Hanover County
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Ballot Drop Boxes
Election Day is Tuesday, November 7th
The Virginia Progressive Voters Guide compiles the information that allows you to make informed decisions about the races on your ballot, based on your values. All research in this guide was conducted July through September of 2023. Please share this guide with your friends and family.
State Senate
Depending on where you live, you may have one of the below State Senate races on your ballot.
Senate District 010
Republican Delegate John McGuire is running unopposed in the general election for Virginia’s new 10th State Senate district. Delegate McGuire has served in the House of Delegates since 2018. He is anti-abortion and received a 100% score from the Family Foundation. In the 2023 General Assembly, he introduced legislation to prohibit public funds from going towards abortion services for low-income people. He also patroned a bill aimed at removing ballot drop boxes, one of several attempts of his to make voting less accessible. Delegate McGuire co-patroned a bill that would require the forced outing of students by principals or their designees.
Because McGuire is running unopposed, there is no recommendation in this race. We encourage you to show up and vote by writing in a candidate. Remember, there are still other races in this year’s elections.
Republican Delegate John McGuire is running unopposed in the general election for Virginia’s new 10th State Senate district. Delegate McGuire has served in the House of Delegates since 2018. He is anti-abortion and received a 100% score from the Family Foundation. In the 2023 General Assembly, he introduced legislation to prohibit public funds from going towards abortion services for low-income people. He also patroned a bill aimed at removing ballot drop boxes, one of several attempts of his to make voting less accessible. Delegate McGuire co-patroned a bill that would require the forced outing of students by principals or their designees.
Because McGuire is running unopposed, there is no recommendation in this race. We encourage you to show up and vote by writing in a candidate. Remember, there are still other races in this year’s elections.
Senate District 026
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.
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.
House of Delegates
Depending on where you live, you may have one of the below House of Delegate races on your ballot.
House District 059
Rachel Levy ran for the 55th district in 2019, and through community engagement, helped to increase voter turnout to 30 percent. She personally visited every precinct within the district, and due to redistricting, she is now running for the 59th district. Levy was raised by two civil rights lawyers, which sparked her passion for civic engagement that inspired her to earn her doctorate in educational leadership and policy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Levy is a leader in the group Together Hanover, and she is a member of the Hanover Democratic Committee and the Hanover NAACP. She is also a Jury Commissioner for the Ashland District of Hanover, and she serves on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. The list covering her involvement in Virginia government is extensive, and it includes a number of committees, local councils, and a board of directors.
Levy is an experienced educator and leader in in her field, holding a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy. She has classroom experience and policy expertise, and her dedication to promoting equity within our public education system benefits all types of students. She advocates for policies that benefit students of color, special needs students, English Language Learners, and low-income students. She also wants increased salaries for teachers and protections for trans and non-binary students. Levy believes that laws should be developed and enforced for the purpose of ensuring the safety and funding of schools, including the improvement of buildings’ quality.
Levy wants accessible healthcare for everyone, which includes lowered or capped drug prices, expanding access to medicaid, funding and resources for mental health services, including for substance abuse disorders. She also supports the protection of reproductive rights and expanding access to abortion and contraception. Levy believes that racial disparities need to be addressed along with socio-economic and gender-based disparities in access to healthcare.
Rachel Levy supports responsible gun ownership, and she wants to uplift the need for legislation that aims to prevent injuries and deaths from gun accidents, deaths by suicide, along with gun violence. Levy also wants gun safety training for gun owners, extreme risk protection orders, secure storage policies, along with other policies to ensure the safety of members in the community.
Buddy Fowler is a Republican who has served the 55th District since 2014. He is a graduate of Hermitage High School, and he is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Mary Washington with a degree in History. He serves as the Vice Chair of Finance and he is Chair of Subcommittee 2 for Local Taxation in the House of Delegates. He also serves on a number of other committees. Fowler voted against notices that would protect renters from rising rent without adequate notice, and he also supported legislation to restrict privacy and participation in sports for trans children. He also sponsored a bill to allow anyone with a concealed handgun permit to be exempted from the one-gun-a-month law.
Rachel Levy is the progressive choice for this race, as she maintains an extensive platform, which includes gun safety, reproductive rights, and accessible healthcare.
Last updated: 2023-10-27
Rachel Levy ran for the 55th district in 2019, and through community engagement, helped to increase voter turnout to 30 percent. She personally visited every precinct within the district, and due to redistricting, she is now running for the 59th district. Levy was raised by two civil rights lawyers, which sparked her passion for civic engagement that inspired her to earn her doctorate in educational leadership and policy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Levy is a leader in the group Together Hanover, and she is a member of the Hanover Democratic Committee and the Hanover NAACP. She is also a Jury Commissioner for the Ashland District of Hanover, and she serves on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. The list covering her involvement in Virginia government is extensive, and it includes a number of committees, local councils, and a board of directors.
Levy is an experienced educator and leader in in her field, holding a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy. She has classroom experience and policy expertise, and her dedication to promoting equity within our public education system benefits all types of students. She advocates for policies that benefit students of color, special needs students, English Language Learners, and low-income students. She also wants increased salaries for teachers and protections for trans and non-binary students. Levy believes that laws should be developed and enforced for the purpose of ensuring the safety and funding of schools, including the improvement of buildings’ quality.
Levy wants accessible healthcare for everyone, which includes lowered or capped drug prices, expanding access to medicaid, funding and resources for mental health services, including for substance abuse disorders. She also supports the protection of reproductive rights and expanding access to abortion and contraception. Levy believes that racial disparities need to be addressed along with socio-economic and gender-based disparities in access to healthcare.
Rachel Levy supports responsible gun ownership, and she wants to uplift the need for legislation that aims to prevent injuries and deaths from gun accidents, deaths by suicide, along with gun violence. Levy also wants gun safety training for gun owners, extreme risk protection orders, secure storage policies, along with other policies to ensure the safety of members in the community.
Buddy Fowler is a Republican who has served the 55th District since 2014. He is a graduate of Hermitage High School, and he is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Mary Washington with a degree in History. He serves as the Vice Chair of Finance and he is Chair of Subcommittee 2 for Local Taxation in the House of Delegates. He also serves on a number of other committees. Fowler voted against notices that would protect renters from rising rent without adequate notice, and he also supported legislation to restrict privacy and participation in sports for trans children. He also sponsored a bill to allow anyone with a concealed handgun permit to be exempted from the one-gun-a-month law.
Rachel Levy is the progressive choice for this race, as she maintains an extensive platform, which includes gun safety, reproductive rights, and accessible healthcare.
Last updated: 2023-10-27
Rachel Levy ran for the 55th district in 2019, and through community engagement, helped to increase voter turnout to 30 percent. She personally visited every precinct within the district, and due to redistricting, she is now running for the 59th district. Levy was raised by two civil rights lawyers, which sparked her passion for civic engagement that inspired her to earn her doctorate in educational leadership and policy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Levy is a leader in the group Together Hanover, and she is a member of the Hanover Democratic Committee and the Hanover NAACP. She is also a Jury Commissioner for the Ashland District of Hanover, and she serves on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. The list covering her involvement in Virginia government is extensive, and it includes a number of committees, local councils, and a board of directors.
Levy is an experienced educator and leader in in her field, holding a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy. She has classroom experience and policy expertise, and her dedication to promoting equity within our public education system benefits all types of students. She advocates for policies that benefit students of color, special needs students, English Language Learners, and low-income students. She also wants increased salaries for teachers and protections for trans and non-binary students. Levy believes that laws should be developed and enforced for the purpose of ensuring the safety and funding of schools, including the improvement of buildings’ quality.
Levy wants accessible healthcare for everyone, which includes lowered or capped drug prices, expanding access to medicaid, funding and resources for mental health services, including for substance abuse disorders. She also supports the protection of reproductive rights and expanding access to abortion and contraception. Levy believes that racial disparities need to be addressed along with socio-economic and gender-based disparities in access to healthcare.
Rachel Levy supports responsible gun ownership, and she wants to uplift the need for legislation that aims to prevent injuries and deaths from gun accidents, deaths by suicide, along with gun violence. Levy also wants gun safety training for gun owners, extreme risk protection orders, secure storage policies, along with other policies to ensure the safety of members in the community.
Buddy Fowler is a Republican who has served the 55th District since 2014. He is a graduate of Hermitage High School, and he is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Mary Washington with a degree in History. He serves as the Vice Chair of Finance and he is Chair of Subcommittee 2 for Local Taxation in the House of Delegates. He also serves on a number of other committees. Fowler voted against notices that would protect renters from rising rent without adequate notice, and he also supported legislation to restrict privacy and participation in sports for trans children. He also sponsored a bill to allow anyone with a concealed handgun permit to be exempted from the one-gun-a-month law.
Rachel Levy is the progressive choice for this race, as she maintains an extensive platform, which includes gun safety, reproductive rights, and accessible healthcare.
Last updated: 2023-10-27
House District 060
Virginia’s new 60th House of Delegates district encompasses parts of Hanover County and parts of New Kent County. With close to 69,000 registered voters, this district leans strongly Republican.
This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Incumbent Republican Delegate Scott Wyatt is facing a challenge from Democrat Keith Braxton in the general election for Virginia’s new 60th House of Delegates district. Delegate Wyatt has served in the House of Delegates since 2020.
Keith Braxton is a mentor and public servant to those in his community, and he has always been a values-driven leader. He began his career of leadership as a coach for the VMI Keydets, and went on to lead many teams across divisions and colleges to successful seasons. Eventually, Keith found his passion in teaching. Today, he continues to teach students at Patrick Henry and Atlee High School.
Braxton is a working man running for working people. He understands that the process is rigged against working people, but wants to fight for a system that grants adequate representation to all voices and perspectives in the community. Braxton supports many measures designed to benefit working families, such as a Child Tax Credit, universal public pre-k, paid parental leave, high quality maternal care, access to IVF, and affordable healthcare.
As a public school teacher, Braxton has an intimate understanding of the needs of our students, faculty, and school staff. He wants more funding for schools in general and specifically wants to ensure teachers are given the support they deserve and require. He opposes Republican attacks on public education and wants to fight back against the restrictive social agenda they’ve been pushing. Additionally, he supports universal free lunch and increased funding for transportation that would ensure all students can get to school and feel safe and appreciated.
Braxton is fundamentally a believer in a person’s right to choose what is best for themselves. That’s why he’s a staunch advocate for abortion access: he believes that the government has no place in the doctor’s office. Additionally, he names religious freedom as a core principle of our state and nation. He says that people should be free to worship in any manner they see fit, regardless of faith, and opposes Republican efforts to push a Christian agenda.
Braxton also believes in a multifaceted approach to public safety. He wants to ensure all people feel safe by increasing funding for mental health, incentivizing police to live in the communities they police, requiring higher standards for police training, funding a more diverse police force, banning assault weapons, raising the minimum age for firearms purchases to 21, and establishing universal background checks.
Braxton is challenging incumbent Republican Scott Wyatt, a retired telecommunications manager. Wyatt opposes legislative measures to keep our communities safe from gun violence and is against abortion access. He also voted against raising the minimum wage, legalizing marijuana, and abolishing the death penalty.
Given his support for common sense gun legislation, initiatives that benefit working people, and public education, Braxton is decidedly the progressive choice in this race.
Braxton is a working man running for working people. He understands that the process is rigged against working people, but wants to fight for a system that grants adequate representation to all voices and perspectives in the community. Braxton supports many measures designed to benefit working families, such as a Child Tax Credit, universal public pre-k, paid parental leave, high quality maternal care, access to IVF, and affordable healthcare.
As a public school teacher, Braxton has an intimate understanding of the needs of our students, faculty, and school staff. He wants more funding for schools in general and specifically wants to ensure teachers are given the support they deserve and require. He opposes Republican attacks on public education and wants to fight back against the restrictive social agenda they’ve been pushing. Additionally, he supports universal free lunch and increased funding for transportation that would ensure all students can get to school and feel safe and appreciated.
Braxton is fundamentally a believer in a person’s right to choose what is best for themselves. That’s why he’s a staunch advocate for abortion access: he believes that the government has no place in the doctor’s office. Additionally, he names religious freedom as a core principle of our state and nation. He says that people should be free to worship in any manner they see fit, regardless of faith, and opposes Republican efforts to push a Christian agenda.
Braxton also believes in a multifaceted approach to public safety. He wants to ensure all people feel safe by increasing funding for mental health, incentivizing police to live in the communities they police, requiring higher standards for police training, funding a more diverse police force, banning assault weapons, raising the minimum age for firearms purchases to 21, and establishing universal background checks.
Braxton is challenging incumbent Republican Scott Wyatt, a retired telecommunications manager. Wyatt opposes legislative measures to keep our communities safe from gun violence and is against abortion access. He also voted against raising the minimum wage, legalizing marijuana, and abolishing the death penalty.
Given his support for common sense gun legislation, initiatives that benefit working people, and public education, Braxton is decidedly the progressive choice in this race.
Last updated: 2023-10-06
Virginia’s new 60th House of Delegates district encompasses parts of Hanover County and parts of New Kent County. With close to 69,000 registered voters, this district leans strongly Republican.
This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Incumbent Republican Delegate Scott Wyatt is facing a challenge from Democrat Keith Braxton in the general election for Virginia’s new 60th House of Delegates district. Delegate Wyatt has served in the House of Delegates since 2020.
Keith Braxton is a mentor and public servant to those in his community, and he has always been a values-driven leader. He began his career of leadership as a coach for the VMI Keydets, and went on to lead many teams across divisions and colleges to successful seasons. Eventually, Keith found his passion in teaching. Today, he continues to teach students at Patrick Henry and Atlee High School.
Braxton is a working man running for working people. He understands that the process is rigged against working people, but wants to fight for a system that grants adequate representation to all voices and perspectives in the community. Braxton supports many measures designed to benefit working families, such as a Child Tax Credit, universal public pre-k, paid parental leave, high quality maternal care, access to IVF, and affordable healthcare.
As a public school teacher, Braxton has an intimate understanding of the needs of our students, faculty, and school staff. He wants more funding for schools in general and specifically wants to ensure teachers are given the support they deserve and require. He opposes Republican attacks on public education and wants to fight back against the restrictive social agenda they’ve been pushing. Additionally, he supports universal free lunch and increased funding for transportation that would ensure all students can get to school and feel safe and appreciated.
Braxton is fundamentally a believer in a person’s right to choose what is best for themselves. That’s why he’s a staunch advocate for abortion access: he believes that the government has no place in the doctor’s office. Additionally, he names religious freedom as a core principle of our state and nation. He says that people should be free to worship in any manner they see fit, regardless of faith, and opposes Republican efforts to push a Christian agenda.
Braxton also believes in a multifaceted approach to public safety. He wants to ensure all people feel safe by increasing funding for mental health, incentivizing police to live in the communities they police, requiring higher standards for police training, funding a more diverse police force, banning assault weapons, raising the minimum age for firearms purchases to 21, and establishing universal background checks.
Braxton is challenging incumbent Republican Scott Wyatt, a retired telecommunications manager. Wyatt opposes legislative measures to keep our communities safe from gun violence and is against abortion access. He also voted against raising the minimum wage, legalizing marijuana, and abolishing the death penalty.
Given his support for common sense gun legislation, initiatives that benefit working people, and public education, Braxton is decidedly the progressive choice in this race.
Braxton is a working man running for working people. He understands that the process is rigged against working people, but wants to fight for a system that grants adequate representation to all voices and perspectives in the community. Braxton supports many measures designed to benefit working families, such as a Child Tax Credit, universal public pre-k, paid parental leave, high quality maternal care, access to IVF, and affordable healthcare.
As a public school teacher, Braxton has an intimate understanding of the needs of our students, faculty, and school staff. He wants more funding for schools in general and specifically wants to ensure teachers are given the support they deserve and require. He opposes Republican attacks on public education and wants to fight back against the restrictive social agenda they’ve been pushing. Additionally, he supports universal free lunch and increased funding for transportation that would ensure all students can get to school and feel safe and appreciated.
Braxton is fundamentally a believer in a person’s right to choose what is best for themselves. That’s why he’s a staunch advocate for abortion access: he believes that the government has no place in the doctor’s office. Additionally, he names religious freedom as a core principle of our state and nation. He says that people should be free to worship in any manner they see fit, regardless of faith, and opposes Republican efforts to push a Christian agenda.
Braxton also believes in a multifaceted approach to public safety. He wants to ensure all people feel safe by increasing funding for mental health, incentivizing police to live in the communities they police, requiring higher standards for police training, funding a more diverse police force, banning assault weapons, raising the minimum age for firearms purchases to 21, and establishing universal background checks.
Braxton is challenging incumbent Republican Scott Wyatt, a retired telecommunications manager. Wyatt opposes legislative measures to keep our communities safe from gun violence and is against abortion access. He also voted against raising the minimum wage, legalizing marijuana, and abolishing the death penalty.
Given his support for common sense gun legislation, initiatives that benefit working people, and public education, Braxton is decidedly the progressive choice in this race.
Last updated: 2023-10-06