Russell 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 Israel O'Quinn faces a challenge from Democrat Cindy Green in HD-44.

Virginia’s House District 44 covers Washington County, the independent city of Bristol, and part of Russell County in Southwest Virginia’s Appalachian region. In the 2024 election it remained a strong Republican district by comfortable double-digit margins.

Democrat Cindy Green was born in Kingsport, Tennessee. She has worked in finance and economic development for thirty years, focusing on rural communities and small businesses. She is a mother and grandmother.

Constitutional Amendments
Green’s stance on reproductive rights indicates she will support HJ 1, which would enshrine reproductive rights in the Virginia Constitution. Her support for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community indicates she will support HJ 9, which would repeal the Commonwealth’s defunct same-sex marriage ban and guarantee marriage equality for LGBTQ+ Virginians.

Education
Cindy Green believes in teaching accurate history and actively challenging racism.

Economy and Inflation
Through her work in Finance and Economic Development, Green helped bolster rural communities and connected small businesses with fair lenders.

She calls for equity, recognizing that people may not all start from the same place, and sometimes adjustments are needed for fairness based on individual needs.

Health and Human Services
Green believes that people have the right to make their own decisions in healthcare and family planning. She supports commonsense gun laws.

Other Issues
Green refuses contributions from corporate PACs and lobbyists, supports stronger transparency laws, contribution limits, and public financing options.

The Opposition

Incumbent Republican Delegate Israel O’Quinn has served in the House of Delegates since 2012. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from Emory and Henry College. He and his wife live in Washington County. Key legislation:

Constitutional Amendments
- Voted against enshrining abortion rights in the Virginia Constitution
- Voted against restoring voting rights to returning citizens
- Voted against enshrining equal marriage rights in the Virginia Constitution

Education
- Voted against authorizing public colleges and universities to prohibit guns on school property
- Voted for a “forced outing” bill targeting transgender students

Economy and Inflation
- Voted against increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2027
- Voted against establishing paid family and medical leave
- Voted against repealing prohibitions on collective bargaining for public employees
- Voted against establishing the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act

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 prohibiting the manufacture, sale, or possession of assault-style weapons
- Voted against requiring secure storage of firearms in households where children live
- Voted against establishing regulations for “high-risk” AI
- Voted against authorizing Ranked Choice Voting for certain local elections

Recommendation

Based on her commitment to equity and support for abortion access and LGBTQ+ rights, Cindy Green is the progressive candidate in this race.