This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Democratic Delegate Rae Cousins faces a challenge from Republican Kelsey Linnehan in HD-79.
Virginia's House District 79 is wholly located within the City of Richmond's East End. In the 2024 election it remained strongly Democratic by double-digit margins.
Virginia's House District 79 is wholly located within the City of Richmond's East End. In the 2024 election it remained strongly Democratic by double-digit margins.
Rae C. Cousins is the first-term Democratic Delegate for Virginia’s 79th House District, serving since January 2024. A Richmond native and attorney, she holds degrees from William & Mary and Howard University. In the House, she champions reproductive health, gun reform, affordable housing, and education—continuing her re-election campaign into November 2025.
Committee Assignments: Courts of Justice, Education, Public Safety
- Voted to increase teacher pay to the national average
- Co-sponsored a bill to authorize public colleges and universities to prohibit guns on school property
- 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
- Voted to repeal prohibitions on collective bargaining for public employees
- Co-sponsored a bill to establish a regulated and taxed cannabis industry in Virginia
- Voted to establish frameworks to preserve local housing
- Voted to establish the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
- 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
- Co-patroned a bill to prohibit the manufacture, sale, and possession of assault-style weapons
- Voted to establish regulations for “high-risk” AI
- Voted to authorize Ranked Choice Voting for certain local elections
- Co-patroned a bill to prohibit the use of campaign funds for personal expenses
Kelsey Linnehan called a bill intended to better regulate homeschool education a threat to “our way of life.” She believes “religious liberty in education is under attack in Virginia.”
Linnehan defended exploitative “Right to Work” laws, calling them “kind of a Virginia thing.”
Linnehan opposes abortion and calls candidate for governor, Abigail Spanberger’s advocacy for reproductive freedom “PC euphemisms” and “evil,” and has repeated harmful disinformation about transgender youth.
Committee Assignments: Courts of Justice, Education, Public Safety
- Voted to increase teacher pay to the national average
- Co-sponsored a bill to authorize public colleges and universities to prohibit guns on school property
- 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
- Voted to repeal prohibitions on collective bargaining for public employees
- Co-sponsored a bill to establish a regulated and taxed cannabis industry in Virginia
- Voted to establish frameworks to preserve local housing
- Voted to establish the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
- 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
- Co-patroned a bill to prohibit the manufacture, sale, and possession of assault-style weapons
- Voted to establish regulations for “high-risk” AI
- Voted to authorize Ranked Choice Voting for certain local elections
- Co-patroned a bill to prohibit the use of campaign funds for personal expenses
The Opposition
Republican Kelsey Linnehan identifies as a conservative Catholic, and a homeschooling mother of four, soon to be five, children. In her professional career, she was an international trade attorney focused on helping U.S. manufacturers and farmers fight back against illegally dumped and subsidized imports.Kelsey Linnehan called a bill intended to better regulate homeschool education a threat to “our way of life.” She believes “religious liberty in education is under attack in Virginia.”
Linnehan defended exploitative “Right to Work” laws, calling them “kind of a Virginia thing.”
Linnehan opposes abortion and calls candidate for governor, Abigail Spanberger’s advocacy for reproductive freedom “PC euphemisms” and “evil,” and has repeated harmful disinformation about transgender youth.
Recommendation
Based on her history of supporting abortion access, workers' rights, and tenants' rights, Delegate Rae Cousins is the progressive candidate in this race.
Last updated: 2025-09-22
This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Democratic Delegate Rae Cousins faces a challenge from Republican Kelsey Linnehan in HD-79.
Virginia's House District 79 is wholly located within the City of Richmond's East End. In the 2024 election it remained strongly Democratic by double-digit margins.
Virginia's House District 79 is wholly located within the City of Richmond's East End. In the 2024 election it remained strongly Democratic by double-digit margins.
Rae C. Cousins is the first-term Democratic Delegate for Virginia’s 79th House District, serving since January 2024. A Richmond native and attorney, she holds degrees from William & Mary and Howard University. In the House, she champions reproductive health, gun reform, affordable housing, and education—continuing her re-election campaign into November 2025.
Committee Assignments: Courts of Justice, Education, Public Safety
- Voted to increase teacher pay to the national average
- Co-sponsored a bill to authorize public colleges and universities to prohibit guns on school property
- 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
- Voted to repeal prohibitions on collective bargaining for public employees
- Co-sponsored a bill to establish a regulated and taxed cannabis industry in Virginia
- Voted to establish frameworks to preserve local housing
- Voted to establish the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
- 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
- Co-patroned a bill to prohibit the manufacture, sale, and possession of assault-style weapons
- Voted to establish regulations for “high-risk” AI
- Voted to authorize Ranked Choice Voting for certain local elections
- Co-patroned a bill to prohibit the use of campaign funds for personal expenses
Kelsey Linnehan called a bill intended to better regulate homeschool education a threat to “our way of life.” She believes “religious liberty in education is under attack in Virginia.”
Linnehan defended exploitative “Right to Work” laws, calling them “kind of a Virginia thing.”
Linnehan opposes abortion and calls candidate for governor, Abigail Spanberger’s advocacy for reproductive freedom “PC euphemisms” and “evil,” and has repeated harmful disinformation about transgender youth.
Committee Assignments: Courts of Justice, Education, Public Safety
- Voted to increase teacher pay to the national average
- Co-sponsored a bill to authorize public colleges and universities to prohibit guns on school property
- 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
- Voted to repeal prohibitions on collective bargaining for public employees
- Co-sponsored a bill to establish a regulated and taxed cannabis industry in Virginia
- Voted to establish frameworks to preserve local housing
- Voted to establish the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
- 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
- Co-patroned a bill to prohibit the manufacture, sale, and possession of assault-style weapons
- Voted to establish regulations for “high-risk” AI
- Voted to authorize Ranked Choice Voting for certain local elections
- Co-patroned a bill to prohibit the use of campaign funds for personal expenses
The Opposition
Republican Kelsey Linnehan identifies as a conservative Catholic, and a homeschooling mother of four, soon to be five, children. In her professional career, she was an international trade attorney focused on helping U.S. manufacturers and farmers fight back against illegally dumped and subsidized imports.Kelsey Linnehan called a bill intended to better regulate homeschool education a threat to “our way of life.” She believes “religious liberty in education is under attack in Virginia.”
Linnehan defended exploitative “Right to Work” laws, calling them “kind of a Virginia thing.”
Linnehan opposes abortion and calls candidate for governor, Abigail Spanberger’s advocacy for reproductive freedom “PC euphemisms” and “evil,” and has repeated harmful disinformation about transgender youth.
Recommendation
Based on her history of supporting abortion access, workers' rights, and tenants' rights, Delegate Rae Cousins is the progressive candidate in this race.
Last updated: 2025-09-22
