Summary

VA House District 27

District Map (PDF)

Roxann Robinson

Current Position: State Delegate for VA House District 27 since 2010
Affiliation: Republican

Candidate: 2019 State Delegate VA House District 27

For more information, see Roxann Robinson’s post.

Dr. Roxann Robinson is a highly respected optometrist and small business owner. For 30 years she owned and operated her optometric practice here in Chesterfield County. During that time she grew the practice from two employees to nine. A firm believer in helping others, Roxann is actively involved in many programs that improve our community’s quality of life. She has served as the Clinical Director of Opening Eyes, a program that provides vision exams to Special Olympic athletes. As a part of the Chesterfield business community, Dr. Robinson works with locals schools to insure that underprivileged children have the proper eyesight in order to see and learn. Roxann has served on the Board of Directors at the Manchester Family YMCA and is a member of her local Rotary club. Roxann and Michael Lind, her husband, have called Chesterfield home for 34 years.

Honors

• Owner of successful small business for over 30 years
• Past President: Virginia Optometric Association
• Past President: Virginia Academy of Optometry
• Clinical Director of Opening Eyes, a program that provides vision exams to Special Olympics participants
• Virginia Optometrist of the Year (2000)
• Appointed by Governor Gilmore to the Virginia Board of Optometry
• Has testified in front of the General Assembly regarding Optometric issues

“For 34 years I have been a self-employed optometrist. Chesterfield has been home since 1983. I have seen our community flourish during those years and have enjoyed the exceptional quality of life we experience in Chesterfield County. I understand the challenges facing our community and I will work diligently to preserve our quality of life. As a small healthcare business owner, I am well aware of how government red tape, regulations, and taxes are obstacles to business creation and expansion. I believe that creating new jobs, re-invigorating our workforce and giving the next generation the tools they need to be economically independent must be the top priority for the General Assembly. As your Delegate for the past seven years, I support ethics reforms and believe that we need transparency at every level of our government. We’ve made motions in the right direction, but I believe in continuing these reforms to protect your voice and ensure that the people’s work is done.

Larry Barnett

Current Position: Mental Health Support Services
Affiliation: Democrat

Candidate: 2019 State Delegate VA House District 27

For more information, see Larry Barnett’s post.

Larry has a commitment to Chesterfield County that runs deep and has served our residents for three decades. As a leader with Chesterfield County Mental Health Support Services, he developed and implemented innovative, caring, and effective programs for those affected by mental illness. He developed a reputation as a skilled collaborator and problem-solver who got things done. He was a key player in various projects that improved access to mental health and substance abuse services. These projects involved partnerships with schools, hospitals, advocacy groups, and law enforcement and other first responders.

With a proven record of improving the lives of some of our most vulnerable residents, Larry decided to continue his public service to Chesterfield by running for the Virginia House of Delegates in the 27th District. In 2017, he ran a spirited, grassroots campaign and finished surprisingly close as a first-time candidate, shocking many by coming within 128 votes of winning.

Larry’s hard work and intelligence, coupled with his open, collaborative, and caring spirit, showed voters that he was someone who would effectively represent them in the General Assembly. In 2019, he is bringing his talent and enthusiasm to bear as he runs again to represent the citizens of Chesterfield County.

Larry’s Coast Guard family provided him with a strong example of service. His family, like many in the military, moved around the US before planting roots in Virginia. He received his undergraduate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University before earning a master’s degree in Rehabilitative Counseling from VCU. He is a licensed professional counselor.

Larry and his wife Pat live in Midlothian. Their daughter Eileen attended Chesterfield public schools and now lives in Charlottesville.

Issues

Civil Rights

Roxann Robinson

Delegate Robinson promotes women’s issues and interests by supporting opportunities to which women can avail themselves. She created a resolution that made May Women’s Maternal Mental Health Month to help raise awareness for the psychological effects pregnancy, labor, and early childhood can have on a mother. Additionally, she supports reforms to protect young women on college campuses to ensure that places of learning aren’t hindered by concerns of sexual assault. She believes in balancing the rights of the victims and ensuring public safety at the institution

Larry Barnett

Equality

Throughout my career, I have worked with individuals from all walks of life, while listening to the issues that are important to our community. These experiences have strengthened my belief in equal treatment for all people, regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, income level, or religious belief. Everyone in Virginia should have the opportunity to live, work, and fully participate in society without the fear of discrimination. I am a staunch supporter of the ERA and want to see the gender wage gap closed. My pledge to fight for equality for everyone has earned me the endorsements of the Virginia Chapter of the National Organization of Women and the LGBT Democrats of Virginia.

Economy

Roxann Robinson

Delegate Robinson believes that tax increases contribute to further hardship for taxpayers and should not be used as a one-step, fast solution. As your Delegate, she will work to limit government spending to reduce taxes on Virginia families and small businesses. She prioritizes a balanced budget and believes that it is more important to use funds appropriately rather than raising taxes.

Economic Opportunity

Having been a small business owner for thirty years, Delegate Robinson has a unique understanding of the day-to-day challenges faced by small business owners. Because of this, she does not support legislation that stifles hard-working business owners and instead promotes legislation that helps to expand small business. She knows that these family-owned businesses are the backbone to the economy in our community in Chesterfield.

Larry Barnett

Economic Development

I believe in the dignity of work and building an economy where all people have an equal opportunity to succeed. Virginia has low unemployment and is one of the best states in which to do business in the nation. Let’s keep it that way by making sure we have affordable housing, good job opportunities, and a healthy workforce. Local businesses are vital and contribute a great deal to our community. A well-trained and educated workforce will ensure that established businesses and new, innovative ventures will continue to expand and thrive, sustaining our local economy.

Education

Roxann Robinson

Education Reform

As a member of the Education Committee, Delegate Robinson is committed to ensuring that Chesterfield County’s public schools remains among the best in the Commonwealth. She believes that local school boards, not bureaucrats in Richmond, should be making decisions about their local schools. During the last two years, she has introduced legislation to repeal the Labor Day School Start Date law, commonly known as the Kings Dominion Law. The legislation, if passed, would allow local school districts the ability to choose when students go back to class. This past year she was appointed by Governor Terry McAuliffe to serve on the SOL Innovation Committee which reviews and makes recommendations to the General Assembly on ways to improve Virginia’s SOLs. With her support, the General Assembly voted to reduce the number of SOL tests from 28 to 17.

Larry Barnett

I am a steadfast supporter of public schools and believe investing in our children is the best way to prepare for a better future. This starts with universal early childhood education. Most families want excellent public schools and hope their children have an equal opportunity to obtain a first-rate education. To recruit and retain top-notch teachers who can provide this education, we need to pay them well – at least at the national average. To maintain high quality schools, we need to lower student/teacher ratios and empower teachers to have greater classroom autonomy, while reducing the focus on standardized testing. A strong, vibrant public education system attracts families to Chesterfield, ensuring the future viability of our community, and helps to power our local economy with well-educated young people. My firm support for public education has earned me an endorsement from the Virginia Education Association.

Better Government

Roxann Robinson

Ethics Reform

Delegate Robinson supports honest and transparent government at every level. She voted for a $100 annual limit on all gifts to lawmakers, and the creation of a bipartisan body to advise lawmakers on ethical issues. Though these are steps in the right direction, she intends to support future efforts to increase government transparency accountability.

Democracy

Larry Barnett

Gerrymandering

Currently, elected representatives can choose their voters rather than voters choosing their representatives. I am a supporter of OneVirginia2021, a group that is working to create fair political boundaries in Virginia. I support an independent commission as the best alternative for providing voters with districts that are compact, contiguous, and fairly drawn.

Campaign Finance

I believe campaign finance regulations in Virginia need to be significantly improved. Our democratic process will be better served if candidates and representatives are prohibited from accepting campaign funds from corporate PACs. In addition, we can protect against undue influence on campaigns by capping individual donations at $10,000. Most importantly, I believe candidates and representatives should never be allowed to use campaign funds for personal use.

Environment

Larry Barnett

I have been endorsed by the Sierra Club for my position on safeguarding our clean air and water and protecting the environment for future generations. I will work tirelessly to protect and preserve Virginia’s valuable natural resources. I fully support the development of innovative, sustainable, and renewable energy and technology sources, such as solar and wind, that will enable Virginia to move toward a better future. I have pledged to not accept funds from Dominion or Appalachian Power to avoid the appearance of undue influence and focus on serving the people I represent.

Safety

Larry Barnett

Gun Violence Prevention

As a healthcare professional, I see gun violence as an epidemic and one of our top public health crises. I support common sense efforts to effectively reduce gun violence. This includes universal background checks whenever firearms are purchased and emergency protective orders that enable family members to temporarily remove firearms from loved ones during a crisis. I have been endorsed by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

Public Safety

I believe people want to live in a safe community with well-trained police officers who respond with compassion and respect when there is an emergency. As the Chesterfield County Crisis Intervention Training Coordinator for many years, I helped plan, develop, and implement a cross-departmental initiative that equipped police officers, sheriffs, fire-fighters, 911 dispatch officers, and other emergency personnel with the skills to safely de-escalate and defuse situations when people are in crisis. My work has made me an even stronger proponent of our local law enforcement.