By Shawn Nowlin
Because GOP incumbent Winsome Earle-Sears is running for Governor, a new Virginia Lieutenant Governor will be named in November.
John Reid is the candidate Republicans have chosen to represent their party in the General Election.
Six individuals are vying for the Democratic Party’s nomination: Aaron Rouse, Virginia State Senator representing the 22nd District; Babar Lateef, physician and former Chairman of the UVA Health System Board; Ghazala Hashmi, Virginia State Senator representing the 15th District; Levar Stoney, Mayor of Richmond; Alex Bastani, an attorney who won labor cases against the Bush Administration; and Victor Salgado, a lawyer who served as Senior Litigation Counsel in the United States Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section.
On April 23, the candidates had an opportunity to articulate their vision for the Commonwealth at the Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs on Colonial Avenue. Due to an illness, Bastani was unable to attend.
Hosted by Red Wine & Blue Virginia and Roanoke Valley Democratic Women, the event was moderated by RVDW Political Affairs Chair Sarah Goodman.
“This was an important opportunity for area Virginians to hear from the people who are hoping to serve as the Commonwealth’s next Lieutenant Governor,” Goodman said. “We were proud to bring this level of access and civic engagement to Roanoke.”
Questions asked of the candidates ranged from a host of issues critical to Virginians included healthcare and inflation.
“We have all known that Donald Trump has proven that he will only fight for those who have the most. Right now, at this very moment, we need people in the arena who will fight for those who have the least,” Mayor Stoney said.
“Supporting our community colleges ensures that people have access to better jobs. Broadband is as essential now as electricity was at the turn of the century. We must make sure that critical infrastructure is provided to everyone,” Hashmi said.
“A lot of you may know me from the football field, but in college, I raised my son and my younger brother because I didn’t want to lose him to the streets. So I know what it’s like for so many in Roanoke. One of the first things we must do is reign in public utilities because they are way out of control,” Rouse said.
Whoever wins the Lt. Governor race may have to work with a divided General Assembly. Elected officials who reach across the aisle to get things done have historically been more effective.
“Seeing the attacks on state sovereignties are the reason why I got into this race. The tariffs that we are seeing not only make prices higher, but also expose different company’s retaliatory efforts. We have 6,500 small and medium-sized enterprises in Virginia that we rely on for exports,” Salgado said.
“The Trump Administration has threatened to close my DEI office. They told us if we don’t do so, they will cut our funding. We told them they could jump off a bridge. And if they do so, we will see them in court. We took Youngin to court when he tried to get rid of masks during COVID, and we won,” Lateef said.
The Democratic Party primary will take place on June 17. Early voting began this Friday. For more information on all of the candidates, visit https://www.vpap.org/offices/lt-governor/elections.
