City of Roanoke

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Republican incumbent Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears and former Democratic US Representative Abigail Spanberger will face each other in the general election for Governor of Virginia.

The Democratic nominee for Governor, Abigail Spanberger actually fights to expand healthcare and reproductive freedom instead of rolling over when conservatives threaten to restrict abortion rights. She’s committed to investing in clean energy, holding polluters accountable, and reducing energy costs for working families. Her gun-safety agenda goes far beyond “thoughts and prayers,” taking on the NRA head-on instead of cashing their donation checks. Spanberger’s pragmatic progressive vision gives suburban moderates and left-leaners tired of corporate centrism and culture-war theatrics a real reason to show up.

The Opposition

The Republican nominee for Governor, Winsome Earle-Sears is all about slashing taxes for big corporations while telling unemployed workers that losing a job is “no big deal.” She grandstands against critical race theory and “woke” classrooms to score culture-war points instead of tackling real education challenges. By waving her Marine Corps credentials, she sells herself as the ultimate tough-on-crime candidate, conveniently ignoring how lax gun laws endanger communities. Her true believers are MAGA zealots who think banning books, rolling back reproductive freedoms, and erasing civil liberties are more important than looking out for working families.

Recommendation

Due to her advocacy for abortion access, gun violence prevention, and clean energy, Abigail Spanberger is the progressive candidate in this race.

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Democratic Virginia State Senator Ghazala Hashmi and Republican John Reid will face each other in the general election for Lt. Governor of Virginia.

The Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor, Ghazala Hashmi is fighting to pump real money into public schools instead of the right’s perennial budget cuts and culture-war book bans. She defends reproductive freedom and Medicaid expansion for working families while conservatives keep dialing back healthcare access and waving anti-abortion placards. Her clean-energy agenda and environmental-justice bills actually target polluters, not the customary GOP handouts to pipeline lobbyists. Dreamers, suburban progressives fed up with partisan hijinks, and anyone who’d trade culture-war theatrics for equity and opportunity will cheer her unapologetic stand for Virginia’s working families.

The Opposition

The Republican nominee for Lt. Governor, John Reid is a self-styled small-government crusader who’ll happily cut taxes for wealthy donors while pretending he’s doing the same for working Virginians. He rails against “woke” curriculum and critical race theory, because apparently teaching actual American history is more offensive to him than runaway inequality. He touts law-and-order credentials and celebrity as a conservative radio host, hawking gun rights like they’re the ultimate public-safety strategy. He even plans to torpedo constitutional protections for same-sex marriage, proving that an openly gay candidate will stab his own community in the back for party unity, the perfect pick for culture-war diehards who prefer corporate giveaways to real solutions for working families.

Recommendation

Due to her advocacy for public education, abortion access, and environmental justice, Ghazala Hashmi is the progressive candidate in this race.

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares faces a challenge from former Democratic Virginia State Delegate Jay Jones.

The Democratic nominee for Attorney General, Jay Jones has pledged to sue the Trump administration every time it infringes on the rights of Virginians. He’s secured victories for abortion access, expanded Medicaid to cover thousands more Virginians, and even wrote anti-price-gouging measures to keep corporate vultures in check. His public-safety plan pairs smart gun-violence prevention and community-based crime interventions rather than recycling the right’s tired “lock ’em up” mantra for political ads. Grassroots progressives, consumer-rights advocates, and anyone sick of endless culture-war stunts will line up behind a candidate who actually puts families over fear-mongering theatrics.

The Opposition

Incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares cozies up to ICE, shaming local authorities who don’t cooperate with Trump’s policies of mass deportation, because terrorizing immigrant families is apparently his idea of due process. He grandstands on opioid crackdowns but turns a blind eye to corporate-friendly loopholes that keep the drug pipeline flowing. He bills himself as a federalism champion when suing Washington over environmental rules, conveniently ignoring states’ rights whenever big donors flash a check. His true believers are tough-on-crime zealots who think more ICE raids, harsher sentencing, and tax cuts for the wealthy are the pinnacle of compassionate governance.

Recommendation

Due to his advocacy for abortion access, gun violence prevention, and Medicaid coverage, Jay Jones is the progressive candidate in this race.

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Republican Delegate Terry Austin faces a challenge from Democrat Sharron Burgess in HD-37.

Virginia’s House District 37 spans portions of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, covering Botetourt, Alleghany, and Craig counties; parts of Rockbridge County; and the independent cities of Buena Vista, Lexington, and Covington. In the 2024 election it remained a strong Republican district by comfortable double‐digit margins.

Sharron Burgess is the Democratic nominee for Virginia’s 37th House District. She pledges to expand affordable health care access, including mental health services. She also supports protecting public servants' benefits and maintaining principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the law.

Sharron Burgess pledges to maintain principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the law. She will champion legislation that protects Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security benefits.

The Opposition

Incumbent Republican Delegate Terry Austin has served in the Virginia House of Delegates since 2014. He supports strict fiscal restraint, opposing any new taxes and touting balanced budgets, while prioritizing highway projects, pipeline permits, and rural broadband expansion. He backs increased law enforcement funding and Second Amendment rights. Austin has not supported Medicaid expansion, climate initiatives, or revenue increases for public schools and health services, choices that limit investments in education equity, healthcare access, and environmental protection.

He voted against establishing paid family and medical leave, increasing the minimum wage to $15, and repealing prohibitions on collective bargaining for public employees.

Delegate Austin voted against HJ 1, which would protect reproductive freedom, HJ 2, which would automatically restore voting rights to people upon release from incarceration, and HJ 9, which would repeal the Commonwealth’s defunct same-sex marriage ban and guarantee marriage equality for LGBTQ+ Virginians.

Recommendation

Based on her support for Medicaid and Medicare, as well as the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Sharron Burgess is the progressive candidate in this race.

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Independent Delegate Sam Rasoul faces a challenge from Independent Maynard Keller in HD-38.

Virginia’s House District 38 spans portions of Roanoke City in Virginia’s Blue Ridge region. In the 2024 election it remained a strong Democratic district by comfortable double-digit margins.

Incumbent Democratic Delegate Sam Rasoul is the first Muslim legislator in Virginia history and a third-generation Roanoke Valley native whose immigrant and Appalachian roots shape his inclusive vision for Southwest Virginia. A University of Virginia Commerce graduate, he built a career as a nonprofit director, small-business coach, and healthcare policy analyst before his election in 2013. He lives in Roanoke with his wife and three children. Rasoul led the successful effort to fully expand Medicaid and championed a $15 minimum wage, paid family and medical leave, and fair-scheduling laws to protect hourly workers. He backs universal pre-K, increased per-pupil funding for underserved districts, and landmark clean-energy and transportation decarbonization bills. His criminal justice reforms, alongside robust immigrant- and voting-rights protections, cement his reputation as a pragmatic progressive dedicated to economic and racial equity.
Committee Assignments: Appropriations (Elementary & Secondary Education Subcommittee Chair), Education (Chair), Public Safety (Public Safety Subcommittee Chair)

Delegate Rasoul led the fight to expand Medicaid to cover over 400,000 low-income Virginians. He has championed a $15 minimum wage, paid family and medical leave, and fair-scheduling rules for hourly workers. He backs universal pre-K and boosted per-pupil funding to close gaps in underserved districts.

He patroned the Green New Deal Act and has championed transportation decarbonization bills to cut emissions.

He pushed criminal justice reforms like ending cash bail for nonviolent offenses and abolishing juvenile shackling, alongside robust immigrant- and voting-rights protections.

He co-patroned and voted for proposed Constitutional Amendments to protect reproductive freedom and marriage equality, and automatically restore voting rights to people upon release from incarceration.

The Opposition

Maynard Keller is running as an independent for Virginia’s 38th House District after living and raising his family in Roanoke since 1994. His self-styled nonpartisan campaign pledges to “revive Roanoke through jobs, affordability, and security” rather than advance a defined policy agenda. His campaign has outlined some broad goals but offers few specifics on expanding Medicaid, protecting reproductive rights, bolstering workers’ collective bargaining, or tackling the climate crisis. Progressive voters may withhold support given his lack of concrete plans on social safety-net expansion, environmental justice, and equitable 

Recommendation

Based on his record of legislative achievements, including Medicaid expansion, and his strong support for progressive policy proposals like the Green New Deal, Delegate Sam Rasoul is the progressive candidate in this race.

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Republican Delegate Will Davis faces a challenge from Democrat Eric Klotz in HD-39.

Virginia’s House District 39 spans the entirety of Franklin County, as well as portions of Roanoke and Bedford counties. In the 2024 election it remained a strong Republican district by double-digit margins.

Democrat Eric Klotz is a 24-year U.S. Navy combat veteran turned MRI technologist at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. He has been married to his wife for 29 years and is a father to two adult sons. Born in California and steeped in military discipline, he now channels that leadership into public service for Southwest Virginia. Klotz frames education as a universal right, calling for robust investment in public schools, competitive teacher pay, and classroom resources. He champions healthcare as a human right, and he supports expanding Medicaid, bolstering community health centers, lowering prescription costs, and funding mental-health and substance-use programs. On infrastructure, he vows to hold utility monopolies accountable and secure universal high-speed broadband, ensuring rural families aren’t left behind by corporate greed.

Eric Klotz calls for robust investment in public schools, ensuring competitive teacher pay and modern classroom resources.

He champions full Medicaid expansion and bolstered community health centers to guarantee healthcare as a human right. He supports prescription drug cost reforms to lower out-of-pocket expenses for rural families.

He advocates increased funding for mental health and substance use treatment programs across Virginia.
- He vows to hold utility monopolies accountable and secure universal high-speed broadband access for all communities. access for all communities.

The Opposition

Will Davis was elected to the House of Delegates in November 2023 and consistently votes for low-tax, fiscally restrained budgets, and increased funding for law enforcement. His platform centers on opposing new taxes, cutting “wasteful” spending, protecting parental rights in schools, and reducing regulations for small businesses and farmers. Progressive voters may withhold support due to his focus on tax cuts over social investments, resistance to boosting public-school resources, refusal to back climate action, and opposition to broader reproductive and labor rights.

Recommendation

Based on his commitment to progressive priorities like investing in education, expanding Medicaid, and holding utility monopolies accountable, Eric Klotz is the progressive candidate in this race.

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Republican Delegate Joe McNamara faces a challenge from Democrat Donna Littlepage in HD-40.

Virginia’s House District 40 spans portions of Roanoke County, the City of Salem, and part of the City of Roanoke in Virginia’s Blue Ridge region. In the 2024 election it leaned Republican by single-digit margins.

Democrat Donna Littlepage is a lifelong Virginian. She holds a degree in accounting and an M.B.A. from Virginia Tech. Littlepage has held leadership roles at various organizations working with finance, health care, and insurance. She previously served as the Chief Financial Officer of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. She completed the Sorensen Institute Political Leaders Program at the University of Virginia and has lived in Roanoke for the past 25 years.

Donna Littlepage advocates for investing in public education and support teachers “while keeping decision-making local”. She hopes to expand vocational training, apprenticeships, and community college programs and vows to ensure that parents and educators have a say in shaping their children’s future.

Littlepage pledges to “use [her] financial expertise to reduce wasteful spending while ensuring vital programs remain strong.” She will support small businesses and workforce development, while keeping taxes low and making “smart investments in infrastructure, education, and job training.”

Littlepage’s support for reproductive freedom indicates she would support HJ 1, which would enshrine reproductive rights in the Virginia Constitution. She stands up for reproductive freedom and ensuring personal healthcare decisions remain between patients and doctors. She supports policies that protect privacy and bodily autonomy for all Virginians.

Littlepage will fight to protect Medicaid access. She advocates for rural healthcare solutions to keep hospitals and clinics open and pledges to support mental health and addiction treatment programs.

The Opposition

Incumbent Republican Delegate Joe McNamara has served in the House of Delegates since 2018. Prior to becoming a delegate, he served as the Windsor Hills Roanoke County Supervisor. He is a small business owner and holds both a B.S. in Accounting and a B.S. in Finance from the University of Virginia. He and his wife have five children. Key legislation:
- Voted against a bill to enshrine abortion rights in the Virginia Constitution
- Voted against a Constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to returning citizens
- Voted to enshrine equal marriage rights in the Virginia Constitution
- Voted against raising teacher pay to the national average
- Voted against authorizing public colleges and universities to prohibit guns on school property
- Voted for a “forced outing” bill targeting transgender students
- Voted against a bill to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2027
- Voted against a bill to establish paid family and medical leave
- Voted against a bill to to repeal prohibitions on collective bargaining for public employees
- Voted against establishing regulatory bodies to establish a Virginia cannabis industry
- Voted against authorizing the installation of electric vehicle chargers in certain rural areas
- Voted against prohibiting landlords from requiring tenants to pay extra fees
- Voted against establishing a Prescription Drug Affordability Board
- Voted against establishing the right to access and use FDA-approved birth control
- Voted against authorizing mental health experts to accompany police officers on certain calls
- Voted against a bill to prohibit the manufacture, sale, or possession of assault-style weapons
- Voted against establishing regulations for “high-risk” AI
- Voted against authorizing Ranked Choice Voting for certain local elections
- Voted against a bill that prohibits weapons in hospitals that provide mental health services

Recommendation

Based on her advocacy for quality public education and access to abortion, Donna Littlepage is the progressive candidate in this race.

This election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Republican Delegate Chris Obenshain faces a challenge from Democrat Lily Franklin in HD-41.

Virginia’s House District 41 spans parts of Montgomery County and Roanoke County in Virginia’s southwestern region. In the 2024 election it leaned Republican by narrow single-digit margins.

Democrat Lily Franklin is a Virginia native. She graduated from Northside High School and holds a degree in political science from Longwood University. Her career in politics began with her work in Delegate Sam Rasoul’s legislative office. Franklin was later promoted to chief of staff. 

Lily Franklin has expressed support for HJ 1, which would enshrine reproductive rights in the Virginia Constitution.

Lily Franklin is a former math teacher in Appalachia. She pledges to fight to ensure every child gets a world-class education and supports pay raises for teachers. 

Franklin will fight for affordable homeownership by stopping hedge funds from driving up prices and “pushing for innovative local and statewide solutions”.

She supports investing in infrastructure, programs for small businesses, and connecting the New River and Roanoke Valleys. She pledges to fight for policies that create good-paying jobs so families can build a future at home.

Franklin pledges to fight to protect reproductive rights, expand access to OB-GYNs and birth control, and ensure everyone can get the care they need, when they need it. She believes everyone deserves safe, clean drinking water. She worked to pass critical legislation that set strong limits on dangerous “forever chemicals” (PFAS) in drinking water.

As Chief of Staff to a member of the House of Delegates, she helped pass:
- Microgrants for farmers
- Housing protections for domestic violence survivors
- A first-of-its-kind program that put constituents in charge of the bill-writing process

The Opposition

Incumbent Republican Delegate Chris Obenshain was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2023. He is a U.S. Army Reservist and was commissioned as an Officer in the U.S. Army JAG Corps; he currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel. Delegate Obenshain has worked in several levels of government, from the local level to Capitol Hill. He lives in Blacksburg with his wife and their three sons. Key legislation:
- Voted against a bill to enshrine abortion rights in the Virginia Constitution
- Voted against a Constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to returning citizens
- Voted to enshrine equal marriage rights in the Virginia Constitution
- Voted against raising teacher pay to the national average
- Voted to increase protections and support for cyberbullying
- Voted against authorizing public colleges and universities to prohibit guns on school property
- Voted against a bill to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2027
- Voted against a bill to establish paid family and medical leave
- Voted against a bill to repeal prohibitions on collective bargaining for public employees
- Voted to establish regulatory bodies to establish a Virginia cannabis industry
- Voted against prohibiting landlords from requiring tenants to pay extra fees
- Voted against establishing a Prescription Drug Affordability Board
- Voted against establishing the right to access and use FDA-approved birth control
- Voted against requiring insurance providers to cover contraceptives
- Voted against a bill to prohibit the manufacture, sale, or possession of assault-style weapons 
- Voted against establishing regulations for “high-risk” AI
- Voted against authorizing Ranked Choice Voting for certain local elections
- Voted against a bill that would require secure storage of firearms in households where children live

Recommendation

Due to her support for abortion access and quality, affordable public education, Lily Franklin is the progressive candidate in this race.