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Virginia’s new 24th State Senate district encompasses parts of Newport News City, York County, Williamsburg City, Poquoson City, and parts of James City County. With over 147,000 registered voters, this is a competitive district that does not lean one way or another.
This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Incumbent Democratic Senator Monty Mason is facing a challenge from Republican candidate Danny Diggs in the general election for Virginia’s new 24th State Senate district. Senator Mason has served in the State Senate since 2016, and previously served in the House of Delegates from 2014 to 2016.Incumbent Senator Monty Mason has served in the State Senate since 2016, and previously served in the House of Delegates from 2014 to 2016. He serves on several committees, including Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, Commerce and Labor, General Laws and Technology, Privileges and Elections, and Rehabilitation and Social Services. Senator Mason lives in Williamsburg with his wife and children.
Senator Mason believes that the right to abortion is a fundamental right. He vowed to defend that right against conservative legislators who aim to weaken access to abortion. During the 2021 General Assembly, he voted to allow Virginia Health insurance plans to cover abortion care. He votes consistently in support of abortion access bills and against legislation aimed at creating barriers to that access. He is endorsed by REPRO Rising Virginia, Roe Your Vote Virginia, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia.
Senator Mason advocates for strong gun violence prevention legislation, particularly when it comes to school safety. He supports background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons, and stronger firearms storage policies. During the 2023 General Assembly, he was a chief co-patron of a bill that focused on safe storage in homes where children live. In light of the recent incident of gun violence, he introduced a budget amendment to help secure classrooms in Richneck Elementary. Additionally, he is a strong supporter of extreme-risk protection orders. Senator Mason is endorsed by Giffords, an organization dedicated to gun violence prevention.
Senator Mason believes in quality public education. He has advocated for raising teacher pay and increasing funding for public schools and early childhood education programs. He is endorsed by the Virginia Education Association. Through his advocacy for gun violence prevention, he works to keep schools safe. In 2022, Senator Mason received a Distinguished Service Award from the Virginia Association of Independent Specialized Education Facilities.
Senator Mason is a proponent of environmental justice legislation. He supported the Clean Economy Act and criticized Governor Youngkin’s removal of Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. He advocates for renewable energy. Once a year, Senator Mason hosts an annual creek clean-up. He has stated that flooding and the damages from it should be a policy priority. He received a 100 percent on the Virginia League of Conservation Voters legislative scorecard.
Incumbent Democratic Senator Monty Mason is facing a challenge from Republican candidate Danny Diggs in this race. Diggs has 45 years of experience as a law enforcement officer. He was the sheriff of York County and Poquoson for more than 20 years. He supports Governor Youngkin’s 15-week abortion ban. Diggs praised the Supreme Court for striking down student loan debt forgiveness.
Because of his commitment to protecting abortion access, gun violence prevention, and protecting the environment, Senator Mason is the progressive choice in this race.
City of Williamsburg
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State Senate
Depending on where you live, you may have one of the below State Senate races on your ballot.
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Incumbent Senator Monty Mason has served in the State Senate since 2016, and previously served in the House of Delegates from 2014 to 2016. He serves on several committees, including Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, Commerce and Labor, General Laws and Technology, Privileges and Elections, and Rehabilitation and Social Services. Senator Mason lives in Williamsburg with his wife and children.
Senator Mason believes that the right to abortion is a fundamental right. He vowed to defend that right against conservative legislators who aim to weaken access to abortion. During the 2021 General Assembly, he voted to allow Virginia Health insurance plans to cover abortion care. He votes consistently in support of abortion access bills and against legislation aimed at creating barriers to that access. He is endorsed by REPRO Rising Virginia, Roe Your Vote Virginia, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia.
Senator Mason advocates for strong gun violence prevention legislation, particularly when it comes to school safety. He supports background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons, and stronger firearms storage policies. During the 2023 General Assembly, he was a chief co-patron of a bill that focused on safe storage in homes where children live. In light of the recent incident of gun violence, he introduced a budget amendment to help secure classrooms in Richneck Elementary. Additionally, he is a strong supporter of extreme-risk protection orders. Senator Mason is endorsed by Giffords, an organization dedicated to gun violence prevention.
Senator Mason believes in quality public education. He has advocated for raising teacher pay and increasing funding for public schools and early childhood education programs. He is endorsed by the Virginia Education Association. Through his advocacy for gun violence prevention, he works to keep schools safe. In 2022, Senator Mason received a Distinguished Service Award from the Virginia Association of Independent Specialized Education Facilities.
Senator Mason is a proponent of environmental justice legislation. He supported the Clean Economy Act and criticized Governor Youngkin’s removal of Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. He advocates for renewable energy. Once a year, Senator Mason hosts an annual creek clean-up. He has stated that flooding and the damages from it should be a policy priority. He received a 100 percent on the Virginia League of Conservation Voters legislative scorecard.
Incumbent Democratic Senator Monty Mason is facing a challenge from Republican candidate Danny Diggs in this race. Diggs has 45 years of experience as a law enforcement officer. He was the sheriff of York County and Poquoson for more than 20 years. He supports Governor Youngkin’s 15-week abortion ban. Diggs praised the Supreme Court for striking down student loan debt forgiveness.
Because of his commitment to protecting abortion access, gun violence prevention, and protecting the environment, Senator Mason is the progressive choice in this race.Last updated: 2023-09-21
No Recommendation
Pam Garner is a retired U.S. Army and Air National Guard Lieutenant Colonel and a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. She managed statewide COVID-19 response efforts across several agencies and localities. Garner earned her Bachelor’s of Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University and her Master’s degree in physics from Virginia State University. She taught high school physics and math in Richmond, Chesterfield and Gloucester County for over a decade and is a small business owner. Garner is committed to helping Virginians lead safer and better lives, protecting abortion access, protecting and expanding gun safety, and supporting strong public schools with good pay and working conditions for teachers.
Garner is a strong supporter of public schools She prioritizes better teacher pay, funding for school mental health professionals to help students and teachers, increasing access to pre-school, and providing universal free breakfast and lunch. She believes private schools should be paid for with private money and that untrained parents should not dictate what is taught in schools.
Garner supports removing barriers to abortion access. She believes bans and restrictions on abortion care put people at risk of receiving the care they need. Additionally, she believes that there should be common sense gun violence prevention laws in place to keep firearms out of children’s hands. She is endorsed by abortion advocacy organization REPRO Rising.
Pam Garner is challenging incumbent Republican Senator Ryan McDougle. Senator McDougle has served in the State Senate since 2006, and previously served in the House of Delegates from 2002 to 2006. He is anti-abortion and regularly votes in favor of legislation aimed at creating barriers to abortion access. In 2020, he voted against repealing the prohibition on same-sex marriage in the Virginia State Constitution. He does not support common-sense gun violence prevention.
While Pam Garner does support some progressive issues, we were unable to find enough information to make a strong recommendation in this race. Remember there are other races in this election.
Garner is a strong supporter of public schools She prioritizes better teacher pay, funding for school mental health professionals to help students and teachers, increasing access to pre-school, and providing universal free breakfast and lunch. She believes private schools should be paid for with private money and that untrained parents should not dictate what is taught in schools.
Garner supports removing barriers to abortion access. She believes bans and restrictions on abortion care put people at risk of receiving the care they need. Additionally, she believes that there should be common sense gun violence prevention laws in place to keep firearms out of children’s hands. She is endorsed by abortion advocacy organization REPRO Rising.
Pam Garner is challenging incumbent Republican Senator Ryan McDougle. Senator McDougle has served in the State Senate since 2006, and previously served in the House of Delegates from 2002 to 2006. He is anti-abortion and regularly votes in favor of legislation aimed at creating barriers to abortion access. In 2020, he voted against repealing the prohibition on same-sex marriage in the Virginia State Constitution. He does not support common-sense gun violence prevention.
While Pam Garner does support some progressive issues, we were unable to find enough information to make a strong recommendation in this race. Remember there are other races in this election.
No Recommendation
Pam Garner is a retired U.S. Army and Air National Guard Lieutenant Colonel and a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. She managed statewide COVID-19 response efforts across several agencies and localities.
House of Delegates
Depending on where you live, you may have one of the below House of Delegate races on your ballot.
No Recommendation
Virginia’s new 69th House of Delegates district encompasses parts of York County, parts of James City County, parts of Gloucester County, and parts of Newport News City. With over 64,000 registered voters, this district leans Republican.
This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Republican candidate Chad Green is running unopposed in the general election for Virginia’s new 69th House of Delegates district. He previously served as the District 3 York County Supervisor.
Incumbent Delegate Chad Green (R) is an attorney and conservative activist. He labels efforts to hold police accountable as attacks by the “woke mob”. He believes that sanctuary cities and other measures taken to protect vulnerable immigrants “disrespect the rule of law” and “have no place in our country” and calls immigrants criminals that should be deported.
There is no recommendation in this race. We encourage people to vote and write-in a candidate. Remember, there are other races this year that need your vote, so we encourage you to show up to vote anyway.
There is no recommendation in this race. We encourage people to vote and write-in a candidate. Remember, there are other races this year that need your vote, so we encourage you to show up to vote anyway.
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Jessica Anderson is an everyday person who advocates for her community. She is a lifelong Virginian, a mother of three daughters, and a stepmother to a son and daughter. She attained her Associate's Degree in Business Administration while pregnant with her second born. She worked full-time with a local family dental practice for over 7 years before opting to be a stay-at-home mom for 2 years. She found herself struggling to provide health insurance for her young daughters and unable to meet financial needs for daily necessities while going through a difficult divorce. This moment showed her just how important and lifesaving social safety nets are to families.
Anderson is a firm believer in abortion access and will fight to ensure it is protected in Virginia. She recognizes the importance of access to healthcare for her four daughters and opposes burdensome laws on healthcare professionals that put people in danger. She believes that legislators have no business in doctor's offices, making personal decisions and putting healthcare providers at legal risk simply for providing care. She opposes further arbitrary laws that are nothing more than political grandstanding and serve no purpose than to control this deeply personal decision. She supports the long-standing law in Virginia that demands healthcare providers respond quickly and ethically if a pregnancy is terminated in the 3rd trimester and to make every attempt and give any and all medical care required to ensure the child lives and thrives.
Anderson believes that public education is crucial to the Commonwealth of Virginia and especially District 71. She opposes policies like "No Child Left Behind" and standardized testing that have dismantled public education both financially and structurally. She believes these policies have resulted in curricula that are far less engaging, focused on teaching to test, and push students through the system who have missed out on much-needed resources. She opposes policies like taking public school funding and putting it into private schools and book banning that are causing further harm to educators, students, and families. She will always stand for parental rights and advocate for meaningful dialogue between educators and families to reach the best compromise for all parties.
Anderson will advocate for workers in Virginia to get access to basic benefits that others take for granted. She supports paid family and medical leave. She also supports earned sick time, which would provide every worker in Virginia with a minimum of 40 hours of earned sick time every year. She believes that families across Virginia need increased access to quality, affordable childcare programs. She also believes that living and aging at home should be a viable option for any Virginian who wishes to do so and wants to ensure that Virginia has the infrastructure and workforce in place to meet the growing demand for in-home nurses and care staff.
Anderson will fight for responsible gun ownership. She supports implementing universal background checks. She also believes that guns should always be stored in a secure manner, locked and unloaded, particularly in households where children are present. She supports investing in community-based violence prevention programs to help address the root causes of gun violence. She believes that extreme risk protection laws are critical in saving lives and preventing gun violence. She is committed to voting on and advocating for common sense, responsible gun safety legislation that aims to keep kids and communities safe.
Anderson is running against Incumbent Delegate Amanda Batten (R). Batten voted against the Virginia Voting Rights Act, the Virginia Clean Economy Act, and the legalization of marijuana. She also opposed abolishing the death penalty in Virginia and raising the minimum wage.
Because of her positions on gun control, public education, and healthcare, Anderson is the clear progressive choice in this race.
Last updated: 2023-10-23Jessica Anderson
Jessica Anderson is an everyday person who advocates for her community. She is a lifelong Virginian, a mother of three daughters, and a stepmother to a son and daughter. She attained her Associate's Degree in Business Administration while pregnant with her second born.
Jessica Anderson is an everyday person who advocates for her community. She is a lifelong Virginian, a mother of three daughters, and a stepmother to a son and daughter. She attained her Associate's Degree in Business Administration while pregnant with her second born. She worked full-time with a local family dental practice for over 7 years before opting to be a stay-at-home mom for 2 years. She found herself struggling to provide health insurance for her young daughters and unable to meet financial needs for daily necessities while going through a difficult divorce. This moment showed her just how important and lifesaving social safety nets are to families.
Anderson is a firm believer in abortion access and will fight to ensure it is protected in Virginia. She recognizes the importance of access to healthcare for her four daughters and opposes burdensome laws on healthcare professionals that put people in danger. She believes that legislators have no business in doctor's offices, making personal decisions and putting healthcare providers at legal risk simply for providing care. She opposes further arbitrary laws that are nothing more than political grandstanding and serve no purpose than to control this deeply personal decision. She supports the long-standing law in Virginia that demands healthcare providers respond quickly and ethically if a pregnancy is terminated in the 3rd trimester and to make every attempt and give any and all medical care required to ensure the child lives and thrives.
Anderson believes that public education is crucial to the Commonwealth of Virginia and especially District 71. She opposes policies like "No Child Left Behind" and standardized testing that have dismantled public education both financially and structurally. She believes these policies have resulted in curricula that are far less engaging, focused on teaching to test, and push students through the system who have missed out on much-needed resources. She opposes policies like taking public school funding and putting it into private schools and book banning that are causing further harm to educators, students, and families. She will always stand for parental rights and advocate for meaningful dialogue between educators and families to reach the best compromise for all parties.
Anderson will advocate for workers in Virginia to get access to basic benefits that others take for granted. She supports paid family and medical leave. She also supports earned sick time, which would provide every worker in Virginia with a minimum of 40 hours of earned sick time every year. She believes that families across Virginia need increased access to quality, affordable childcare programs. She also believes that living and aging at home should be a viable option for any Virginian who wishes to do so and wants to ensure that Virginia has the infrastructure and workforce in place to meet the growing demand for in-home nurses and care staff.
Anderson will fight for responsible gun ownership. She supports implementing universal background checks. She also believes that guns should always be stored in a secure manner, locked and unloaded, particularly in households where children are present. She supports investing in community-based violence prevention programs to help address the root causes of gun violence. She believes that extreme risk protection laws are critical in saving lives and preventing gun violence. She is committed to voting on and advocating for common sense, responsible gun safety legislation that aims to keep kids and communities safe.
Anderson is running against Incumbent Delegate Amanda Batten (R). Batten voted against the Virginia Voting Rights Act, the Virginia Clean Economy Act, and the legalization of marijuana. She also opposed abolishing the death penalty in Virginia and raising the minimum wage.
Because of her positions on gun control, public education, and healthcare, Anderson is the clear progressive choice in this race.
Jessica Anderson
Jessica Anderson is an everyday person who advocates for her community. She is a lifelong Virginian, a mother of three daughters, and a stepmother to a son and daughter. She attained her Associate's Degree in Business Administration while pregnant with her second born.
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Jessica Anderson is an everyday person who advocates for her community. She is a lifelong Virginian, a mother of three daughters, and a stepmother to a son and daughter. She attained her Associate's Degree in Business Administration while pregnant with her second born. She worked full-time with a local family dental practice for over 7 years before opting to be a stay-at-home mom for 2 years. She found herself struggling to provide health insurance for her young daughters and unable to meet financial needs for daily necessities while going through a difficult divorce. This moment showed her just how important and lifesaving social safety nets are to families.
Anderson is a firm believer in abortion access and will fight to ensure it is protected in Virginia. She recognizes the importance of access to healthcare for her four daughters and opposes burdensome laws on healthcare professionals that put people in danger. She believes that legislators have no business in doctor's offices, making personal decisions and putting healthcare providers at legal risk simply for providing care. She opposes further arbitrary laws that are nothing more than political grandstanding and serve no purpose than to control this deeply personal decision. She supports the long-standing law in Virginia that demands healthcare providers respond quickly and ethically if a pregnancy is terminated in the 3rd trimester and to make every attempt and give any and all medical care required to ensure the child lives and thrives.
Anderson believes that public education is crucial to the Commonwealth of Virginia and especially District 71. She opposes policies like "No Child Left Behind" and standardized testing that have dismantled public education both financially and structurally. She believes these policies have resulted in curricula that are far less engaging, focused on teaching to test, and push students through the system who have missed out on much-needed resources. She opposes policies like taking public school funding and putting it into private schools and book banning that are causing further harm to educators, students, and families. She will always stand for parental rights and advocate for meaningful dialogue between educators and families to reach the best compromise for all parties.
Anderson will advocate for workers in Virginia to get access to basic benefits that others take for granted. She supports paid family and medical leave. She also supports earned sick time, which would provide every worker in Virginia with a minimum of 40 hours of earned sick time every year. She believes that families across Virginia need increased access to quality, affordable childcare programs. She also believes that living and aging at home should be a viable option for any Virginian who wishes to do so and wants to ensure that Virginia has the infrastructure and workforce in place to meet the growing demand for in-home nurses and care staff.
Anderson will fight for responsible gun ownership. She supports implementing universal background checks. She also believes that guns should always be stored in a secure manner, locked and unloaded, particularly in households where children are present. She supports investing in community-based violence prevention programs to help address the root causes of gun violence. She believes that extreme risk protection laws are critical in saving lives and preventing gun violence. She is committed to voting on and advocating for common sense, responsible gun safety legislation that aims to keep kids and communities safe.
Anderson is running against Incumbent Delegate Amanda Batten (R). Batten voted against the Virginia Voting Rights Act, the Virginia Clean Economy Act, and the legalization of marijuana. She also opposed abolishing the death penalty in Virginia and raising the minimum wage.
Because of her positions on gun control, public education, and healthcare, Anderson is the clear progressive choice in this race.
Last updated: 2023-10-23
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