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