Casinos, gun control and abortion-rights: VCU students vote in the General Assembly election

Selna Shi, News Editor

Jack Glagola, Contributing Writer

VCU students who voted in the General Assembly election cited the casino referendum, public transportation, gun control, trans rights and abortion-rights as reasons why they voted. 

Seventy-five point two percent of VCU students voted in the 2020 election compared to an average of 66% at other institutions, according to the Institute of Democracy and Higher. 

Betsy Carr ran for reelection in House District 78 and has served in the district as a Democrat since 2009, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Carr ran unopposed. 

In Senate District 14, Lamont Bagby ran unopposed as a Democrat, according to VPAP. 

Both the House and Senate district cover the majority of Richmond.

The city of Richmond voted “no” with 58.45% of the vote as of 9:46 p.m. on the casino referendum, according to VPAP.

Mikayla Lindsey, a third-year communication arts student who plans to vote in Chesapeake, said while she is not sure exactly which candidates to vote for, the casino is a particular issue she has heard the most about.

“Honestly, I’m against it. I don’t think that Richmond really needs something like that, and I feel like they could really use the money for something much more useful,” Lindsey said.

Besides the casino referendum, Lindsey said community issues like homelessness and food insecurity are important and need more resources to combat them.

“I think there should be an even bigger push for that. Because nobody should have to live on the streets, especially as it’s getting cold outside,” Lindsey said.

Ashish Tiwari, a biomedical engineering student who voted early in Henrico, said his number one issue is mass shootings.

“I think more progressive candidates care more to enforce oversight regarding insanely overpowered guns being in regular civilian hands,” Tiwari said. “I’m going to make a point and say I’m a single-issue voter.”

Tristan Cascio, a second-year graphic design student, said he is planning to vote “mostly Democrat” in Richmond.

“That’s kind of how my mind is aligned right now. Always open to change,” Cascio said.

The city proposed earlier this year to place the annual gaming tax revenue into a trust fund for education and childcare.

Cascio said he is torn on the casino, but believes that education can be supported in better ways. 

“I don’t think the casino is a good argument for that. I feel the reasoning behind it is very much trying to appeal to a wide range of people. ‘Hey, if you don’t support the casino, you don’t want your kids to be educated. You don’t want there to be jobs,’” Cascio said.

Orion Scheuermann, a third-year electrical engineering student who is voting absentee in Chesapeake, said that transgender issues, racial issues and the current conflict in Israel and Palestine are important to them.

“We have a governor who is kind of opposed to the teaching of those issues in schools. As well as in a lot of states, it’s not safe for trans people and people of the LGBT community to be seen or taught about,” Scheuermann said.

Haley Williams, a second-year psychology student who is planning to vote in Hanover, said that women’s rights and reproductive rights are “at the front” of their mind.

“I’m pretty sure Virginia is the last southern state that can offer those practices [abortion] and Hanover is a very red county — so I’m going to try to push it the other way,” Williams said. “I think it’s something that should be available to every woman no matter what.”

Oscar Lujan, a third-year homeland security and emergency management student who plans to vote Democrat in Arlington, wants a higher emphasis on education and public transportation.

“It’s not in the most equitable areas. I guess it doesn’t reach the communities it needs to reach,” Lujan said. 

In Richmond specifically, Lujan said voting no for the casino is “super important.”

“I think they’re kind of disguising it and saying it’s going to bring a bunch of jobs — which it will, for maybe a one-year period of construction — but after that, it’s just going to leech on the most vulnerable communities,” Lujan said.

Lujan said he is hopeful that Richmonders will vote no a second time, saying it is “pretty tone-deaf” of the city to put the proposal back on the ballot. The casino was previously rejected in a 2021 referendum, according to a previous article by The Commonwealth Times.

“I have faith in Richmond. We already made up our minds, so I don’t think it’s going to change,” Lujan said.

Secretary of Young Democrats at VCU Rachel Schmitt said she has been canvassing to encourage residents in Richmond to vote “No” in the casino referendum.

“I’ve been canvassing the past few weeks with a local church against the casino to get that referendum to fail,” Schmitt said. “I’ve been going to Monument Avenue and Grove, the nice neighborhoods, and I’ve been receiving overwhelming support. I honestly think it’s going to fail.”Young Republicans is no longer active at VCU, according to its Instagram. Turning Point USA at VCU did not get back to The Commonwealth Times in time for publication.