Progressive Voters Guide Powered by Progress Virginia
Joshua G. Cole photo
Democrat

Joshua G. Cole

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This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Democratic Delegate Joshua Cole faces a challenge from Republican Sean Steinway in HD-65.

Virginia’s House District 65 covers portions of Stafford County, the City of Fredericksburg, and Spotsylvania County in Virginia’s Piedmont region. In the 2024 election Democratic presidential and senatorial nominees carryied the district by about ten points each.

Incumbent Democratic Delegate Joshua Cole was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2019, becoming the youngest person and first Black person elected from the Fredericksburg region to the General Assembly. After his first term, he was unseated by former Republican Delegate Tara Durant by less than 1,000 votes. Delegate Cole successfully ran again in 2023. He is a local pastor. He and his wife have two children.
Committee Assignments: General Laws, Health and Human Services, Privileges and Elections (Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee Chair)


Constitutional Amendments
- Co-sponsored a Constitutional Amendment to enshrine abortion rights in Virginia’s Constitution
- Co-sponsored a Constitutional Amendment to restore voting rights to returning citizens
- Co-sponsored a Constitutional Amendment to enshrine equal marriage rights in Virginia’s Constitution


Education
- Co-patroned a bill to raise teacher pay to the national average
- Voted to increase protections and support for cyberbullying
- Voted to authorize public colleges and universities to prohibit guns on school property
- Voted to require schools to create transgender-student friendly policies


Economy and Inflation
- Co-patroned a bill to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2027
- Co-patroned a bill to establish paid family and medical leave
- Co-patroned a bill to establish regulatory bodies for the cannabis industry in Virginia
- Voted to prohibit landlords from requiring tenants to cover extra fees
- Voted to establish frameworks to preserve affordable local housing
- Voted to establish the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act


Health and Human Services
- Voted to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board
- Voted to establish the right to access and use FDA-approved birth control
- Voted to require health insurance plans to cover birth control


Other Issues
- Co-patroned a bill to establish regulations for “high-risk” AI
- Co-patroned a bill to authorize Ranked Choice Voting for certain local elections
- Sponsored a bill to prohibit the use of campaign funds for personal expenses


The Opposition

Republican Sean Steinway is a Marine Corps veteran and former Officer Candidate School instructor. After joining the Marines, he worked undercover at the Fairfax County Police Department. Later, he was a contractor with the Drug Enforcement Administration where he served as a weapons specialist for the Foreign-Deployed Advisory and Support Teams. Steinway was a lead instructor at the DEA Academy in Quantico. After his service with the DEA, he joined the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. He is a small business owner. He is a father of five. He and his wife live in White Oak.  


Sean Steinway supports teacher pay raises and fully funding public schools. He advocates for increase safety measures at schools and expanded parental choice. He opposes equity initiatives in the classroom and in sports.


Steinway will fight any attempts to increase income tax and will work to end the car tax. Steinway lists his first priority as keeping Virginia safe. He pledges to fight against efforts to defund the police and will collaborate with federal law enforcement in their bid to target immigrants.


Recommendation

Based on his track record for introducing and supporting progressive legislation, Delegate Joshua Cole is the progressive candidate in this race.
Last updated: 2025-09-22

House District 065

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Election Day November 4, 2025
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Federal

Governor

Abigail Spanberger photo
Democrat

Abigail Spanberger

Website Facebook Endorsements Instagram (Twitter)

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.
Last updated: 2025-09-24

Lieutenant Governor

Ghazala Hashmi photo
Democrat

Ghazala Hashmi

Website Facebook Endorsements Instagram (Twitter)

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.
Last updated: 2025-09-24

Attorney General

Jay Jones photo
Democrat

Jay Jones

Website Facebook Endorsements Instagram (Twitter)

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.
Last updated: 2025-09-24

House District 065

Delegate

Joshua G. Cole photo
Democrat

Joshua G. Cole

Website Facebook Endorsements Instagram (Twitter)

Virginia’s new 65th House of Delegates district encompasses parts of Stafford County, Fredericksburg City, and parts of Spotsylvania County. With over 62,000 registered voters, this is a competitive district.

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Democratic Delegate Joshua Cole faces a challenge from Republican Sean Steinway in HD-65.

Virginia’s House District 65 covers portions of Stafford County, the City of Fredericksburg, and Spotsylvania County in Virginia’s Piedmont region. In the 2024 election Democratic presidential and senatorial nominees carryied the district by about ten points each.

Incumbent Democratic Delegate Joshua Cole was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2019, becoming the youngest person and first Black person elected from the Fredericksburg region to the General Assembly. After his first term, he was unseated by former Republican Delegate Tara Durant by less than 1,000 votes. Delegate Cole successfully ran again in 2023. He is a local pastor. He and his wife have two children.
Committee Assignments: General Laws, Health and Human Services, Privileges and Elections (Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee Chair)


Constitutional Amendments
- Co-sponsored a Constitutional Amendment to enshrine abortion rights in Virginia’s Constitution
- Co-sponsored a Constitutional Amendment to restore voting rights to returning citizens
- Co-sponsored a Constitutional Amendment to enshrine equal marriage rights in Virginia’s Constitution


Education
- Co-patroned a bill to raise teacher pay to the national average
- Voted to increase protections and support for cyberbullying
- Voted to authorize public colleges and universities to prohibit guns on school property
- Voted to require schools to create transgender-student friendly policies


Economy and Inflation
- Co-patroned a bill to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2027
- Co-patroned a bill to establish paid family and medical leave
- Co-patroned a bill to establish regulatory bodies for the cannabis industry in Virginia
- Voted to prohibit landlords from requiring tenants to cover extra fees
- Voted to establish frameworks to preserve affordable local housing
- Voted to establish the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act


Health and Human Services
- Voted to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board
- Voted to establish the right to access and use FDA-approved birth control
- Voted to require health insurance plans to cover birth control


Other Issues
- Co-patroned a bill to establish regulations for “high-risk” AI
- Co-patroned a bill to authorize Ranked Choice Voting for certain local elections
- Sponsored a bill to prohibit the use of campaign funds for personal expenses


The Opposition

Republican Sean Steinway is a Marine Corps veteran and former Officer Candidate School instructor. After joining the Marines, he worked undercover at the Fairfax County Police Department. Later, he was a contractor with the Drug Enforcement Administration where he served as a weapons specialist for the Foreign-Deployed Advisory and Support Teams. Steinway was a lead instructor at the DEA Academy in Quantico. After his service with the DEA, he joined the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. He is a small business owner. He is a father of five. He and his wife live in White Oak.  


Sean Steinway supports teacher pay raises and fully funding public schools. He advocates for increase safety measures at schools and expanded parental choice. He opposes equity initiatives in the classroom and in sports.


Steinway will fight any attempts to increase income tax and will work to end the car tax. Steinway lists his first priority as keeping Virginia safe. He pledges to fight against efforts to defund the police and will collaborate with federal law enforcement in their bid to target immigrants.


Recommendation

Based on his track record for introducing and supporting progressive legislation, Delegate Joshua Cole is the progressive candidate in this race.
Last updated: 2025-09-22

City of Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg Treasurer

No Recommendation

Marion Bowman holds a degree in business administration from Coastal Carolina University. She is originally from Fauquier County. She previously worked as a finance manager for several community organizations and is currently employed at Breg Environmental. Bowman prioritizes transparency. She is the former treasurer of the Hugh Mercer Elementary School PTA and a regular volunteer with a variety of city organizations. 


At the time of this writing, there was no information available on Thomas Mon’s priorities or stances.


Recommendation

Due to the limited information available for both candidates, we cannot make a recommendation in this race. However, we encourage you to cast your vote in this election by writing in a candidate of your choosing and voting in the other races on your ballot.

Marion Bowman holds a degree in business administration from Coastal Carolina University. She is originally from Fauquier County. She previously worked as a finance manager for several community organizations and is currently employed at Breg Environmental. Bowman prioritizes transparency. She is the former treasurer of the Hugh Mercer Elementary School PTA and a regular volunteer with a variety of city organizations. 


At the time of this writing, there was no information available on Thomas Mon’s priorities or stances.


Recommendation

Due to the limited information available for both candidates, we cannot make a recommendation in this race. However, we encourage you to cast your vote in this election by writing in a candidate of your choosing and voting in the other races on your ballot.

Fredericksburg Sheriff

Rashawn Cowles photo
Non-Partisan

Rashawn Cowles

Website

Rashawn Coles is a law enforcement professional who has served Fredericksburg for 22 years. He graduated from Averett University with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology and is currently working on his Masters in Public Administration at Liberty University. He is married and has three children and four grandchildren.


Coles advocates for expanded mental health care access. He wants to establish a mental health deputy to provide support for community members struggling with mental health challenges. He proposes a program to certify all deputies in Crisis Intervention Training. He also looks to work with the Police Department to create mutual aid agreements for mental health. 


Coles seeks to foster stronger community ties through engagement and accountability. He supports programs like Narcan training, self-defense classes, and mental health programs for students. 


The Opposition

Keith Rodgers was born and raised in Fredericksburg. He previously worked at the Rappahannock Regional Jail. Rodgers currently works under a federal contract with the Department of Homeland Security.


He advocates for increased deputy presence. If elected, Rodgers plans to actively patrol schools and neighborhoods through the sheriff’s office. Rodgers seeks to reduce supervisory positions and cut administrative overhead to reinvest in the community.


Recommendation

Rashawn Cowles faces Keith Rodgers, a contractor with the Department of Homeland Security. Due to his commitment to mental health care access and community engagement, Rashawn Cowles is the progressive candidate in this race.

Last updated: 2025-09-24

Rashawn Coles is a law enforcement professional who has served Fredericksburg for 22 years. He graduated from Averett University with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology and is currently working on his Masters in Public Administration at Liberty University. He is married and has three children and four grandchildren.


Coles advocates for expanded mental health care access. He wants to establish a mental health deputy to provide support for community members struggling with mental health challenges. He proposes a program to certify all deputies in Crisis Intervention Training. He also looks to work with the Police Department to create mutual aid agreements for mental health. 


Coles seeks to foster stronger community ties through engagement and accountability. He supports programs like Narcan training, self-defense classes, and mental health programs for students. 


The Opposition

Keith Rodgers was born and raised in Fredericksburg. He previously worked at the Rappahannock Regional Jail. Rodgers currently works under a federal contract with the Department of Homeland Security.


He advocates for increased deputy presence. If elected, Rodgers plans to actively patrol schools and neighborhoods through the sheriff’s office. Rodgers seeks to reduce supervisory positions and cut administrative overhead to reinvest in the community.


Recommendation

Rashawn Cowles faces Keith Rodgers, a contractor with the Department of Homeland Security. Due to his commitment to mental health care access and community engagement, Rashawn Cowles is the progressive candidate in this race.

Last updated: 2025-09-24

Fredericksburg Commonwealth's Attorney

Elizabeth K. "Libby" Humphries photo
Non-Partisan

Elizabeth K. "Libby" Humphries

Facebook

Incumbent Commonwealth’s Attorney Libby Humphries was selected to serve as the interim Commonwealth’s Attorney starting on August 1, 2021, when former Commonwealth’s Attorney LaBravia Jenkins’ retirement went into effect. Humphries was the highest-ranking full-time assistant attorney in the office. She has worked at the Fredericksburg Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office since 2018, and previously served as a senior prosecutor in the Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office. Humphries attended Dartmouth College for her undergraduate degree and the University of Virginia for her law degree. 


Humphries is a supporter of a “community-facing” approach to prosecution, which seeks ways to prevent and reduce crime through different initiatives. This includes increasing opportunities for diversion and alternatives to incarceration, detention, fines, and fees. It prioritizes community safety and health over punishment. It works to improve public safety, decrease the number of incarcerated individuals, and reduce the disproportionate harm caused to Black and brown people by the criminal justice system. 


Humphries opposes cash bail, which keeps people in jail simply because they can’t afford bail. She supports Fair and Just Prosecution, an organization that advocates for progressive reforms to the criminal justice system. These include increased police accountability, drug policy reform, and alternatives to traditional incarceration. Humphries also supports increasing funding for the Virginia Witness Protection Program, which ensures that crime victims have increased protection and support. This will lead to more just criminal outcomes, as it will decrease the impact of witness intimidation tactics.


Humphries supports the decision of the Fredericksburg Police Department to adopt the “8 Can’t Wait” initiative, a national reform program aimed at use-of-force policies. This includes requiring a verbal warning before shooting, a ban on chokeholds and strangleholds, de-escalation tactics, and duty to intervene, “8 Can’t Wait” also involves extensive data reporting, bans shooting at moving vehicles and requires officers to intervene and stop excessive use of force by other officers.


Humphries attended Black Lives Matter protests in response to the police murder of George Floyd and believes law enforcement and the court system must be reformed to prevent the killing of more Black people. Humphries also advocated for changing the name of Jefferson Davis Highway, the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces, and the removal of a slave auction block from downtown Fredericksburg.


Recommendation

Incumbent Commonwealth’s Attorney Libby Humphries faces a challenge from Republican Travis Bird, who served as Spotsylvania County’s Commonwealth’s Attorney from 2015 until 2024. Due to her support for criminal justice reform and racial justice, Incumbent Libby Humphries is the progressive choice in this race. 


Portions of this recommendation have appeared in earlier versions of the Progressive Voters Guide.

Last updated: 2025-09-24

Incumbent Commonwealth’s Attorney Libby Humphries was selected to serve as the interim Commonwealth’s Attorney starting on August 1, 2021, when former Commonwealth’s Attorney LaBravia Jenkins’ retirement went into effect. Humphries was the highest-ranking full-time assistant attorney in the office. She has worked at the Fredericksburg Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office since 2018, and previously served as a senior prosecutor in the Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office. Humphries attended Dartmouth College for her undergraduate degree and the University of Virginia for her law degree. 


Humphries is a supporter of a “community-facing” approach to prosecution, which seeks ways to prevent and reduce crime through different initiatives. This includes increasing opportunities for diversion and alternatives to incarceration, detention, fines, and fees. It prioritizes community safety and health over punishment. It works to improve public safety, decrease the number of incarcerated individuals, and reduce the disproportionate harm caused to Black and brown people by the criminal justice system. 


Humphries opposes cash bail, which keeps people in jail simply because they can’t afford bail. She supports Fair and Just Prosecution, an organization that advocates for progressive reforms to the criminal justice system. These include increased police accountability, drug policy reform, and alternatives to traditional incarceration. Humphries also supports increasing funding for the Virginia Witness Protection Program, which ensures that crime victims have increased protection and support. This will lead to more just criminal outcomes, as it will decrease the impact of witness intimidation tactics.


Humphries supports the decision of the Fredericksburg Police Department to adopt the “8 Can’t Wait” initiative, a national reform program aimed at use-of-force policies. This includes requiring a verbal warning before shooting, a ban on chokeholds and strangleholds, de-escalation tactics, and duty to intervene, “8 Can’t Wait” also involves extensive data reporting, bans shooting at moving vehicles and requires officers to intervene and stop excessive use of force by other officers.


Humphries attended Black Lives Matter protests in response to the police murder of George Floyd and believes law enforcement and the court system must be reformed to prevent the killing of more Black people. Humphries also advocated for changing the name of Jefferson Davis Highway, the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces, and the removal of a slave auction block from downtown Fredericksburg.


Recommendation

Incumbent Commonwealth’s Attorney Libby Humphries faces a challenge from Republican Travis Bird, who served as Spotsylvania County’s Commonwealth’s Attorney from 2015 until 2024. Due to her support for criminal justice reform and racial justice, Incumbent Libby Humphries is the progressive choice in this race. 


Portions of this recommendation have appeared in earlier versions of the Progressive Voters Guide.

Last updated: 2025-09-24