Norfolk, Superward 7

Incumbent Democratic Delegate Shelly Simonds is an activist and educator who has represented the 94th District since 2019. She attended Bucknell University to earn her undergraduate degree and Stanford University to earn her master’s degree in communications. After college she settled down in Newport News with her husband to raise her two daughters. She became a Spanish teacher at her daughters’ elementary school and was elected to the Newport News School Board in 2012.

Delegate Simonds has been an advocate for the environment by supporting multiple bills that have been important for addressing climate change and protecting the state’s natural resources. She was a patron of the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which will transition Virginia’s power grid to rely on 100% renewable energy by 2050. She also supported the creation of a major offshore wind energy facility and a rebate for individuals who purchase or drive low-emission vehicles. She supports increased funding for land conservation as well as community parks and green spaces. She opposes fracking and uranium mining.

Delegate Simonds has also worked to ensure women are able to receive equal treatment in the workplace. She supported the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. Additionally, she’s worked to expand child care programs, knowing how access and affordability are critical to letting parents participate in the labor force. She served as a patron of a bill that greatly expanded subsidies for childcare. She also supported the passage of the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, which added critical worker protections to a previously overlooked workforce comprising primarily women of color.

As a former teacher, Delegate Simonds has worked to ensure that Virginia’s schools are well-funded and equitable. She voted in favor of raises for teachers, which will help address the state’s shortage of teachers and help the state retain and recruit high-quality educators. Del. Simonds also supports actions to address the achievement gap in her district. As a member of the Virginia School Board Association’s Challenged Schools Taskforce, Simonds helped secure $2,000,000 of funding for low-income students to attend educational support programs.

Delegate Simonds has also expanded access to affordable healthcare. She supported a successful bill to end surprise medical billing so that insurance companies have to be transparent about what a patient will be charged. Simonds also worked to decrease prescription drug prices, voting to implement a $50 monthly price cap on insulin. She expanded access to critical reproductive healthcare, voting to require insurance companies to cover abortions.

Delegate Simonds has two opponents in this race: Libertarian Michael Bartley and Republican Matt Waters. Bartley does not have a website or social media and we could find no policy positions at the time of research. Waters would do nothing to prevent gun violence and actively work to repeal what little protections are already written into law. He aligns himself with Republican attacks on public education.

Due to her support of the environment, public education, working families, and access to affordable healthcare, Delegate Shelly Simonds is the most progressive choice in this race.
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Incumbent Delegate Marcia “Cia” Price has represented the 95th District in the House of Delegates since 2016. She received an undergraduate degree from Spelman College and a master’s degree from Howard University. She has served as a special assistant in the Virginia Liaison Office, a state coordinator for the NAACP’s This Is My Vote! Campaign, and a dental office administrator. She founded the Virginia Black Leadership Organizing Collaborative (VA BLOC), which focuses on voter and civic engagement. Because of redrawn district lines, she will now run for the 85th district.

Delegate Price is a strong supporter of expanding access to the ballot box. She successfully sponsored the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, which prohibits discrimination at the polls. She also voted to keep voters safe during the pandemic by establishing drop boxes for ballots and removing the witness signature requirement for absentee ballots during an emergency. Del. Price also voted for bills to extend early voting, remove the requirement for an excuse for absentee voting, open up the polls for Sunday voting hours and opportunities for curbside voting, in addition to making Election Day a state holiday.

Delegate Price wants to address the housing crisis by advocating for tenant rights and affordable housing in the Commonwealth. She was chief patron of legislation to ensure that measures to protect the rights of tenants during the pandemic are made permanent and supported additional measures to protect renters during the pandemic. She also helped expand access to the Virginia Rent Relief Program and voted to create the Virginia housing opportunity tax credit, which assists low-income individuals.

Delegate Price was a co-patron of the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, which provided critical protections for workers like housekeepers, nannies, and many others, ensuring they have the same labor protections and a minimum wage like everyone else. In addition, she voted in favor of successfully raising the minimum wage and supported efforts to end the exclusion of farmworkers from minimum wage requirements. She also helped pass the Virginia Overtime Wage Act, which guarantees employees receive fair compensation for overtime work.

Delegate Price has worked to make healthcare affordable and accessible to all. In 2018, she voted to expand Medicaid, increasing coverage for nearly 750,000 Virginians. She supported the $50 cap on insulin and is working to cap prices for other expensive prescription drugs. She also voted in favor of a bill to require state-run health facilities to treat undocumented immigrants rather than report them. She also voted for legislation that requires insurance companies to cover abortion services.

Del. Price is running unopposed, but her support of expanding access to the ballot, working families, and access to affordable healthcare, make her the progressive choice in this race. Close Window

Dr. Jarris Louis Taylor Jr. is running for the 86th District with the theme of "Service Before Self." His vision for the district is to provide world-renowned representation in the General Assembly for all members of the district with an emphasis on five key priorities: education, healthcare, veterans, environment, and transportation. Dr. Taylor is a veteran, educator, and leader who has held numerous executive leadership positions while serving the nation and the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is committed and dedicated to community service and is a member of National Security Leaders for America and a Board of Trustees member of the Virginia Veterans Services Foundation.

Dr. Taylor does not have any positions or issues listed on his website, but he does have a few endorsements. He received a nod from Eric Holder and the National Resource Defense Council, the Virginia Education Association, LiUNA!, the Virginia AFL-CIO, Giffords PAC, VoteVets, Moms Demand Action, and Planned Parenthood of Virginia.

Giffords PAC endorsed Dr. Taylor because he is “continuing his mission to keep Americans safe at home by working to end gun violence throughout Virginia. Having experienced the power of assault weapons in his military service, Dr. Taylor knows that there is no use for this type of weaponry on the Commonwealth’s streets or in its schools. If elected, he’ll advocate for legislation to ban assault weapons, strengthen Virginia’s background check laws, fund community violence intervention programs, and make sure that responsible gun owners like himself safely store their weapons. With so much on the line this fall, voters must mobilize like never before to send gun safety champions like Jarris Taylor to Richmond—lives depend on it.” Dr. Taylor pledges to be the kind of leader that will fight to make us all safer.

Dr. Taylor’s opponent is incumbent Republican A.C. Cordoza, an Air Force veteran who works in cybersecurity and serves as vice-chairman of the Hampton Republican Party. He opposes common-sense gun safety legislation, and supports using taxpayer money to fund private education through school voucher programs. Cordoza does not believe that the rich and wealthy corporations that have benefitted from our communities should have to pay their fair share in taxes.

Based on the limited information we were able to find on Dr. Taylor's stances and Delegate Cordoza's voting record, Dr. Taylor is the more progressive choice in this race. Close Window

Incumbent Democratic Delegate Jeion Ward has represented the 92nd District since 2004. A native of Hampton Roads, she attended Thomas Nelson Community College before graduating from Christopher Newport University. She became a teacher and is the president of the Hampton Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 4260. She is active in the Hampton Branch NAACP, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Hampton Democratic Committee. Due to redrawn district lines, she will now run for the 87th district.

Delegate Ward is a strong advocate for working families having previously served as chair of the House Labor and Commerce Committee. She successfully sponsored legislation to raise Virginia’s minimum wage in 2020. She fought the following year to remove a Jim Crow-era exemption that bars farmworkers from earning the minimum wage, but was unsuccessful. Del. Ward supports the right of workers to form unions and voted for legislation to allow municipal employees to collectively bargain. She also wants to repeal Virginia’s right-to-work law.

Delegate Ward voted in favor of the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which will facilitate Virginia’s transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050. She also supported the creation of new emission standards for cars and requiring car manufacturers to produce a certain percentage of low- and zero-emission vehicles. She voted in favor of the creation of a rebate for individuals who purchase electric vehicles, incentivizing the use of efficient transportation. Additionally, she is working on expanding the state’s vehicle charging infrastructure.

As a middle school teacher, Del. Ward believes in the importance of a well-funded education system. She voted for 5% raises for teachers, which she sees as a critical step for addressing the teacher shortage in Hampton and statewide. She supports increasing funding to allow for smaller class sizes, particularly for younger students who benefit from more teacher-student interaction. She also voted for additional funding for schools so they could reopen safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Del. Ward wants to keep communities safe with common sense measures to prevent gun violence. She was chief patron of a successful bill to establish a one-handgun-per-month purchase limit. She also supported universal background checks and the right of localities to regulate the possession of firearms, along with other gun violence prevention legislation passed in 2020. In the most recent session, she voted no on HB 509, which would repeal the extreme risk protection order law, voted no on HB 11. which would reduce penalties for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, and voted yes on HB 1909, which establishes gun-free zones on school board property.

Delegate Ward’s opponent is John Chapman, a Newport News native. Chapman’s priorities are vague, but speak to conservative talking points. His issues page lists a Ronald Reagan quote and little else.

Due to her support of working families, the environment, gun violence prevention, and public education, Delegate Jeion Ward is the most progressive choice in this race for the 87th District.
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Incumbent Democratic Delegate Don Scott was first elected to represent the 80th District in the House of Delegates in 2019. With district lines redrawn, he will now run for the 88th district. He is the current leader of the Virginia House Democratic Caucus. Leader Scott is originally from Houston, Texas, and graduated from Texas A&M University. He later joined the U.S. Navy and earned a law degree from Louisiana State University after leaving the Navy. Leader Scott founded his own law firm and is a member of the NAACP and VFW. He and his wife live in Portsmouth with their daughter.

In 1994, Leader Scott was convicted of drug charges and served seven years in federal prison. He believes in second chances and works to reform the criminal justice system to reduce its harmful impact on communities of color. He co-patroned the House bill to legalize marijuana and wants to ensure that legalization will benefit communities ravaged by the drug war. He voted to abolish the death penalty in 2021 and unsuccessfully sponsored legislation to decriminalize certain drugs. He also co-patroned the constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to returning citizens this year as well.

As a resident of a coastal area, Leader Scott understands the urgency of the climate crisis. In 2020, he supported the Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act, which reduces carbon emissions from power plants and provides protection to regions experiencing flooding issues. Leader Scott advocates for incentivizing electric vehicle use for marginalized communities and creating infrastructure to support electric vehicles. In 2020, he voted for the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which commits the Commonwealth to 100% clean energy by 2050.

Leader Scott believes in keeping communities safe by passing common sense measures to reduce gun violence. In 2020, he voted for universal background checks, keeping guns out of the wrong hands with extreme risk protection orders, and restoring a limit on handgun purchases to one a month. Additionally, he voted to pass legislation to increase penalties for allowing minors to access guns. In the last session, he co-sponsored HB 2387, which would establish a refundable income tax credit for firearm safety devices and voted no on HB 509, which would repeal the extreme risk protection order law.

Leader Scott wants working families in Virginia to live with dignity and supports raising the minimum wage. He advocated to expand protections offered to tenants during the pandemic to remain in place when the pandemic is over. He also wants to make the pursuit of higher education more affordable so people have more job opportunities and voted for the Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back “G3” program, which offers free tuition at community colleges for low- and middle-income students who study in certain fields.

Leader Scott is running unopposed, but due to his support of criminal justice reform, the environment, gun violence prevention, and working families, he is the progressive choice in this race. Close Window

Karen Jenkins is a lifelong resident of the City of Suffolk and currently serves on the Suffolk School Board. Jenkins is a champion for education, public safety, and mental health. During her first term on Suffolk School Board, Jenkins participated in training and workshops to improve policies and procedures for Suffolk Public Schools. She was instrumental in developing business partnerships and programs to enhance student academic achievement and worked closely with state legislatures to gain funding for SPS.

As a mental health professional, Jenkins understands the importance of mental health resources. She pledges to advocate for legislation and funding to bring mental health awareness and resources to the district. Education is also a top priority for Jenkins. Working on the Suffolk School Board and with Suffolk Public Schools, she has a proven track record of prioritizing and putting students at the focus of our education system. In tandem with her focus on education, Jenkins believes that we all deserve to feel safe and have public safety resources available to us in our time of need. She plans to assess and modernize public safety systems in our district to meet our current and future needs. She has also received an endorsement from Planned Parenthood of Virginia.

Jenkins has the opportunity to make Virginia history. She is running for this seat at the same time as her husband, Delegate, Clint Jenkins, seeks the newly created seat in SD 17. If both were to win their respective seats, they would be the first married couple to serve contemporaneously in the state’s history.

Jenkin’s opponent is Republican City Councilman Baxter Ennis, a veteran. Councilman Ennis wants to provide unchecked funding to police. He supports a near-total abortion ban and repeats GOP lies about activists’ positions. He will do nothing about gun violence.

Despite limited available information on Karen Jenkins, the positions that she does advocate and the work she has done for public schools make her the progressive choice in this race. Close Window

Jeremy Rodden is a Democratic candidate with a Master's degree in Education. He has experience as an educator with the School District of Philadelphia, JobCorps, and Together We Can Foundation. Rodden is also experienced in community service, committing time to volunteering in the City of Chesapeake as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children, soft skills educator for disconnected youth, and coach in Chesapeake Little League. Rodden is the co-founder of Pride in the 'Peake, Chesapeake's first annual Pride event.

Rodden believes in a science-driven, issues-focused approach. He plans to vote in favor of issues ranging from protection of abortion access to increased mental health awareness to LGBTQIA+ acceptance to public health emergencies. He wholeheartedly believes that experts should be consulted and trusted for the most up-to-date and accurate advice. He has been endorsed by VA LGBT+ Democrats, the Center for Freethought Equality, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, Roe Your Vote Virginia, and Equality Virginia.

Protecting the environment is also at the top of his priority list. He believes that “climate change is real and it is caused by human actions”. He argues that “we must responsibly take all measures we can to conserve our natural resources, prepare for the results of our actions (such as rising sea levels), and protect our environment for future generations.” His policy stances have earned him endorsements from Eric Holder and the NRDC, Save the Dismal, and Sierra Club.

Rodden is a staunch advocate for public education. He argues that “The most important resources we can provide for our children are the best teachers and staff. By paying them well, listening to their needs as the front-line contacts with our students, and striving for the best working conditions possible for them, we can offer our students the best education.” He is opposed to book banning efforts and calls out Republicans for demonizing teachers.

Rodden believes that government is not meant to be run in the shadows. He wants government transparency across the board and says that “all official activity by members of elected office should be easily available for public scrutiny and participation.” He believes that the Commonwealth is in dire need of campaign finance reform.

Rodden is challenging incumbent Republican Delegate Jay Leftwich, an attorney who has represented the 78th district in the House of Delegates since 2014. Since his election, Leftwich has voted against expanding Medicaid insurance coverage, raising the minimum wage, protecting insurance coverage of abortions, legalizing marijuana, and abolishing the death penalty. He also opposes keeping our communities safe by passing common sense measures to prevent gun violence.

Given his positions on public education, environmental stewardship, civil rights protection, and government transparency, Jeremy Rodden is the progressive choice in this race. Close Window

Incumbent Democratic Delegate Cliff Hayes was born in Chesapeake and has represented the 77th District in the House of Delegates since 2016. With the redrawn district lines, he will now run for the 91st District. He attended Norfolk State University, where he played basketball and completed post-graduate studies at multiple institutes of higher education. He spent his professional career working in information technology and technology policy. He also served as a member of the Chesapeake City Council from 2004 to 2012. He has two college-aged daughters and lives with his wife in Chesapeake.

Serving as the chair of the Joint Commission on Technology and Science, Del. Hayes is a strong advocate for technological developments that boost the economy and protect the environment. He introduced and successfully passed legislation that created a major offshore wind generation facility. His work on this project led him to receive a certificate of appreciation from the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. Delegate Hayes also voted in favor of the passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which will transition Virginia’s energy grid to 100% renewable energy by 2050.

Delegate Hayes has worked to make healthcare affordable and accessible to all Virginians. He voted in favor of Medicaid expansion in 2018, which granted access to affordable healthcare to 400,000 Virginians. Del. Hayes was chief co-patron of a bill that expanded telemedicine services and ensured Virginians could safely see their doctors during the pandemic and beyond. He also voted to make abortion coverage available on the state health insurance exchange. He voted to cap insulin prices at $50, and he introduced and passed a bill to make it easier for pharmacies to distribute marijuana and CBD-based products. He voted no on HB 212, which would have reinstated mandatory waiting periods before a person can have an abortion and voted yes on SB 1276, which repeals the abortion prohibition in Virginia health insurance plans.

Delegate Hayes has supported increased school funding at all levels. He voted in favor of a budget which gave teachers a 5% raise, increased funding for school counselors and nurses, and additional money to ensure schools can safely reopen during the pandemic. Del. Hayes also worked to make higher education more affordable by voting for the Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back (G3) program, which makes community college tuition-free for low-and middle-income students who study in certain fields.

As a member of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, Del. Hayes has supported bills to ensure racial equity in Virginia. He voted to recognize racism as a public health crisis in the Commonwealth. The caucus also worked to ensure that the tax dollars received from the legalization of marijuana went to the Black and Brown communities that were disproportionately affected by drug enforcement. Del. Hayes also fought for the historical preservation and funding for the maintenance of Black cemeteries in Chesapeake.

Delegate Hayes’ opponent is Republican Thomas Powell. We could not find any information on him at the time of research.

Due to his support of the environment, access to affordable healthcare, public education, and racial justice, Delegate Cliff Hayes is the most progressive choice for the 91st District. Close Window

Bonita Anthony is a university administrator for the College of Engineering and Technology at Virginia State University. She received an engineering degree from Old Dominion University. She has also previously worked for the Federal Aviation Administration, taught both in public K-12 schools and at the university level and has been a community advocate as a minister. She believes her varied background will be key in tackling the issues facing Virginians on a day-to-day basis.

Anthony lists abortion access as a top priority. The dismantling of abortion rights via the Dobbs decision was a key factor in her decision to run, and she has called for a constitutional amendment to ensure that Virginia remains a haven for abortion access. She has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Virginia and was given a 100% rating by Repro Rising. She has also been endorsed by Emily’s List.

Protecting the environment is also a top priority. Her positions on good governance, environmental justice, and clean energy earned her an endorsement and funding from Clean Virginia in 2022.

After winning her primary against Kim Sudderth, Anthony told the Virginian-Pilot, “(As) a legislator, I believe that people want someone who is going to make sure that they have a voice and that makes sure that they are well informed and that someone’s going to fight for them and their rights and protections.” She said that gun violence is another big issue and requires a broader “overarching” view of what leads to it. She understands that handling the issue will require innovative thinking and argues that some ways to target the root causes could include legislation that addresses rent stabilization and tenant rights, livable wages, and transportation infrastructure.

Anthony is also a strong advocate for public education. She said her top statewide priority would be to fight against dismantling public education. She argues that democracy exists and flourishes with an informed and engaged population and pledges to push against legislation seeking to defund, disinvest, and undermine public education. She says that “we need well-funded public schools where Virginia provides more per student investment than ever.” She wants to require schools to offer free meals to all students universally.

Anthony’s opponent is Republican Michael Durig. We could not find any information on him at the time of research.

Because of her stances on gun violence prevention, the environment, and abortion access, Anthony is the clear progressive choice in this race. Close Window

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

Democrat and Former Delegate Alex Askew is a Virginia Beach native who was raised by a public school teacher. He worked for nearly seven election cycles on various local, state-wide, and national campaigns. He served as a Chief of Staff for the Virginia House of Delegates, where he helped craft groundbreaking legislation such as the nationwide Ashanti Alert, Medicaid expansion, affordable housing expansion, and school safety initiatives. In his term as the Delegate for the 85th District, he had nine bills signed into law, with 7 of them receiving unanimous bipartisan support. In 2022, he was narrowly defeated and conceded the seat. He is now running to be reelected in the newly-redrawn 95th district.

Fmr. Del. Askew has been a staunch defender of equality. He worked alongside Delegate Dolores McQuinn and sponsored HB1993, which requires state agencies to establish and maintain comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plans in coordination with the Governor’s Chief Diversity Officer. “The comprehensive emphasis on equity-minded legislation throughout the 2021 General Assembly session has been historic,” said Secretary of Administration Grindly Johnson. “This legislation makes Virginia a national exemplar in fostering the business case for organizational effectiveness in our state agencies.”

Fmr. Del. Askew has also been an advocate for common-sense gun violence prevention. He voted for HB 2128, which increases the time for the State Department to complete firearm Background Checks, a necessary step in preventing unsafe gun owners from slipping through the cracks. He also voted for HB 2276, which classifies the manufacture, import, sale, transfer, and possession of certain firearms as a Class 5 felony. These measures are indicative of Fmr. Del. Askew’s commitment to firearm safety and his understanding of the policies that can help prevent tragedies.

Fmr. Del. Askew’s record also shows he is committed to racial and economic justice. As delegate, he passed a law that makes it a hate crime to intentionally make a false 911 call on the basis of race, religion, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, or national origin. Additionally, he voted for HJ 555, which restores the civil and voting rights for returning citizens after they have completed their jail sentences. He worked with the Virginia Emergency Management Association to protect minority and other vulnerable communities across Hampton Roads—a region prone to disasters and storm flooding.

He has also been clear on abortion access and healthcare. After Texas passed a horrendously restrictive abortion law in 2021, he said simply: “Repro care is health care. Repro justice is economic justice. Repro rights are human rights.” As Delegate, he voted to repeal the abortion prohibition in Virginia health insurance plans and establish the Reproductive Health Protection Act. His positions have earned him an endorsement from Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia.

Fmr. Del. Askew is running unopposed, but because of his position on firearm safety, reproductive rights, and criminal justice, he is still the progressive choice in this race. Close Window