Summary

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About

Source: Campaign page

More than 25 years ago, I moved with my family to the Shenandoah Valley. I love the place — with its beautiful mountains and valleys, the river, the people — more every day.

I am now retired from a career largely spent organizing, writing, and editing for nonprofit organizations — working for consumer rights and protections, for national security in a nuclear-armed world, and for such essentials as clean air, clean water, and a healthy climate. I also spent years teaching elementary school.

I have always believed in civic involvement and the power of engaged citizens to make our communities, our state, our nation, and our world better for all of us.

I have been happily married for 32 years. My husband and I are the parents of three fine adults and the grandparents of three lovely little girls.

Why I’m Running

The citizens of the Shenandoah Valley deserve to be represented in Richmond by someone who is working to serve the people, not giant corporations like Dominion Power.

In Richmond, I will work for:

• the protection of property rights against such boondoggles as the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Mountain Valley Pipeline.

• ethics reform and integrity in Virginia government, which currently has a D rating from the Center for Public Integrity.

• solutions to the opioid crisis, which claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Virginians in 2017.

• the creation of more jobs and better jobs through green energy.

• strong public schools for all of our young people.

• protection of Virginia’s vital military installations that are threatened by rising seas.

• a strong Virginia economy that extends beyond the state’s urban centers and into our area.

The people of the 26th district should be reassured that I am not for sale. I will accept absolutely no donations from Dominion Power, nor will I accept funds from any fossil fuel company or monied interest.

Contact

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Web

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Politics

Source: none

Issues

Source: Campaign page

Governance

A Fair and Ethical State Government

Virginia has earned a D from the Center for Public Integrity. That means that, when it comes to lobbying disclosure, ethics enforcement, political financing, and public access to information, Virginia’s current government is not doing a good job of serving us, the citizens, fairly. I will work hard to institute enforceable ethical rules that ensure our state government is working for the people, not the big-monied interests.

An End To Gerrymandering

I support the establishment of an independent, non-partisan commission to draw district lines. Voters should be able to choose their politicians, not the other way around.

Economy

Farmers

Shenandoah Valley farmers work hard to provide the food products we need, and their efforts form an important share of our area’s economy.  I will work with them to ensure the state government helps rather than hurts the land and water under their stewardship.

Education

I am a staunch supporter of high-quality public schools. I stand with parents and educators in their efforts to ensure the best possible education for all of our students. Vouchers, for which my opponent is an advocate, weaken our public schools by diverting tax dollars away from public education and into private and religious schools. I believe that education tax dollars should be used to make every public school the best it can be for all of our students.

Environment

The green-technology industry is growing rapidly, generating many new, well-paying, stable jobs in solar and wind energy. I want to bring more of these jobs to the Shenandoah Valley. We will phase out the use of nineteenth-century fossil fuels, which are harmful to human health — the dirty the air we breathe and water we drink. Expanding the use of renewable resources is vital to creating a healthy, stable climate on which we can all depend. Read more about my love for the earth on the blog and hear about it on my interview with the WMRA. You can also hear my statement about the environment and the importance of preserving it for children in Virginia, the USA, and the world here.

Health Care

In 2018, Virginia’s General Assembly finally approved Medicaid expansion. My opponent fought against expansion for years, trying to prevent 400,000 of our fellow Virginians from gaining access to reasonably priced healthcare services. I will work hard to ensure that the expansion is implemented fully and fairly.

Safety

An End to the Opioid Crisis

Most of us have a family member, friend, or neighbor who has been devastated by the opioid epidemic gripping Virginia and the nation. I am dedicated to stemming the availability of dangerous pills, educating medical professionals about more effective and less habit-forming pain management, and making Naloxone widely available. I will also work to address the root causes that lead people to abuse these drugs in an effort to end the suffering caused by opioids.

Criminal Justice Reform

I will work to combat crime while also ensuring that our justice system treats all Virginians with fairness and compassion. I support the full restoration of voting rights for felons who have paid their debt to society.