for same-sex marriage, proving that an openly gay candidate will stab his own community in the back for party unity, the perfect pick for culture-war diehards who prefer corporate giveaways to real solutions for working families.

Recommendation

Due to her advocacy for public education, abortion access, and environmental justice, Ghazala Hashmi is the progressive candidate in this race.

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares faces a challenge from former Democratic Virginia State Delegate Jay Jones.

The Democratic nominee for Attorney General, Jay Jones has pledged to sue the Trump administration every time it infringes on the rights of Virginians. He’s secured victories for abortion access, expanded Medicaid to cover thousands more Virginians, and even wrote anti-price-gouging measures to keep corporate vultures in check. His public-safety plan pairs smart gun-violence prevention and community-based crime interventions rather than recycling the right’s tired “lock ’em up” mantra for political ads. Grassroots progressives, consumer-rights advocates, and anyone sick of endless culture-war stunts will line up behind a candidate who actually puts families over fear-mongering theatrics.

The Opposition

Incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares cozies up to ICE, shaming local authorities who don’t cooperate with Trump’s policies of mass deportation, because terrorizing immigrant families is apparently his idea of due process. He grandstands on opioid crackdowns but turns a blind eye to corporate-friendly loopholes that keep the drug pipeline flowing. He bills himself as a federalism champion when suing Washington over environmental rules, conveniently ignoring states’ rights whenever big donors flash a check. His true believers are tough-on-crime zealots who think more ICE raids, harsher sentencing, and tax cuts for the wealthy are the pinnacle of compassionate governance.

Recommendation

Due to his advocacy for abortion access, gun violence prevention, and Medicaid coverage, Jay Jones is the progressive candidate in this race.

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Republican Delegate Eric Phillips faces a challenge from Democrat Melody Cartwright in HD-48.

Virginia’s House District 48 covers parts of Pittsylvania County, parts of Henry County, and the City of Martinsville in Southside Virginia. In the 2024 election it remained a strong Republican district by comfortable double-digit margins.

Democrat Melody Ann Cartwright is a Southside Virginia resident. Cartwright ran unsuccessfully for the District 48 seat in 2024. She holds a B.F.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University. Cartwright has served as an election official for Martinsville. She worked as a graphic and exhibit designer for the Virginia Museum of Natural History. While raising her daughter as a single mom, she also cared and advocated for social services for her younger siblings.

Constitutional Amendments
Melody Ann Cartwright's pledge to fight for automatic restoration of voting rights for returning citizens indicates she would support HJ 2. 

Education
Melody Ann Cartwright supports fully funding and staffing our public school systems.

Economy and Inflation
Cartwright believes legislation is needed to update landowners' and tenants' rights. She supports raising the minimum wage and repealing "right to work" laws. She supports quality affordable housing and has been an advocate for tenant rights for 25 years.

Health and Human Services
She pledges to fight for access to healthcare, including a maternity ward, and lower costs overall.

Other Issues
Cartwright has stated she will not accept campaign contributions from utility companies. She vows not to take away gun rights, but notes she will stand firm for gun education and gun safety legislation.

The Opposition

Incumbent Republican Delegate Eric Phillips was first elected to the House of Delegates in a 2024 special election. He is a small business owner and serves on several boards, including the Republican Party of Virginia Executive Committee. He and his wife live in Henry County; they have three children and two grandchildren. Key legislation:

- 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 against enshrining equal marriage rights in the Virginia Constitution

- Economy and Inflation
- Voted against a bill increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2027
- Voted against establishing paid family and medical leave
- Recorded as “Abstention” on a bill to repeal prohibitions on collective bargaining for public employees
- Voted against establishing regulatory bodies to establish a Virginia cannabis industry
- Voted against establishing the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
- Voted against preserving local housing

- Health and Human Services
- Voted against a bill to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board
- Voted against establishing the right to access and use FDA-approved birth control
- 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 authorizing public colleges and universities to prohibit guns on school property
- Voted against a bill that would require secure storage of firearms in households where children live

We were unable to find information on Independent candidate Barbara Hancock.

Recommendation

Based on her commitment to fight for the restoration of rights and commonsense gun legislation, Melody Ann Cartwright is the progressive candidate in this race.

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Democrat Gary Miller and Republican Madison Whittle will face off in HD-49.

Virginia’s House District 49 covers Danville City and parts of Halifax and Pittsylvania counties in Southside Virginia. In the 2024 election it leaned Republican by single-digit margins.

Democrat Dr. Gary Miller is a cardiologist and small business owner. He founded Cardiology Consultants of Danville and currently serves on the Danville City Council, where he was appointed in 2008. Dr. Miller holds a B.S. in Biology from Virginia Tech and a medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia. He previously served on the Virginia Board of Medicine and is Counselor to the Medical Society of Virginia for the Fifth District. He currently serves on the Danville Utility Commission and the Danville-Pittsylvania County RIFA.

Constitutional Amendments
Dr. Miller’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights indicates he would support HJ 9, which would repeal the Commonwealth’s defunct same-sex marriage ban and guarantee marriage equality for LGBTQ+ Virginians.

Education
Dr. Miller pledges to invest in public schools and opportunities for high school graduates by:
- Raising teacher pay to match state averages
- Making community college tuition-free for in-demand careers
- Expanding STEM, apprenticeship & vocational programs

Economy and Inflation
Dr. Miller advocates for supporting small businesses & entrepreneurs with grants and promises to raise the minimum wage and protect union rights. He will work towards creating an alliance with Halifax and Henry Counties to partner on industrial parks. He hopes to bring 5,000+ new jobs to Southside within 5 years.

Health and Human Services​
Dr. Miller believes that healthcare is a right, not a privilege and pledges to protect Medicaid and Social Security. He advocates for lowering prescription drug costs for families. He also supports an increase in funding for rural hospitals and recruiting more doctors and wants to guarantee every Southside resident is within 30 minutes of a doctor.

Other Issues
Dr.  Miller will fight to repair aging roads and bridges and improve public transit & transportation access. He advocates for expanding broadband internet to every home & business. He also supports expanding early voting and implementing automatic voter registration.

The Opposition

Republican Madison John Redd Whittle serves on the Danville City Council. He is a small business owner and owner-developer of several properties. Whittle is a member of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce and a founding member of the Crossroads Christian Counseling Mission.

Constitutional Amendments
Madison John Redd Whittle is anti-abortion and would oppose HJ 1, which would enshrine reproductive rights in the Virginia Constitution.

Education
Madison John Redd Whittle lists “Parental Rights” as a major priority in regard to schools.

Other Issues
Madison Whittle calls himself “Pro-Gun and Pro-Hunter” and pledges to oppose gun violence prevention legislation. He vows to empower law enforcement.

Recommendation

Based on his support for LGBTQ+ rights and access to quality, affordable healthcare, Dr. Gary Miller is the more progressive candidate in this race.

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Republican Delegate Eric Zehr faces a challenge from Democrat Joy Powers in HD-51.

Virginia’s House District 51 spans portions of Campbell, Bedford, and Pittsylvania counties. In the 2024 election it leaned Republican by double-digit margins.

Democrat Joy Powers is a small business owner. She has been an active member of many organizations including Virginia FFA, Virginia 4-H, Chamblissburg Ruritans, Virginia Simmental Association and the Virginia Farm Bureau. An advocate of sustainable agriculture, she founded Restore the Harvest, providing education and resources worldwide. Powers served as the Superintendent of the Bedford County Fair and also served on the Bedford County Agricultural Economic Development Advisory Board. She lives on a farm in Bedford with her family, including her son, who she adopted through foster care.

Education
Joy Powers supports fully funding public education and raising teacher pay. She advocates for expanding vocational & workforce training. She has criticized Trump’s cuts to the Department of Education.

Economy and Inflation
Powers fights for additional funding to fix roads and bridges. She defends farmland and property rights and wants to make it easier for businesses, including farms and agribusiness, to thrive. She advocates for expanding access to rural broadband.

Health and Human Services
Powers supports fair funding and better access to quality healthcare.

Other Issues
Powers supports “responsible gun ownership” and opposes “overreaching gun bans”. She pledges to invest in law enforcement and first responders.

The Opposition

Incumbent Republican Delegate Eric Zehr was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2023. He previously served on the Campbell County Board of Supervisors from 2013 to 2017. Delegate Zehr also chaired a local Republican Party, as well as a House District Republican Committee. Key legislation:

- 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 against enshrining 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
- Voted against a bill to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2027
- Voted against 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
- Voted against establishing a Prescription Drug Affordability Board
- Voted against establishing the right to access and use FDA-approved birth control
- Voted against requiring insurance providers to cover birth control

- Other Issues
- Voted against establishing regulations for “high-risk” AI
- Voted against a bill that would require secure storage of firearms in households where children live

Recommendation

Based on her support for fully funding public education and quality affordable healthcare, Joy Powers is the progressive candidate in this race.