Phone
571-4617239
education
Bachelors in Economics and Poli Sci from Boston University, JD from George Mason University
experience
Pressident AFGE Local 12, AFL-CIO 2006-2017
To best meet the needs of our K–12 students, we must act with bold, equity-driven solutions.
1. Equitably fund schools by directing more resources to districts with high concentrations of poverty and student need.
2. Strengthen teacher recruitment and retention with competitive pay, mentorship, and professional learning.
3. Redesign accountability systems to measure student growth, readiness, and well-being, not just standardized test scores.
4. Expand student support services by increasing access to counselors, social workers, and mental health care in schools to meet nationally recommended ratios to meet the most critical student needs.
These steps will ensure that every student in Virginia, no matter their zip code, has the opportunity
As Lieutenant Governor, I’ll use the office as a bully pulpit to champion working families and push for bold, transformative change. My top legislative priorities are rooted in one simple belief: every Virginian deserves dignity, opportunity, and a government that puts people before profits.
Universal Healthcare for All Virginians — No one should have to choose between going to the doctor and paying their rent. I will fight for a healthcare system that covers everyone—physical and mental health alike—regardless of income or employment.
A $20 Minimum Wage by 2026 — If you work full-time in Virginia, you should be able to afford a two-bedroom apartment. Sixty percent of Republicans agree. This isn’t radical—it’s common sense.
he biggest impediments to voting in Virginia aren’t always obvious—they’re death by a thousand cuts. From gerrymandered districts that rob communities of meaningful representation, to poorly resourced polling places in working-class and rural areas, to confusion around ID requirements and voter roll purges—we see a system that too often serves the powerful and leaves everyday people out.
Let’s be clear: the right to vote should be sacred and seamless. That means same-day registration. That means more early voting locations, not fewer. That means restoring voting rights to people who’ve paid their debt to society. And it means building a democracy that trusts and empowers its citizens—not one that throws up barriers and pretends it's about
Family
Married; two adult children
education
Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (PhD, English); Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia (B.A., magna cum laude, English)
experience
State Senator, Senate of Virginia (2019-present), Founding Director Of The Center For Excellence In Teaching & Learning, Reynolds Community College, Richmond, Virginia
As a lifelong educator and the Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee, I have carried the last two omnibus bills, as well as introduced the budget amendments, that address school underfunding during the past two legislative sessions. As a result of that legislation, we directed historic funding to increase resources and support for our vulnerable student populations. This year, my legislation led to the significant budget investments to lift the support cap that has been in place since 2008. Looking forward, at a time when public education remains under attack from Trump, I’m committed to transitioning Virginia to a more effective student-based funding formula that most states have already adopted. Our students deserve it.
Fully funding public education and lowering the costs of higher education: All children in Virginia should be guaranteed quality public education that prepares them for well-paying jobs or higher education.
Ensuring access to affordable and quality health care: Given Trump and Musk’s threats, continuing my work to protect Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act is a top priority.
Protecting reproductive rights: Prior to running for office and as a legislator, I’ve championed reproductive freedom. I helped draft the constitutional amendment for reproductive rights; I introduced legislation to protect Virginia healthcare professionals who provide abortion care to out of state patients; I have carried and passed the Right to Contraception Act.
I was pleased to vote for expanded early voting days, same day registration to increase access, no photo ID requirements, and other critical reforms that have expanded access to voting. Our biggest impediment is the issue of scarce resources that make voting a challenge in some localities. Additional voting machines and election personnel are needed to ensure working Virginians can vote with ease and efficiency. Increased Sunday voting days can also help to remove barriers, as well as more education about mail-in ballots.
Phone
571-344-1064
Family
Husband to Dr. Tarannum Lateef and father to four fabulous children.
education
Youngstown State University (B.S); Northeast Ohio College of Medicine (M.D)
experience
Chairman, Prince William County School Board (2018 - present); Member, University of Virginia Board of Visitors (2016-2024); Chairman, University of Virginia Health System Board (2022-2024)
Virginia’s dismal per pupil spending is inexcusable. Despite being recognized as the “top State for business” in recent years and a state surplus of nearly two billion dollars, education funding has not been prioritized in a meaningful way, letting down millions of students who attend our public schools. Virginia’s outdated funding formula long overburdened local governments with school funding responsibilities. Compared to the national average, Virginia students receive about $1,900 less each year in school funding. Removing support caps for school funding and moving Virginia to the top for school funding will be a priority for me as Lt. Governor.
In my view, affordable housing, access to quality public education, and the rising cost of living are three critical areas where, as Lieutenant Governor, we can deliver real, tangible solutions for the hardworking people of this Commonwealth. First and foremost, every Virginian—regardless of race, ethnicity, or identity—deserves the opportunity to live in a safe, vibrant community and to experience the pride and stability that comes with homeownership. Creating those opportunities will be a top priority of mine. Second, we know that investments in education have the highest returns. That’s why I’ll fight to fully fund our public schools and put Richmond’s budget surplus to work for our students and teachers. Finally, the rising cost of good
Virginia Democrats have done great work to expand voting access—most notably by extending early voting to 45 days. However, the biggest remaining impediment is equitable access to early voting across all localities. While the policy exists statewide, implementation is up to the localities, and too many Virginians—especially in rural or underserved areas—face barriers due to limited hours, inadequate facilities, or inconvenient locations. We must ensure every locality provides fair and accessible opportunities for voting so that every eligible voter, no matter where they live in the Commonwealth, can fully participate in our democracy.
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Phone
2022772466
Family
Married with two school-aged daughters
education
Bachelor of Science in Economics from The George Washington University; Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School
experience
Former Federal Prosecutor Specializing in Corruption and Financial Institutions (resigned from the U.S. DOJ in December 2024); Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University
The JLARC Study identified several structural and methodological inadequacies in the SOQ funding formula (in particular, the use of outdated cost reduction estimates and disregard for actual costs on the ground). At bottom, these inadequacies have low-balled educational funding needs throughout the commonwealth and provided cover for politicians inclined to short-changed localities and our K-12 students. As Lt. Governor, I will prioritize education. We must significantly increase our baseline expenditure on education and be prepared to provide stopgap and remedial funding to ensure that the Trump administration’s cuts don’t jeopardize our children’s education, including relying on our rainy-day fund until sanity is restored in Washington.
First, we must pass smart legislation that will effectively push back on the Trump administration’s policies of federal overreach, including in law enforcement, energy and the environment, and reproductive rights, among others. This legislation must be drafted expertly so that it passes constitutional muster if challenged in federal court. As the only lawyer in the Lt. Governor race with experience in constitutional matters and issues of federalism, I am uniquely qualified to promote this legislation as the president of the Senate. In addition, on my first day as Lt. Governor, I will begin an aggressive and relentless effort to reform Virginia’s campaign finance laws. Given my experience, I am uniquely qualified to effect change.
We have made significant progress expanding our voter base in Virginia. This is proof-positive that smart and principled legislation can have a direct impact on the ground. That said, there is room for improvement. First, we must increase funding for equipment and staffing for the conduct of elections throughout Virginia. Second, we must remain vigilant of politically motivated efforts to disenfranchise otherwise eligible voters like Governor Youngkin’s measures last fall. Lastly, the Trump administration has signaled its intent to meddle with the administration of elections, including here in the commonwealth. We must stand ready to fight these efforts in federal court, and I bring the commitment and expertise to do so as Lt. Governor.
Phone
7039946299
Family
Wife Brandy and daughter Sunday
education
I am honored to have graduated from James Madison University. Go Dukes!
experience
I have been honored to serve in a variety of roles leading progressive action including as Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Virginia where I played my small part in electing Barack Obama the first African-American President of the United States. I served as Secretary of the Commonwealth
I know what a good public education can do—it gave me a shot. I was raised by a grandmother on Social Security and a father who worked as a school custodian. As Mayor of Richmond, I increased school funding by nearly 60%, built new schools, and expanded early childhood education. We didn’t wait—we delivered.
JLARC confirmed what we’ve long known: Virginia is underfunding our schools by nearly $2,000 per student, pushing too many kids into a permanent underclass. I'll fight for a student-based funding formula, end the arbitrary support cap, average the Local Composite Index over three years, and embed at-risk funding into the Standards of Quality. Every child deserves a fair shot and that starts with fully funding public education.
I was raised by a grandmother on Social Security and a father who worked as a school custodian. I know how hard families work to stay afloat when the cost of living keeps climbing. As Mayor, I treated housing as a vaccine for poverty, investing over $70 million in affordable housing and cutting red tape to get more homes built faster. We did not wait. We delivered.
Today, over 1 million Virginians rent their homes, and nearly half are cost burdened. As Lieutenant Governor, I will make tackling the housing shortage a top priority. That means creating abundance by partnering with localities to cut red tape, reform zoning, and build more housing at every income level. When families have a roof they can afford, everything else becomes possible.
The greatest impediment to ballot access in Virginia is the vestiges of Jim Crow in our state, like the requirement that returning citizens must individually petition the Governor to recover their right to vote. I was proud as Secretary of the Commonwealth to spearhead the effort to return voting rights to over 200,000 Virginians, but I look forward to advocating for and passing the voting rights Constitutional Amendment next year to make that effort no longer necessary.
