Virginians will vote to decide who fills the state’s congressional seats, along with three proposed amendments to the state’s constitution on Nov. 3.
SENATE CANDIDATES
Democrat Sen. Mark Warner is on the ballot for the fourth time this year. Warner served as Virginia’s governor from 2002 to 2006 and is finishing his third term as senator.
Warner’s campaign promises include lowering housing costs, ensuring universal healthcare and preparing for the “coming AI jobs crisis,” according to his campaign website.
Warner is up against Republican Bert Mizusawa, a retired major general of the U.S. Army. Mizusawa’s campaign prioritizes reducing the national debt, implementing a tax code with fewer brackets and protecting the Second Amendment. Mizusawa supports simplifying the immigration process, but encourages legal immigrants to prepare for assimilation to American culture.
Mizusawa formerly served as senior advisor to the CIA director and worked as a foreign policy advisor for President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. In 2018, he attempted to campaign by challenging Sen. Tim Kaine, but did not make the ballot.
DISTRICT 1 CANDIDATES
Shannon Taylor, a Henrico County prosecutor, is the democratic nominee for the first congressional district. Taylor plans to propose a ban on congressional stock trading, 12-year term limits for Congress members and pass legislation to reduce utility prices, according to her website.
Republican nominee Rep. Rob Wittman will focus on creating jobs for Virginians through “pro-growth policies”, reducing the national debt and reforming the healthcare system to make it more affordable and accessible, according to his campaign site.
4TH DISTRICT CANDIDATES
Democrat Incumbent Rep. Jennifer McClellan is seeking reelection, and is campaigning to protect reproductive rights and lower living costs. McClellan has made her opposition to Trump’s immigration and agricultural policies a central part of her political messaging.
The Virginia GOP announced their nominee, Robert Murray, in a July social media post. Murray does not have a campaign website at the time of publication.
Dr. Alex Keena, associate professor of political science at VCU, recommends that voters research candidates to make fully informed decisions at the polls.
“Especially when it comes to incumbents, [researching] their voting records and what types of policies they’ve supported is a good idea,” Keena said.
BALLOT MEASURES INCLUDE REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOMS, VOTING RIGHTS AND REMOVING SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BAN
Virginians will also vote to add several ballot measures to the state constitution this year.
Ballot measures help solidify a piece of legislation, according to Dr. Keena. The General Assembly can overturn bills, which means amending the state constitution is a more permanent solution.
Question one on the ballot would establish the right to reproductive freedom, which the Virginia Department of Elections defines as “the fundamental right to make and carry out decisions about a person’s own reproductive care with only certain, specific exceptions.”
Question two would remove the defunct ban on same-sex marriage from the state’s constitution and prohibit the state from denying marriage licenses to two individuals on the basis of sex, race or gender. Although the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in the 2015 case Obergefell v. Hodges, this amendment would serve as protection for marriage equality in the state.
Question three would add a provision to restore the right to vote for individuals with felony convictions who have completed their sentences. Currently, convicted people must petition tothe governor to vote.
“This is something that a single state legislator, a single general assembly, can’t undo,” Keena said. “That’s what happens when you put it in the constitution.”
Alice Zambrano Gallegos, a Chesterfield resident, said her focus this election season is on protecting reproductive rights, marriage equality and finding a candidate that will combat utility price hikes.
“I think all three ballot measures are very important, but the ones that I’m looking at the most are reproductive rights and removing the same-sex marriage ban,” Zambrano Gallegos said.“My vote matters and I will always vote where freedom is maximized for all of us.”