Progressive Voters Guide Powered by Progress Virginia
Samuel R. Soghor photo
Democrat

Samuel R. Soghor

Facebook (Twitter)

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Republican Delegate Tim Griffin faces a challenge from Democrat Sam Soghor in HD-53.

Virginia’s House District 53 covers Amherst County and portions of Bedford and Nelson counties. In the 2024 election it leaned Republican by double-digit margins.

Democrat Sam Soghor moved to Amherst, VA from New York, where he worked as an actor and producer. He attended the State University of New York at Purchase, where he received a B.A. in political science. Soghor co-hosts a weekly radio show, Amherst Town Talk, alongside a Republican town council candidate. He is the parent of an Amherst County Public Schools student, as well as an active member of the PTO and a volunteer with the school. He is also a special education instructional assistant.


Soghor prioritizes public education funding, broadband accessibility, and support for farmers. Soghor supports marijuana legalization and wants to ensure the district receives all the benefits from legalization, including increased tax revenue for public spending and economic opportunities for local farmers and entrepreneurs. Additionally, he recognizes how marijuana legalization can support the creation of new businesses and result in higher wages, stronger economic systems, and increased home values.


Soghor favors increasing environmental protections in the area and uplifting local farmers. He wants to make sustainable farming practices accessible and affordable for district farmers.


The Opposition

Incumbent Republican Tim Griffin was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2023. He is a graduate of Liberty University and Appalachian School of Law. Delegate Griffin previously served as an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney. He has also served as a constitutional and election law attorney. Delegate Griffin lives in Forest and has two daughters. 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 a bill to establish 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 paid family and medical leave
- 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 a bill that would require secure storage of firearms in households where children live


Recommendation

Based on his support for quality public education, environmental protections, and marijuana legalization, Sam Soghor is the progressive candidate in this race.
Last updated: 2025-09-22

House District 053

Not in House District 053? Find your guide.

Election Day November 4, 2025
Find Drop Box Locations
Ballot Drop Boxes

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 053

Delegate

Samuel R. Soghor photo
Democrat

Samuel R. Soghor

Facebook (Twitter)

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Republican Delegate Tim Griffin faces a challenge from Democrat Sam Soghor in HD-53.

Virginia’s House District 53 covers Amherst County and portions of Bedford and Nelson counties. In the 2024 election it leaned Republican by double-digit margins.

Democrat Sam Soghor moved to Amherst, VA from New York, where he worked as an actor and producer. He attended the State University of New York at Purchase, where he received a B.A. in political science. Soghor co-hosts a weekly radio show, Amherst Town Talk, alongside a Republican town council candidate. He is the parent of an Amherst County Public Schools student, as well as an active member of the PTO and a volunteer with the school. He is also a special education instructional assistant.


Soghor prioritizes public education funding, broadband accessibility, and support for farmers. Soghor supports marijuana legalization and wants to ensure the district receives all the benefits from legalization, including increased tax revenue for public spending and economic opportunities for local farmers and entrepreneurs. Additionally, he recognizes how marijuana legalization can support the creation of new businesses and result in higher wages, stronger economic systems, and increased home values.


Soghor favors increasing environmental protections in the area and uplifting local farmers. He wants to make sustainable farming practices accessible and affordable for district farmers.


The Opposition

Incumbent Republican Tim Griffin was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2023. He is a graduate of Liberty University and Appalachian School of Law. Delegate Griffin previously served as an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney. He has also served as a constitutional and election law attorney. Delegate Griffin lives in Forest and has two daughters. 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 a bill to establish 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 paid family and medical leave
- 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 a bill that would require secure storage of firearms in households where children live


Recommendation

Based on his support for quality public education, environmental protections, and marijuana legalization, Sam Soghor is the progressive candidate in this race.
Last updated: 2025-09-22

City of Lynchburg

Depending on where you live, you may have the below races on your ballot.

Lynchburg Sheriff

No Recommendation

Republican Don Sloan was sworn in as sheriff of the City of Lynchburg in March 2017, following the early retirement of former Sheriff Ron Gillispie. Sloan has worked in law enforcement for over 35 years. Sloan supports the “Blue Lives Matter” movement and opposes any legislation that would end qualified immunity for law enforcement in Virginia. He supported Donald Trump and Mike Pence during the 2020 presidential election.


Recommendation

Sloan is running unopposed. There is no progressive choice on the ballot. However, we still encourage you to vote by writing in a name for this race and casting your vote in the other races on your ballot. 


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

Republican Don Sloan was sworn in as sheriff of the City of Lynchburg in March 2017, following the early retirement of former Sheriff Ron Gillispie. Sloan has worked in law enforcement for over 35 years. Sloan supports the “Blue Lives Matter” movement and opposes any legislation that would end qualified immunity for law enforcement in Virginia. He supported Donald Trump and Mike Pence during the 2020 presidential election.


Recommendation

Sloan is running unopposed. There is no progressive choice on the ballot. However, we still encourage you to vote by writing in a name for this race and casting your vote in the other races on your ballot. 


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

Lynchburg Commonwealth's Attorney

No Recommendation

Incumbent Republican Bethany Harrison was first elected to serve as the City of Lynchburg’s Commonwealth’s Attorney in 2017. Harrison began working in Lynchburg courts in 2006. By 2015, she was appointed deputy commonwealth’s attorney and then chief deputy in 2017. Harrison describes a jail cell as the first tool of crime prevention and does not support reforming gun laws. She and her husband, a former assistant commonwealth’s attorney in Campbell County, share two children. 


Chris White was born and raised in Lynchburg. He holds several degrees and certificates, including a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Old Dominion University and a J.D. from Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad College of Law. White made statements about Incumbent Commonwealth’s Attorney Bethany Harrison accusing him for something he did not do. His social media post does not mention any specifics.


Recommendation

Incumbent Bethany Harrison faces a challenge from Christopher White. Due to the limited information available online for both candidates, we cannot make a recommendation in this race. However, we encourage you to vote in this election by writing in a candidate of your choosing and voting in the other races on your ballot.


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

Incumbent Republican Bethany Harrison was first elected to serve as the City of Lynchburg’s Commonwealth’s Attorney in 2017. Harrison began working in Lynchburg courts in 2006. By 2015, she was appointed deputy commonwealth’s attorney and then chief deputy in 2017. Harrison describes a jail cell as the first tool of crime prevention and does not support reforming gun laws. She and her husband, a former assistant commonwealth’s attorney in Campbell County, share two children. 


Chris White was born and raised in Lynchburg. He holds several degrees and certificates, including a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Old Dominion University and a J.D. from Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad College of Law. White made statements about Incumbent Commonwealth’s Attorney Bethany Harrison accusing him for something he did not do. His social media post does not mention any specifics.


Recommendation

Incumbent Bethany Harrison faces a challenge from Christopher White. Due to the limited information available online for both candidates, we cannot make a recommendation in this race. However, we encourage you to vote in this election by writing in a candidate of your choosing and voting in the other races on your ballot.


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