Great to see a passionate progressive and environmental activist running for Congress in Virginia’s beautiful, but also deep-red, 6th CD. Jennifer Lewis, “a mental health worker, community advocate, and a leader in the fight against the Atlantic Coast Pipeline,” kicked off her campaign yesterday, vowing to “advocate for families, forests and farmland” and “for a rapid transformation to a green energy economy,” as well as “to stand with our immigrant friends, our family in the LGBTQ community” and to “ensure our government and economy works for everyone.” I’m very much looking forward to Jennifer Lewis’ campaign.
Note that there are two three other Democrats vying for this nomination (Sergio Coppola, who has a bunch of positions – support for a “flat tax” for instance – that I strongly disagree with and certainly will not be supporting; Peter Volosin, a strong progressive who “lives in Roanoke with his husband, Malcolm Quigley, and their dog, Rula, who they rescued while living in Mozambique”; and [UPDATE] Charlotte Moore, “a former Roanoke County supervisor who served the Cave Spring District from 2008 to 2016”; also note that Moore previously switched from the Democratic Party to “Independent” for whatever reason…).
Don’t even ask, by the way, who’s running on the Republican side to replace Bob BADlatte in Congress — people like this extremist nutter (“Cynthia] Dunbar first gained national attention when, as a member of the Texas State Board of Education, she worked to incorporate Christian nationalist historical revisionism into the state’s textbooks. The fact that she had called public schools unconstitutional and ‘tyrannical’ didn’t deter her in that project.”).
For now, though, check out the statement by Jennifer Lewis and video of her kickoff in Staunton yesterday. Introducing her was 2017 House of Delegates nominee Brent Finnegan; the awesome Kellen Squire, who also ran for House of Delegates in 2017 and who has graced Blue Virginia’s pages many times with his superb writings; Chanda McGuiffin, who is running for Waynesboro City Council.
I am thrilled to announce that I am running for Congress to represent the beautiful 6th District that runs from Front Royal to Roanoke, and from Lynchburg to Warm Springs.
I’m ready to take my advocacy and passion to the next level and all the way to Washington.
I want to fight for Medicare for all, because no American should have to choose between buying medicine and buying food. Single payer health care for all is the only way.
I want to fight for reproductive rights because every woman should have access to affordable contraceptives and have control over her own body.
I want to fight for racial justice, because our country will never be truly equal until we undo the legacies of slavery and Jim Crow.
I want to fight for immigrants and Dreamers, because we are ALL descendants of immigrants.
I want to fight for an economy that works for everyone, because no economy can really be strong if it is grossly unfair.
I want to end gerrymandering, because it undermines the fabric of our democracy — no matter which party draws the lines.
And, I want to get big corporate money out of politics, because it has made both political parties more beholden to the wealthy 1% than to their own people.
This is a grassroots campaign and I am asking for your help. Please sign the petition to get me on the ballot, sign up to knock on doors, make phone calls, and host or organize events.
Together, we can build an America that is just, fair and equitable.
Let’s get to work! #FlipThe6th
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