From Del. Rip Sullivan’s Blue Dominion PAC:
Flip-A-District Friday: Volume XIV
Welcome to the 14th issue of our 2021 Flip (and Hold) a District Series
17 days.
House District 33
Meet the Candidate: Paul Siker
About Paul:
Paul and his wife, Joni, are 26 year residents of the 33rd District, and reside outside the historic Village of Waterford, VA. Professionally, Paul is a successful small business owner and entrepreneur in the talent acquisition consulting and executive search arena. Additionally, Paul has served on the boards of community facing nonprofits such as the Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter and the Community Foundation of Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties.
Defining himself as a “pragmatic centrist,” Paul is someone who values the art of compromise and middle of the road solutions that leave all parties feeling that they have “skin in the game.” If elected, Paul will focus on strengthening workforce development and vocational training programs. He will also address key transportation issues facing the constituents of the 33rd District, and will work to further expand healthcare access in rural communities.
About District 33:
Our district is a little slice of everything that makes Virginia such a special place to live. We have exurban areas, historic towns and villages, and a robust rural landscape with over 50 wineries and breweries. Our district covers Western Loudoun County, Northern Clarke County, and a segment of Eastern Frederick County (east of Winchester, VA).
Delegate Dave LaRock is broadly regarded as the most extreme individual in the House of Delegates. During his eight year tenure in office, he has been a woefully ineffective legislator. In the past two years, he failed to pass any of the 49 bills he introduced. During his entire time in office, he has a legislative batting average of just .096.
Additionally, LaRock has amplified the Big Lie by hosting Stop the Steal rallies with the founder of the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes. He promoted and attended the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, and immediately prior to this, attempted to have Virginia’s Presidential Election results set aside despite a 440,000 vote margin of victory for President Biden.
Finally, Dave LaRock has been extremely outspoken against the Covid-19 vaccines. In February 2021 he stated the vaccines “couldn’t be trusted.” He has also stated that the vaccines are really nothing more than a “chemical mixture.” He is against mask mandates, and encourages university students to claim religious exemptions to avoid having to get a vaccination.
For too long our district has accommodated a Delegate who is out of touch, extreme, and incapable of passing legislation. It’s time for a change.
House District 74
Meet the candidate: Lamont Bagby
Lamont Bagby serves as the chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, the House Labor and Commerce Insurance and Worker’s Compensation Subcommittee and the House Education Pre-K-12 Subcommittee. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Norfolk State University and Master of Education from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Prior to being elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, Delegate Bagby served on the Henrico County School Board as well as the Norfolk State University Board of Visitors. Delegate Bagby is committed to breaking cycles of poverty by providing quality healthcare, inclusionary affordable housing, justice reform and equity in education.
Delegate Bagby has successfully carried several key pieces of legislation during his time in the House of Delegates, including a bill to completely reform predatory lending in the Commonwealth, a bill to increase and incentivize the sale of electric vehicles, and a bill to allow local electoral boards to offer early voting on Sundays.
Contribute: here
House District 22
Greg was raised mostly in Blacksburg Virginia by a single Mom with 3 kids. She was a secretary who loved her children. They were from hardy, self-reliant stock. They didn’t have much and didn’t ask for much. They had love and shared responsibility that brought them all together for dinner every night, and learned to stand up for themselves, and for others.
As an adolescent Greg learned how his church, his Boy Scout troop, and other local organizations, had a special mission of service to others. He took his role in that mission seriously. He witnessed how thoughtfulness of others betters their life, and our own.
After his teen years Greg spent in restaurant work, Greg turned to landscaping, and plied that trade in Montgomery County, then Virginia Beach and Norfolk, then the Lynchburg area. Many days were grueling and pay was never much above minimum wage. But Greg loved it! He valued the connection it provided him to the Earth, its soil and water and plants and people. Greg took pride in the transformation of landscapes into sites of beauty that clients appreciated. He developed a strong bond to laborers in many trades and remains close to them to this day. In 1987 Greg was hired by Old Dominion Job Corps Center in Monroe to teach landscaping to at-risk youth. Also in Lynchburg Greg met his wife-to-be Suzanne, and they were married in 1992.
Greg found great satisfaction in teaching and realized that he needed to further his education in order to further that effort. Greg returned to Blacksburg and Virginia Tech at age 30 to study Horticulture (B.S. degree 1993), and Biology (M.S. 1995). Greg and his wife then moved north and Greg completed his Ph.D. in Ecology at Dartmouth College in 2001.
Greg was hired right away back into the Horticulture department at Virginia Tech. Greg served as Nursery and Landscape Extension Specialist, helping the tradespeople he had come to know in his earlier career. In 2006 Greg moved his family, now with two daughters Isabel and Annalise back to the Lynchburg area so he could take the position of Director at the Claytor Nature Center of the University of Lynchburg. Greg also taught at the undergraduate and graduate level in Environmental Science and Biology. Greg has made his home in Forest, VA for the past 15 years.
The Issues:
Meet the Candidate: Delores McQuinn
Delegate Delores McQuinn was born in eastern Henrico County and has spent her entire life in the greater Richmond area. Her civic interest and involvement in politics began at the age of 11, when she campaigned for a candidate’s successful election to Richmond City Council.
Over the years, she continued to actively support public service initiatives, and she became a community advocate. In 1992, Delegate McQuinn was elected to the Richmond City School Board, where she provided leadership and positive vision for the school district as Vice-Chair. Some of her initiatives included the re-opening of the East End Middle School (currently, Franklin Military School) and the implementation of an annual Back-To-School rally for students. Her efforts helped to improve students’ self-esteem and strengthen their academic achievement. Continuing to expand her civic engagement and commitment to making our communities a better place to live, work, and play, Delegate McQuinn next served on the Richmond City Council, 7th District. During her tenure, the District was transformed with renovations, new development, and emerging businesses.
In 2009, Delegate McQuinn was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent the 70th District, which includes parts of the City of Richmond, Henrico and Chesterfield Counties, along with Charles City County. In addition to her many other legislative and civic commitments, Delegate McQuinn is an eloquent orator who spends much of her time uplifting others through her work as an Associate Minister at New Bridge Baptist Church.
The Delegate’s Committee Assignments include:
· Transportation (Chair)
· Appropriations
· Education
· Rules
During the 2021 Legislative Session she patroned the following Bills:
HB 2019 – Ensuring all Virginia public schools are stocked with Albuterol Inhalers to ensure student access to this life saving resource.
HB 2065 – Development of a Produce Prescription Program. This bill involves the convening of a work group to develop a three-year pilot Produce Prescription Program to combat food insecurity and provide access to fresh foods and vegetables to eligible Virginians.
HJ 542 – Transit Equity and Modernization Study. The resolution requires the Department of Railand Public Transportation to conduct a two-year study of transit equity and modernization in the commonwealth. The study will cover environmental and health impacts, as well as improving accessibility and affordability.
HJ 605 – Establishing Victims of CoVid-19 Remembrance Day on March 14th.
HJ 572 – Recognizing the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia. This resolution would extend state recognition to the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia.
Delegate McQuinn and House Democrats have also accomplished the following:
· Increased the minimum wage
· Expanded voting rights
· Reformed the criminal justice system
· Secured paid leave for home healthcare workers
· Increased teacher and state pay
· Expanded early childhood education for three and four year olds.
· Dedicated Funds to expand universal broadband coverage.
While much has been accomplished, there is still more work to be done. Therefore, Delegate McQuinn is seeking re-election to keep Virginia moving forward.
Contact the campaign: here
Contribute: here
That’s it for Volume XIV of our Flip-a-District Friday series. I encourage you to review this email and future editions to find a candidate or candidates whom you would like to support with your time or financial resources.Project Blue Dominion is committed to supporting Democratic candidates in every corner of the Commonwealth. Join us. The fight to defend and expand our majority is on.
Best,
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