About the Race
This election occurs on November 3, 2020, in conjunction with the US presidential election. Dr. Cameron Webb (D), a doctor and lawyer and a former Obama White House fellow, is running against Bob Good (R), a financial executive for CitiFinancial and the chief fundraiser for Liberty University’s athletics department.
About the District
Virginia’s 5th congressional district is the largest in the state. It stretches from Piedmont and Blue Ridge mountains along the North Carolina border up over 250 miles to parts of Fauquier County in Northern Virginia. It contains the entirety of Albemarle County, Appomattox County, Brunswick County, Buckingham County, Campbell County, Charlotte County, Cumberland County, Fluvanna County, Franklin County, Greene County, Halifax County, Lunenburg County, Madison County, Mecklenburg County, Nelson County, Pittsylvania County, Prince Edward County, and Rappahannock County. It also contains parts of Bedford County, Fauquier County, Henry County, and the cities of Charlottesville and Danville.
The district has been reliably Republican outside of the 2008 election. The current 5th district representative, Denver Riggleman (R), won the district in 2018 with over 53% of the vote.
Recommendation
Dr. Cameron Webb, a doctor and lawyer, is a Democrat running for the open seat in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. Originally from Spotsylvania, Webb graduated from the University of Virginia. After completing his graduate studies, Webb worked on President Barack Obama’s Healthcare Team and served as an appointee to Virginia’s Board of Medical Assistance Services. He’s currently the Director of Health Policy and Equity for UVA’s School of Medicine. His wife, Dr. Leigh-Ann Webb, is an E.R. doctor, and the couple has two daughters.
Affordable and quality healthcare is the top issue in Webb’s campaign and that the rights of patients are prioritized over profit. He has stated that the Affordable Care Act was an excellent start to bringing healthcare reform to the country, but he supports providing a public option for health coverage. Webb also wants to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, expand access to mental health services, restore and increase funding to organizations providing reproductive healthcare services, spend more money to improve healthcare access in rural and underserved communities, and better support disabled Americans.
Webb believes that national leadership has failed the country in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. His response to dealing with the fallout of the virus involves implementing a “wrap-around support system” that addresses health, housing, workers’ rights, and the economy. As a doctor, Webb sees firsthand how the climate crisis is adversely affecting people’s health. He believes that Virginia should transition to a clean economy by eliminating carbon emissions and requiring that all energy come from renewable and clean resources.
Webb said he would fight for women’s equality by addressing the gender wage gap, advocating for paid family and medical leave, protecting reproductive healthcare and abortion, and reinstating the Violence Against Women Act. He wants higher education to be more accessible by making public universities and community colleges free to low-income students. Webb also believes that educational equity will be achieved by changing testing, updating laws, increasing funding, and making broadband access available to all students.
Webb is facing off against Republican Bob Good, a former fundraiser for Liberty University and Campbell County Supervisor. Good beat incumbent Representative Denver Riggleman in a Republican Party convention, challenging Riggleman after he officiated a wedding for a gay couple. Good is a social conservative who opposes transgender bathroom policies, abortion access, and protections for immigrants in our community. Good supports cutting taxes, reducing government spending, and supporting homeschoolers.
Webb’s advocacy for affordable healthcare, protecting abortion access, plan to tackle climate change and belief in equitable education makes him the most progressive choice for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District.