People are stepping up in rural Virginia.
Now we are getting into what would be considered the deeper red areas of the state. We have many people that have stepped up to challenge in these districts and we need to support them.
As I have noted elsewhere, we often complain that people in “red America” vote against their own interests. The reality is far too often they are voting for the only people showing an interest in them. Case in point, the districts included in this post. All but one of these were not contested by a Democrat in the last cycle in 2015.
- District 20: The Republican has not faced a Democratic challenger in 6 years. He is facing Democrat Michele Edwards this year.
- District 23: The Republican has not faced a Democratic challenger in 8 years. He is facing Democrat Natalie Short this year.
- District 25: The Republican did face a Democratic challenger in the last cycle, but went unchallenged for the 6 years prior. He is facing Democrat Angela Lynn this year.
- District 26: The Republican has not faced a Democratic challenger in 7 years. He is facing Democrat Brent Finnegan this year.
- District 30: The Republican has not faced a Democratic challenger in 4 years. He is facing Democrat Ben Hixon this year.
- District 58: The Republican has not faced a Democratic challenger in 8 years. He is facing Democrat Kellen Squire this year.
- District 59: The Republican has not faced a Democratic challenger in 6 years: He is facing Democrat Tracy Carver this year.
- District 60: The Republican has not faced a Democratic challenger in 4 yers. He is facing Democrat Jamaal Johnston this year.
It is important we back these people taking up the Democratic banner for us. Most of this districts have only seen one or two Democratic challengers over the last 20 years or more. It is imperative we do not leave these folks to fend for themselves because they are giving people a real choice in areas they have had none or few for far too long.
Middle Virginia rural Democratic candidates.
Clicking on the district number will take you to a profile of their district, clicking on their name will take you to some aspect of their web presence, clicking on the link below their photo will take you straight to their donation page.
Running to represent Virginia 20th House District including the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro and Augusta, Highland, and Nelson Counties
Michele is a lifelong Virginian and a longtime resident of Staunton. She and her husband, Wally, have a daughter, Maeve, 17 a student at Mary Baldwin, and a son Owen, a rising junior at Robert E Lee High School.
Michele attended college in Virginia and earned a degree in Special Education and French. She spent 15 years as a classroom teacher and school administrator.
"As a lifelong Virginian and a longtime resident of Staunton, I am eager to represent you in the House of Delegates; fighting for working families, fully -funded public education, protecting the environment, and promoting economic growth and development. I ask for your vote on November 7, 2017"
~Michele Edwards
My husband and I moved our family to Lynchburg almost 4 years ago and fell in love with this area and how beautiful it is here. We are thrilled to be raising our two children in a place where everyone we met was so warm and welcoming. In our time here I have really been able to learn a lot about our community and what some of the needs are.
Through my work registering voters with a non-partisan non-profit last year, I consistently found that many people's voices were not being heard and needs were not being represented in Richmond.
On the way to taking my son to school on Nov. 9th last year, he asked me "did the bad man win?"
We are now looking at 9.2 Billion dollars in cuts to education, 23 Million people being kicked off healthcare, and the last 8 years of progress are being demolished. The good news is that we can do something about it - we can back up our next Democratic Governor with a Democratic House.
I will fight for:
- Expanding Medicaid to keep our federal dollars here
- Protect the Virginia Constitution and its promise of public education
- Economically empower working families
But I need your help. I can't do this alone. We need to get people out to the polls this November. I need to reach all Democratic voters and that is going to take resources: phone calls, knocking on doors and mailouts. And that takes volunteers and money. We need to resist and persist.
This is a decisive moment in our Commonwealth. We need assertive leadership with the courage to stand up to entrenched interests in Richmond and do what is right for Virginia.
I’m running for the General Assembly because I believe I can provide that leadership. As our government today gerrymanders the state to ensure their own power, and education and health care are at risk for our most vulnerable, we need representatives in government who understand our needs and will fight for the interests of the community.
My family have been proud Virginians since the 1700s. After my husband’s career in the military, he and I moved here 25 years ago to raise our five children. I’ve worked as a higher education administrator and led efforts to improve our community. I’m running for the General Assembly to support and protect my home state.
Over the next months, I’ll be out talking to as many folks as I can. I want to hear your thoughts, your ideas, your hopes and concerns, and then bring those to Richmond. I hope to see you out there.
Raised in Broadway:
Brent grew up in Broadway, fishing in Linville Creek, appreciating the beautiful Shenandoah Valley
Homegrown Values:
Brent learned the value of hard work, fairness, and liberty with jobs in Timberville, Broadway, and Harrisonburg
- Entrepreneur & Small Business Owner
- Harrisonburg City Planning Commissioner
- Reliable Record of Serving Community Members and Causes
It’s time for forward thinking and fresh new ideas in both parties. Ben Hixon is the Democratic candidate for the 30th district of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing Madison, Orange, and Culpeper counties.
Ben is new to politics. He’s a 35 year old Artificial Intelligence researcher, Culpeper resident, and Louisiana native. He moved to Culpeper last year to build an artificial intelligence startup, but decided to run for office because the Democratic Party needs to change, to get back to basics: freedom and opportunity for everybody.
Ben wants to build more vocational schools here in the Piedmont. He wants Virginia to be the first state in the nation to offer a two-year vocational degree in computer programming. We need more mental health centers to combat the opioid crisis. We need reliable broadband in rural areas, food legislation that is more fair for small farmers, and lower taxes for the working class. We need to give people the tools to take care of themselves.
I'm a husband and a father to three beautiful children. I'm an emergency room nurse and a proud graduate of the University of Virginia. I'm a Christian, an avid outdoorsman, and a hard-working, middle-class American who's fed up with the political system today.
People are angry — and for good reason!
We've almost killed the working class in this country. Wages have been stagnant for more than three decades. Our government seems to work more for lobbyists and special interests than for ordinary people. The worst kind of toxicity in our politics, pitting some groups of Americans against others, is a disease that threatens the future of our country.
That disease is spread by political operatives and career politicians, some of whom have spent decades in office by gerrymandering themselves into comfortable little districts so that they never have to run against a serious opponent. Why should they ever try to change things? They feel as though they can ignore the needs of anyone who isn't wealthy enough to write a big check.
I've been waiting for someone to stand up and champion our cause. Someone who would stand up and fight for the folks in the middle. And this year, I finally decided to give it a go myself. To stand up and try to make a difference.
We have so much potential here in central Virginia. Our future is bright and it's worth fighting for. But I can't do it alone. I need your help. The only way to bring change to Richmond is to start working together.
First and foremost, I am a Virginian, and a proud veteran of the United States Navy. My family has been in the Commonwealth of Virginia since 1740. My mother and father both served in the United States Marine Corp, so yes, my mother wore combat boots!
I’m a self-made man with a myriad of life experiences. I attended school in Germany during my formative years before returning to Batesville, Virginia to finish high school. While in High school, and following in the footsteps of my mother, I volunteered with the Western Albemarle Rescue Squad and became an EMT. In September of 1985, I enlisted into the United States Navy. While enlisted, I became a linguist. Already fluent in German, I learned Korean and became certified in both. My passion to serve those in need led to my return to the medical field as a trained Hospital Corpsman. I had the opportunity to serve with the United States Marine Corp as a company corpsman.
I have spent my professional and personal life serving my country and my community. As a Virginian with deep roots, if elected as your representative, I will bring to the House of Delegates a rare voice of common sense and much needed understanding of the concerns of my fellow citizens in the 59th District.
I am Jamaal Johnston and I am inviting my fellow Virginians, constituents of the 60th District, to consider my candidacy for the 2017 House of Delegates. I am a small business owner and I work for the Prince Edward County Public School system. I am a dedicated husband to my wonderful wife Zakiyyah, and a proud father of four amazing children. It is an honor to call myself a Virginian. It will be a greater honor to represent you in Richmond, to work towards the interests of our community that has given my family and me so much.
I’ve never been in politics, short of voting, and supporting candidates who supported our communities. I’m not a traditional politician and I’m not taking any special interest or corporate money, traditional politicians are funded that way. I’m here to support the 60th District, a community we all love.
THIS IS THE sixth IN A SERIES GROUPING CANDIDATES FOR THE VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
The first five were:
TO VIEW AN INDEX OF ALL DEMOCRATS CHALLENGING FOR REPUBLICAN-HELD DISTRICTS IN THIS FALL’S VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES RACES CLICK HERE.
Required Disclosure: My name is Donald Braden. I am the founder of The Full Slate Project and Full Slate Consulting. I am presently under contract with Friends of Kimberly Anne Tucker, candidate for Virginia Beach District 81.