While residents in other states have the luxury of staying home this November, Virginians will be in the midst of one of the most hotly contested legislative elections in the commonwealth’s extensive history. Virginia Democrats have nominated a whole slew of radical progressives that aim to undermine second amendment protections, common sense education policy, and pathbreaking tax and regulation reform that has transformed the state into one of the most competitive in the nation.
State senate elections in the 31st, 30th, and 16th districts are all vital opportunities for conservatives to put a stop to the radical left’s plan to obstruct Governor Youngkin’s legislative policy. For instance, Russet Perry – who is running to represent the 31st district – has affirmed that she would like to establish “limits on magazine capacity and [issue a statewide] assault weapons ban” in a bid to prevent gun violence. By contrast, Perry’s opponent Juan Pablo Segura has gone on record to support real solutions to gun violence like Governor Youngkin’s $230 million “Right Help, Right Now” legislation which will bring “innovative solutions to tackle the mental healthcare crisis” in the commonwealth without compromising the integrity of the second amendment.
Likewise, Democrat Delegate Danica Roem – who is running to represent the 30th district – proudly flaunts her opposition to much of the tax reform which came out of the Virginia state assembly in the last two years. With regards to the grocery tax, Roem claims that she “fought against reckless political expediency in the state legislature to defund more than half a billion dollars over the 2022-2024 biennium.” It is important to note that the reduction of Virginia’s grocery tax rate from 1.5% to 1% came at a time when Virginian families were struggling to put food on their tables because of the ravages of the Biden administration’s irresponsible monetary and fiscal policies. With regards to “reckless political expediency,” the Virginia state government was still able to generate over $3.6 billion in surplus revenues despite the cut. Roem’s opponent Bill Woolf, on the other hand, is committed to keeping “personal taxes as low as possible so that [his constituents] keep more of the money [they] earn.” As a small business owner, Woolf understands “the unique challenges” that many small businesses face in Northern Virginia and wants to foster a “tax system [that] encourages businesses to come [there] and create well-paid jobs.”
Moreover, Incumbent Senator for the 16th district – Siobhan Dunnavant – has proven herself to be one of the most pro-education senators in the Virginia senate. During her tenure on the state senate’s education subcommittee, Dunnavant supported a 5% pay raise for teachers, instituted a uniform statewide passport credit program, and standardized financial aid award letters from universities providing greater transparency to students. These policies greatly improved the quality of life of both students and educators across the commonwealth. Despite the fact that Virginia ranks 4th nationwide in terms of education, Dunnavant’s radical left-wing opponent – Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg – has voiced his concerns surrounding the state legislature’s supposed ‘failure’ to “invest in public education.” This criticism seems obtuse given that Virginia’s budget last year was the largest education budget in the state’s history and included a 10 percent pay raise for teachers.
When all is said and done, the urgency surrounding these elections cannot be overstated. Virginians have a clear choice between pro-family, pro-taxpayer leaders like Juan Pablo Segura, Bill Woolf, and Siobhan Dunnavant or radical Democrats who will hold the commonwealth back.