Let America Vote Endorses Candidates for the Virginia General Assembly
Let America Vote PAC today endorsed a slate of 32 voting rights champions in their races for the Virginia General Assembly.
“Let America Vote PAC is proud to endorse these candidates who will fight for fair and free elections for all Virginians,” Let America Vote National Political Director Porsha White said. “We’ll be turning out the vote for these candidates this November to help elect voting rights champions across the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
Candidates running for Virginia House of Delegates
Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy (HD 2)
Why Jennifer Carroll Foy is a voting rights champion: Delegate Carroll Foy opposes unnecessary barriers to voting that have been enacted by GOP legislators. Delegate Carroll Foy supports repealing Virginia’s restrictive voter ID laws. She also fights for giving a voice to marginalized communities to ensure that all voices are heard in our democracy. Delegate Carroll Foy is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy.
Learn more about Delegate Carroll Foy here.
Delegate Danica Roem (HD 13)
Why Danica Roem is a voting rights champion: Delegate Roem is dedicated to making Virginia elections more fair and free. This year, Delegate Roem voted to establish an independent redistricting commission in Virginia in order to end gerrymandering. Delegate Roem also supports repealing Virginia’s voter ID law as she understands that the law disproportionately targets senior African-American voters. Delegate Roem is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Delegate Danica Roem.
Learn more about Delegate Roem here.
Delegate Kelly Fowler (HD 21)
Why Delegate Kelly Fowler is a voting rights champion: Delegate Fowler is dedicated to making elections more accessible for Virginia voters. Delegate Fowler favors making Election Day a federal holiday, or at least ensuring that working voters can take time off to vote. Delegate Fowler supports pro-voter measures such as expanding early voting times and locations, and making no-excuse absentee/vote-by-mail available in Virginia. Delegate Fowler is also a strong opponent of Virginia’s laws that disenfranchise individuals with felony records. Delegate Fowler supports voting rights restoration for voters who have paid their debt to society. Delegate Fowler is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Delegate Kelly Fowler.
Learn more about Delegate Fowler here.
Brent Finnegan (HD 26)
Why Brent Finnegan is a voting rights champion: Finnegan is committed to making elections fairer and more accessible by automatically registering voters at age 18, establishing same day voter registration, enacting early voting by mail, and providing polling places with resources to keep waiting times below 10 minutes. Finnegan also supports restoring the right to vote for individuals impacted by the justice system who have served their time. Finnegan is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Brent Finnegan.
Learn more about Candidate Finnegan here
Joshua Cole (HD 28)
Why Joshua Cole is a voting rights champion: Cole will fight to make voting more accessible for all Virginians. Cole is dedicated to increasing early voting and access to the polls for students. He also supports policies to help educate Virginians on voting. In 2017, Cole lost his race by fewer than 100 votes: Every vote counts and every door we knock on matters. Cole is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Joshua Cole.
Learn more about Candidate Cole here.
Delegate Elizabeth Guzman (HD 31)
Why Delegate Elizabeth Guzman is a voting rights champion: Delegate Guzman believes that every citizen of the United States should have access and every opportunity to cast a vote in an election. She opposes Virginia’s restrictive voting laws and wants to repeal the Voter ID law that disproportionately hurts minority communities. Delegate Guzman fights for pro-voter policies that will make elections more accessible. Delegate Guzman supports establishing an early voting program and vote-by-mail. Delegate Guzman is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Delegate Elizabeth Guzman.
Learn more about Delegate Guzman here.
Mavis Taintor (HD 33)
Why Mavis Taintor is a voting rights champion: Taintor is dedicated to making elections more accessible for Virginians. She will work to enact legislation establishing no-excuse absentee voting. Taintor is a strong supporter of restoring voting rights to individuals impacted by the justice system. She believes that a lifetime ban on voting for individuals with felonies is unconstitutional and un-American. Taintor also supports improving aging voting equipment because current equipment often results in delays and malfunctions that make voting more difficult. Taintor is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Mavis Taintor.
Learn more about Candidate Taintor here.
Dan Helmer (HD 40)
Why Dan Helmer is a voting rights champion: Helmer supports legislation to eliminate Virginia’s lifetime ban on the right to vote for individuals convicted of felonies. Helmer is committed to ensuring that all Virginians are granted voting protections. He also supports enacting measures to allow for no-excuse absentee voting and early voting in order to increase voting access for Virginians. Helmer opposes across-the-board voter purges and will fight to establish same day voter registration in order to make registration more accessible. He also intends to increase funding for poll worker training and increase access to the polls for people with disabilities. Helmer is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Dan Helmer.
Learn more about Candidate Helmer here.
Delegate Kathy Tran (HD 42)
Why Delegate Kathy Tran is a voting rights champion: Delegate Tran is dedicated to establishing an independent redistricting commission to prevent political and racial gerrymandering in Virginia and to protect communities of interests in the redistricting process. As a delegate, she introduced legislation to increase language accessibility for limited-English speaking voters. Delegate Tran is also committed to establishing no-excuse early voting and automatic voter registration, extending polling hours, investing in updated polling equipment, and adding a Voting Rights Amendment to Virginia’s constitution. Delegate Tran is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Delegate Kathy Tran.
Learn more about Delegate Tran here.
Delegate Lee J Carter (HD 50)
Why Delegate Lee J Carter is a voting rights champion: Delegate Carter understands that voting is foundational to democracy and supports efforts to make voting more accessible. Delegate Carter is committed to removing unnecessary barriers to the ballot by repealing Virginia’s voter ID law. Delegate Carter also seeks to enact pro-voter policies, such as no-excuse absentee voting, automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration, and making Election Day a holiday. Delegate Carter will also work to end the disenfranchisement of individuals impacted by the justice system. Delegate Carter is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Delegate Lee J Carter.
Learn more about Delegate Carter here.
Delegate Hala Ayala (HD 51)
Why Delegate Hala Ayala is a voting rights champion: Delegate Ayala is a strong advocate of improving access to voting in Virginia. Delegate Ayala supports a number of pro-voter measures, including early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, universal voter registration, same day voter registration. She also supports the restoration of voting rights for individuals impacted by the justice system who have served their time. Delegate Ayala opposes gerrymandering and supports establishing an independent redistricting commission. Delegate Ayala is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Delegate Hala Ayala.
Learn more about Delegate Ayala here.
Morgan Goodman (HD 55)
Why Morgan Goodman is a voting rights champion: Goodman is committed to ending gerrymandering in Virginia. She supports the creation of an independent redistricting commission to ensure that every person has an equal say in their government. Goodman will also fight back against attempts to raise unnecessary barriers to voting, such as early voting rollbacks, voter ID laws, and voter roll purges. Goodman is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Morgan Goodman.
Learn more about Candidate Goodman here.
Lindsey Dougherty (HD 62)
Why Lindsey Dougherty is a voting rights champion: Dougherty is committed to fighting for pro-voters measures. Dougherty wants to enact in-person early voting to make elections more accessible for Virginians. Dougherty also supports a constitutional amendment to restore the right to vote to individuals impacted by the justice system who have served their sentences. Dougherty is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Linsey Dougherty.
Learn more about Candidate Dougherty here.
Sheila Bynum-Coleman (HD 66)
Why Sheila Bynum-Coleman is a voting rights champion: Bynum-Coleman is dedicated to fighting for pro-voter policies. Bynum-Coleman wants to enact same-day voter registration, early voting, and automatic voter registration to make elections more accessible. Bynum-Coleman supports restoring voting rights to individuals impacted by the justice system who have paid their debt to society. She also strongly opposes gerrymandering. Bynum-Coleman is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Sheila Bynum-Coleman.
Learn more about Candidate Bynum-Coleman here.
Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg (HD 72)
Why Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg is a voting rights champion: Delegate VanValkenburg knows how important it is to provide equitable access and opportunities for every citizen by ensuring a democracy where every voice is heard and every vote counted. Delegate VanValkenburg supports legislation to make elections more accessible for Virginians, including establishing early voting, vote-by-mail, and automatic voter registration. Delegate VanValkenburg is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg.
Learn more about Delegate VanValkenburg here.
Clinton Jenkins (HD 76)
Why Clinton Jenkins is a voting rights champion: Jenkins is fully committed to enacting legislation to make elections more accessible for Virginians. Jenkins favors automatic voter registration and same-day voter registration, no-excuse absentee voting/vote-by-mail, and expanding early voting. Jenkins also supports legislation to restore and protect the right to vote of individuals who have been impacted by the criminal justice system. He also supports initiatives to educate Virginians about the importance of voting and democracy from a young age.
Jenkins also strongly opposes gerrymandering. Jenkins is running in a district (HD 76) that was ruled to have been unconstitutionally gerrymandered by federal courts. His opponent, Republican Delegate Chris Jones, was a chief architect of the gerrymandered map. Jenkins is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Clinton Jenkins.
Learn more about Candidate Jenkins here.
Nancy Guy (HD 83)
Why Nancy Guy is a voting rights champion: Guy is dedicated to ending gerrymandering in Virginia. She fully supports legislation to establish independent redistricting commissions in order to promote fair maps for Virginians. Guy understands that it is important for voters to choose their representatives, rather than politicians choosing their voters. Guy will also push for early voting and no-excuse absentee voting as a delegate and fight against GOP efforts make Virginia’s voter ID law even more restrictive. Guy is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Nancy Guy.
Learn more about Candidate Guy here.
Alex Askew (HD 85)
Why Alex Askew is a voting rights champion: Askew is dedicated to enacting pro-voter policies in Virginia. Askew supports early in-person voting and automatic voter registration in order to make elections more accessible for Virginians. Askew also supports reforming the criminal justice system in order to expand voting rights. Askew is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Alex Askew.
Learn more about Candidate Askew here.
Suhas Subramanyam (HD 87)
Why Suhas Subramanyam is a voting rights champion: Subramanyam is dedicated to making elections more accessible in Virginia. He supports establishing no-excuse absentee voting and vote-by-mail, extending early voting, automatic voter registration for 18 year olds, and making Election Day a federal holiday. Subramanyam also opposes Virginia’s restrictive election laws and would roll back Virginia’s voter ID laws. Subramanyam opposes gerrymandering because Virginia needs a system where people choose their legislators, not the other way around. He supports establishing an independent redistricting commission to ensure fair, nonpartisan maps. Subramanyam is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Suhas Subramanyam.
Learn more about Candidate Subramanyam here.
Jessica Foster (HD 88)
Why Jessican Foster is a voting rights champion: Foster is dedicated to ending partisan gerrymandering because voters should choose their politicians, and not the other way around. Foster supports establishing an independent redistricting commission to ensure that Virginians vote under a fair map. Foster is also dedicated to enacting pro-voter policies, such as no-excuse absentee voting and same-day registration. Foster is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Jessica Foster.
Learn more about Candidate Foster here.
Martha Mugler (HD 91)
Why Martha Mugler is a voting rights champion: Mugler will fight to remove unnecessary barriers to voting. Mugler will work to repeal Virginia’s discriminatory voter ID laws that make it harder for Virginians to vote. She is also committed to preventing across-the-board voter purges. Mugler is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Martha Mugler.
Learn more about Candidate Mugler here.
Delegate Mike Mullin (HD 93)
Why Delegate Mike Mullin is a voting rights champion: Delegate Mullin is a strong proponent of establishing an independent redistricting commission in order to end partisan gerrymandering. Delegate Mullin is dedicated to addressing the structural inequalities that exist in our voting rights process. Delegate Mullin is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Delegate Mike Mullin.
Learn more about Delegate Mullin here.
Shelly Simonds (HD 94)
Why Shelly Simonds is a voting rights champion: Simonds is committed to making voter registration an accessible and fair process, expanding early voting for people over 65 years old, making voting more accessible for workers, and establishing Election Day as a holiday. She is also dedicated to eradicating gerrymandering by implementing a fair process for legislative lines to be drawn. In 2017, Simonds received the same number of votes as her Republican opponent, but lost because her name was not drawn out of a bowl. That randomly drawn selection gave Virginia Republicans control of the House of Delegates. Simonds’ 2017 election shows that every single vote counts and every door we knock on matters. Simonds is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Shelly Simonds.
Learn more about Candidate Simonds here.
Phil Hernandez (HD 100)
Why Phil Hernandez is a voting rights champion: Hernandez is a strong proponent of measures to make elections more accessible. Hernandez is committed to expand early voting in Virginia, and establishing automatic voter registration, or, at minimum, same-day voter registration. Hernandez supports automatic restoration of voting rights for individuals who have been involved with the justice system. He also supports ending gerrymandering by establishing an independent redistricting commission. Hernandez will fight to protect the voting rights of Virginians and curb the role of money in politics. Hernandez is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Phil Hernandez.
Learn more about Candidate Hernandez here.
Candidates running for Virginia Senate
Cheryl Turpin (SD 7)
Why Cheryl Turpin is a voting rights champion: Turpin opposes gerrymandering, across-the-board voter purges, and gerrymandering, and is committed to improving voting rights for Virginians. One of her top priorities will be to re-enfranchise individuals impacted by the justice system who have served their time. Turpin understands that far too many Virginians have lost their right to vote due to a broken criminal justice system. Turpin is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Cheryl Turpin.
Learn more about Candidate Turpin here.
Missy Cotter Smasal (SD 8)
Why Missy Cotter Smasal is a voting rights champion: Cotter Smasal has made opposition to partisan gerrymandering a core issue of her campaign. Cotter Smasal supports establishing an independent, nonpartisan redistricting commission in order to ensure Virginians are voting under fair maps. Cotter Smasal also supports measures to make registering and voting more accessible. Cotter Smasal is dedicated to enacting no-excuse absentee in-person voting and expanding early voting to make the polls more accessible for working voters. Cotter Smasal is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Missy Cotter Smasal.
Learn more about Candidate Cotter Smasal here.
Ghazala Hashmi (SD 10)
Why Ghazala Hashmi is a voting rights champion: Hashmi is committed to protecting access to the ballot and encouraging increased voter participation. Hashmi will push for pro-voter policies such as same-day voter registration, expansion of the early voting period, and initiatives to register 18 year old high school students. As State Senator, Hasmi will fight against voter suppression and promote innovative ideas that increase political participation. Hashmi is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Ghazala Hashmi.
Learn more about Candidate Hashmi here.
Amanda Pohl (SD 11)
Why Amanda Pohl is a voting rights champion: Pohl knows that voting is an essential right and will work hard to ensure every citizen can exercise that right in Virginia. She is dedicated to fight to reduce barriers to the polls to ensure voters have the opportunity to choose their elected representatives. Pohl supports automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration, increasing access to the polls through no-fault early voting, and making Election Day a paid holiday. Pohl opposes Virginia’s voter ID law and across-the-board voter purges as they often harm Virginia’s most marginalized communities. Pohl is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Amanda Pohl.
Learn more about Candidate Pohl here.
Delegate Debra Rodman (SD 12)
Why Delegate Debra Rodman is a voting rights champion: Delegate Rodman has displayed her dedication to voting rights by introducing legislation to establish vote-by-mail and measures to increase access to voter registration. Delegate Rodman also supports no-excuse absentee voting. She is also committed to fighting back against efforts to disenfranchise marginalized communities and fights to reduce the influence of money in politics. Delegate Rodman is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Delegate Rodman.
Learn more about Delegate Rodman here.
Delegate John Bell (SD 13)
Why Delegate John Bell is a voting rights champion: Delegate Bell is committed to passing legislation to make voting more accessible. Delegate Bell supports automatic voter registration, no-excuse early voting, and expanding mail-in and absentee voting options. Delegate Bell is also dedicated to repealing voter suppression laws that have been enacted by the Virginia GOP.
Bell is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Delegate Bell.
Learn more about Delegate Bell here.
Amy Laufer (SD 17)
Why Amy Laufer is a voting rights champion: Laufer is fully committed to restoring the right to vote to citizens impacted by the justice system after they have served their time. She believes that the restoration of voting rights should be automatic. Laufer also opposes Virginia’s restrictive voter ID law as the law disenfranchises voters across Virginia. Laufer will fight to make elections more accessible for Virginians by ensuring polling locations are in convenient, easily accessible locations. Laufer is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Amy Laufer.
Learn more about Candidate Laufer here.
Senator Jennifer B. Boysko (SD 33)
Why Senator Jennifer B. Boysko is a voting rights champion: Senator Boysko is committed to continue fighting to protect Virginians right to vote. Senator Boysko favors policies that will make elections more fair and free, including expanding polling hours, enacting no-excuse absentee voting, properly funding the Virginia Department of Elections, and implementing measures to make addressing any mistakes in voter registration easier. Senator Boysko also supports repealing Virginia’s restrictive voter ID requirements. Senator Boysko is also dedicated to end gerrymandering by establishing an independent, nonpartisan redistricting commission. Senator Boysko is dedicated to protecting the right to vote for Virginians and making elections more fair and free. We are proud to endorse Senator Jennifer B. Boysko.
Learn more about Senator Boysko here.