Keep Virginia BLUE!
Since 2019, the Democratic-led Virginia state legislature has led the way with voting rights and other progressive legislation on guns, the environment, civil rights, policing, and more. But the blue majority is at risk in 2021 – and Virginia is a bellwether for the 2022 midterms.
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Wendy Gooditis – Virginia House District 10 – Incumbent
Wendy Gooditis is a real estate agent and a former Clark County public school teacher. She was a founding member of an Indivisible chapter in that very Republican community and in 2017 beat a long-time Republican incumbent. As a Delegate, Wendy sponsored a bill to expand maternal healthcare by establishing new licensure procedures for midwifery. Wendy also sponsored a bill allowing the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to set workplace safety and cleanliness standards for domestic workers. In 2020, she sponsored a bill to regulate hazardous open dumps, and was the chief co-sponsor for legislation that expanded naloxone access, a vital tool in the effort to address the opioid epidemic. In 2018, she championed legislation that required clergy to act as mandatory reporters of child abuse.
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Debra Gardner – Virginia House District 27 – Challenger
Debra Gardner was raised in rural North Carolina and was in the first generation of children to attend newly integrated public schools. A trained social worker, with a master’s in public administration from VCU, she has 30 years of experience in state government, largely focused on public safety. She serves on several nonprofit boards that address homelessness, early childhood education, and treatment for addiction. Debra is seeking to flip this seat, running against a Republican who won her last election by less than 200 votes in a district that is turning increasingly Democratic. Debra would be the first Black woman to represent this district. Her priorities include improving the economy for all, improved public education and teacher pay, a fair and trusted criminal justice system, and more affordable healthcare.
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Katie Sponsler – Virginia House District 66 – Challenger
Katie Sponsler was born into a union family that believed that one’s faith is served best by serving others. She served 6 years in the Air Force, then became a reserve officer and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. After getting her education, she was a Park Ranger at Petersburg National Battlefield, where she created an initiative to bring more children to the park. She also worked with the mental health community on how mental illness and addiction affect interaction with law enforcement, which led her to leave the Park Service for politics and advocacy. She has fought for racial justice, access to education and health care, and a clean and healthy environment for veterans and people with disabilities. Katie is seeking to flip this seat, which was held by the former Republican Speaker of the Virginia House for over 30 years.
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Roz Tyler – Virginia House District 75 – Incumbent
Roz Tyler was born and raised in Greensville County, Virginia and is a clinical coordinator of physical therapy at Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center. Roz was first elected in 2005, but redistricting left her with only a 506 vote margin in 2019. Roz is chair of the Education Committee, and also serves on the Appropriations Committee and the Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee. In 2021, she was the principal sponsor of a successful bill to expand broadband services in Virginia. Roz also focuses on early childhood education, affordable college, jobs and economic development, affordable and accessible healthcare, and the agriculture and forestry industry. She was formerly a board member of John Tyler Community College and the chair of the Sussex County Board of Supervisors.
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