Norfolk, Ward 5

Delegate Jackie Glass is a Navy veteran and small-business owner. She joined the House of Delegates in the 89th seat after winning a special election in January 2023. Originally from Chicago, she now calls Norfolk “our chosen hometown.” Delegate Glass has years of experience working toward a more just society. She has chaired such prestigious organizations as the Ballentine Place Civic League, the NAACP Armed Forces and Veteran Affairs, and the Norfolk Preservation Collective. She has been a key player in many more civic-minded organizations and has committed herself to promoting equity throughout our commonwealth.

As a candidate, Delegate Glass has put forth a policy that says there is no room for racism, sexism, classism, or ableism in economic and community development. She voted no on HB 1387, which would have prevented trans kids from playing sports, and also voted no on HB 2432, which would have required schools to inform parents of students experiencing "gender incongruence." She also patroned HB 2052, which requires each local school board to develop policies for excusing students absent from school for religious reasons, including the observance of a religious holiday or participation in religious instruction.


Delegate Glass has pledged support for implementing rank-choice voting in her campaign. She promised to work with historically disenfranchised and underrepresented groups, such as people of color and women, who are among those most likely to benefit from the adoption of ranked-choice voting. She plans to support a charter amendment to elect certain offices by ranked-choice voting. As a Delegate, she voted against HB 1693, which would have prohibited election ballot drop boxes, and also voted against HB 1877, which would have limited early voting to 2 weeks before an election.


Delegate Glass has also kept her promise to support abortion access, having voted no on HB 212, which would have reinstated the mandatory waiting periods before a person can get an abortion. She also supports a comprehensive plan to support people from the moment they're born to the end of their lives, a joint proposal dubbed the Care Economy. Through this proposal, Glass intends to make funding and supporting care a “social enterprise” rather than a social service.


During her term, Del. Glass has proven a reliable voice for criminal and racial justice. She voted yes on HB 670, which would establish an independent policing auditor to oversee civilian law enforcement oversight groups. Though it passed through the legislature, it was vetoed by Governor Youngkin. She sponsored HB 2387, which establishes a refundable income tax credit for firearm safety devices, and voted no on HB 509, which repeals the "Red Flag" gun law. Both passed the House, but they have yet to become law. She also put forth legislation prohibiting law-enforcement officers from making false statements or materially misrepresenting any fact before or during a custodial interrogation of a child to secure such a child's cooperation, confession, or conviction.

Delegate Glass’s opponent is Dr. John Sitka. Sitka wants to support Governor Youngkin’s Broad Blue Line initiative, providing additional funding for law enforcement without any additional accountability. He’d like to blame school shootings on a lack of discipline and students being allowed to wander the halls but will do nothing to limit the number of guns in our schools. He insists that the key to affordable housing is cutting red tape when we know it is due to a lack of housing supply and affordability.

Due to her strong support and advocacy for an inclusive community, commitment to comprehensive criminal justice, and staunch support of voting rights, Delegate Jackie Glass is the progressive choice in this race. Close Window

Democratic candidate Phil Hernandez, an attorney, was raised in Hampton Roads by a single mom. He went to public schools and then to the College of William and Mary, becoming the first in his family to graduate from college. He has spent the years since fighting for the rights of working people around the country. He is currently the Senior Vice President for Policy & Advocacy for The Commonwealth Institute, a partner of Progress Virginia, where he has been fighting for policies that benefit families in our community. Hernandez previously ran for HD 100 in 2019 and conceded after a close race.

Hernandez understands the intrinsic connection between environmental protection and quality of life. He pledges himself to building on the Virginia Clean Economy Act and protecting the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which Youngkin has placed under threat. He also supports increasing funding for conservation, protecting the Chesapeake Bay and local waterways, and advancing environmental justice initiatives. He pledges to prohibit public utilities from making political donations. Having previously served in President Obama’s Office of Energy and Climate Change, he has a proven track record of commitment to these issues.

Hernandez supports expanding affordable and comprehensive health insurance coverage to more Virginians, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and safeguarding consumers from “skinny” plans that can leave families with large medical bills because of significant gaps in coverage. He also supports establishing a paid family and medical leave program. Additionally, he aims to improve access to mental health care by investing in community-based care, raising pay to address staffing shortages, and supporting the implementation of the Marcus Alert system to improve outcomes in response to mental health emergencies. He also supports protecting access to abortion in Virginia.

Hernandez aims to continue Norfolk’s history of civil rights work by drawing on his experience as a civil rights attorney. He supports protecting the fundamental right to vote and standing up against any efforts that create barriers to the ballot box. He also supports creating a more inclusive commonwealth, including strong non-discrimination laws and policies that protect the rights of people with disabilities. Lastly, he supports advancing Virginia laws that make the Commonwealth a leader in safeguarding LGBTQ+ rights and preventing any attempts to roll back provisions of the Virginia Values Act.
Hernandez supports increasing Virginia’s minimum wage, empowering more workers to engage in collective bargaining for better wages and working conditions, and advancing policies to bring high-quality jobs to Norfolk. He also supports reforming Virginia’s upside-down tax code, making child care more affordable, and providing targeted tax relief to working families. Lastly, he supports efforts to reduce gun violence in Hampton Roads and keep communities safe.

Hernandez’s Republican opponent is Andy Pittman, an attorney. Pittman is a conservative through and through. He wants to give unchecked power and funds to police and greenlight the mistreatment of inmates and suspects. He makes clear his intention to ban abortion, ensure that our LGBTQ youth continue to face harassment from right-wing smear campaigns and demonize immigrants.

Because of his commitment to economic justice, equity and equality, and access to quality healthcare, Hernandez is the progressive choice in this race. Close Window