OUR VA 2025 CANDIDATES
Potential Candidates for the June 17th Democratic Primary
and the General Election on November 4th
THESE CANDIDATES ARE RUNNING TO BE THE OFFICIAL CANDIDATES AFTER THE JUNE PRIMARY.
PLEASE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR THESE POTENTIAL LEADERS & HELP THEM BY SIGNING THEIR CAMPAIGN PETITIONS CURRENTLY BEING CIRCULATED.
GOVERNOR
Abigail D Spanberger
Potential Candidate
https://abigailspanberger.com/
ABIGAIL’S VALUES:
Abigail began her career of public service as a federal law enforcement officer — working money laundering cases and tracking narcotics traffickers with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Abigail then joined the CIA as a case officer. She worked undercover her entire time at the Agency — collecting intelligence, managing assets, and overseeing high-profile programs to combat terrorism and keep Americans safe.
In 2014, Abigail brought her family back home to Virginia — where she and her husband grew up — and soon began a career in the private sector. But when she saw division and dysfunction threatening the country she dedicated her life to defend, Abigail decided to run for Congress.
In 2018, Abigail became the first Democrat since 1968 — as well as the first woman ever — to be elected to represent Virginia’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House.
In Congress, Abigail developed a reputation for finding common ground, getting things done, and never backing down from her principles.
Abigail grew up in Henrico County, Virginia. She attended J.R. Tucker High School’s Spanish immersion program and is a proud graduate of the University of Virginia.
After college, Abigail moved to Germany and earned her MBA from a dual-degree German-American program between the GISMA business school and Purdue University.
Abigail and her husband Adam are the proud parents of three school-aged daughters.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Alex J. Bastani
Potential Candidate
https://progressivevirginiansforalexbastani.com/
ALEX’S VALUES
I grew up in Northern Virginia, attending public schools from kindergarten all the way through T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria. I went on to Boston University, where I double-majored in Economics and Political Science. I worked as an Economist at the United States Department of Labor while going to law school at night at George Mason University. When I passed the Virginia State Bar in 1994, it wasn’t just a personal victory it was a testament to the value of hard work and perseverance.
For 34 years, I served the federal government, and along the way, I even found time to coach the freshman boys’ crew team at Yorktown High School in Arlington.
As a union leader and attorney, I represented workers in arbitration, fought for fair negotiations, trained the next generation of legal minds, lobbied for workers’ rights, handled press relations, recruited members, and managed a non-profit with a half-million-dollar annual budget. I’ve seen the deck stacked against workers, and I’ve spent my career fighting to level the playing field.
During my eleven and a half years as president of my local union, I doubled the cash reserves from $130,000 to $285,000. I tackled an arbitration backlog that stretched to 220 cases and brought it down to just 12. Between February and September of 2017, we increased membership by 14.5%, far outpacing the national average of 2.5%.
That’s the kind of fight I bring to the table. I’ve spent my life standing up for working people, and I’m not stopping now. Whether it’s on the factory floor, in the courtroom, or at the statehouse, I believe in rolling up my sleeves and getting the job done. That’s who I am, and that’s what I’ll keep doing for the people of Virginia.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Carl U. Eggleston
Potential Candidate
https://www.carlueggleston.com/eggleston-for-lieutenant-governor/
CARL’S VALUES
At the age of 71, I have spent 99 percent of my life in Farmville, Virginia. I am presently President & CEO of the Oliver & Eggleston Funeral Establishment in Farmville and Executive Director of the Oliver Chapel in Crewe. I served as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the historic First Baptist of Farmville from 1980 to 2005, which I joined over 65 years ago. I also served a Member, Vice-Chair and Chair of many political, civic, and community organizations.
I am a 1969 graduate of Robert Russa Morton High School of Farmville. When the school closed in 1959 I was promoted to the third grade. For two years I did not go to school at all. The second two years my parents rented a house in Cumberland so my siblings and I could return to school. The schools in Prince Edward County reopened in 1963. My siblings returned to Prince Edward. In 1977 I received a Associates Degree in Applied Science focusing on Mortuary Science. In 2007 I received a B S Degree in Business Administration from Saint Paul’s College with 4.0 grade point average as one of the Virginia’s “Brown Scholars”.
My platform is:
★ REDUCE Taxes on Virginians
★ SUPPORT a Woman’s Right to Choose
★ ENHANCE Law Enforcement
★ PROVIDE Educational Opportunities for Everyone
★ IMPROVE Public Education
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Ghazala F. Hashmi
Potential Candidate
https://ghazalaforvirginia.com/
GHAZALA’S VALUES
Senator Ghazala Hashmi is the first Muslim and the first South Asian American to serve in the Virginia Senate. As an experienced educator and advocate of inclusive values and social justice, her legislative priorities include public education, voting rights and the preservation of democracy, reproductive freedom, gun violence prevention, the environment, housing, and affordable healthcare access.
As a four year old, Ghazala emigrated with her mother and older brother from India to the United States where they joined her father in Georgia just as he was completing his PhD in international relations and beginning his university teaching career. Ghazala grew up in that small college town, at a time when public schools were being desegregated, and so she saw firsthand how communities can be built and dialogue promoted through intentional efforts to bridge cultural, racial, and socioeconomic divides. After graduating as valedictorian of her high school class and receiving multiple full scholarships and fellowships, Ghazala earned a BA with honors from Georgia Southern University and her PhD in American literature from Emory University in Atlanta.Ghazala and her husband, Azhar, moved as newlyweds to the Richmond area in 1991, and she spent nearly 30 years as a professor, first teaching at the University of Richmond and then at Reynolds Community College. While at Reynolds, she also served as the Founding Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). She and Azhar have two adult daughters who both graduated from Chesterfield County Public Schools and the University of Virginia.
First elected to office in November 2019, Ghazala won an upset victory over a Republican incumbent, delivering the majority to Democrats for the first time in years and shocking the political establishment. In 2024, because of the confidence her Democratic colleagues have in her, she was named Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee, a crucial leadership post for two critical Democratic priorities, reproductive freedom and public education.
As a state Senator, Ghazala has dedicated her efforts to improving the lives of others, focusing on issues of inequity in housing, education, health care, environmental justice, and much more.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Babur B. Lateef
Potential Candidate
https://lateefforva.com/
BABUR’S VALUES
Babur Lateef is a parent, physician, public servant, and proud product of public schools. He has served the Commonwealth as Chairman of the Prince William County School Board and Chairman of the University of Virginia Health System Board where he has focused on improving education and healthcare across Virginia.
He and his wife chose to settle in Woodbridge, Virginia because of its focus on education and family. Being a part of the local community, they have been inspired to serve in many capacities over the years committing to improving health care access and educational opportunities for all. He would like to take that commitment to Richmond and focus on what is best for all Virginians.
As Chairman of the Prince William County School Board, he was widely recognized for helping lead the division safely through the pandemic and ensuring safety for all students and faculty, while working diligently to bring all students back to school in the safest manner.
During the pandemic he made sure the University of Virginia had the resources it needed to take care of the community during the COVID-19 crisis. The University has been widely recognized for its management of the crisis and its leadership in the healthcare industry during the pandemic. His work at the UVA Health System Board has been to help expand healthcare access, protect access for women and children, address nursing shortages, improve quality, and oversee historic investments in medical research and biotechnology.
As Chairman of the Prince William County School Board he has led the school division’s improvement to being one of the top performing school districts in the Commonwealth while simultaneously focusing on improving opportunities for all students.
They have also been ranked by Forbes Magazine as one of the top school districts to work for in Virginia. Under his watch, teachers have been given historic pay increases along with adding a record number of counselors and mental health providers. His administration has been committed to working families in the county by approving fair labor practices such as prevailing wages, improving all wages, and implementing collective bargaining. He has accomplished this in a bipartisan fashion with a commitment to all students and families.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Levar Marcus Stoney
Potential Candidate
https://lateefforva.com/
LEVAR’S VALUES
Levar was raised in Virginia by his father, Marvin, and his grandmother, Mary; neither graduated high school, but both worked day and night to put a roof over their heads and food on the table. And thanks to a strong family, a strong education - and a Virginia that believed in his potential - Levar was able to become the first in his family to graduate high school, then the first to graduate college. After college, he moved to Richmond to begin a career in public service.
Levar rose through the ranks from Fellow in then-Governor Mark Warner’s office to become the first African American Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the youngest member of Governor Terry McAuliffe’s cabinet. As Secretary, Levar was the driving force behind restoring the voting rights for nearly 200,000 disenfranchised Virginians — more than the past seven administrations combined.
After being elected Mayor of Richmond in 2016, Levar got right to work: getting the fiscal house in order, allocating historic funding to improve infrastructure, reducing the poverty rate by 22%, raising pay for teachers and first responders, increasing funding for Richmond Public Schools by nearly 50%, and cutting red-tape so businesses could thrive. Additionally, Levar built three new schools in Black and brown neighborhoods and expanded after-school programming for all elementary and middle school students. Finally, Levar is tackling the affordable housing crisis sweeping across our nation head-on by working with partners to dedicate at least $100 million to address this challenge.
Perhaps most famously, Levar led the removal of all of Richmond’s Confederate monuments and made instrumental changes to ensure Richmond is no longer known as the Capital of the Confederacy, but the Capital of Compassion, focusing on investing in our communities, our workers, and our children. Under Levar’s leadership, Richmond has become more inclusive and welcoming, has grown economically and culturally, and has been named the number one place to live in Virginia.
Mayor Levar Stoney is running for Lt. Governor of Virginia to build a thriving Virginia where everyone has a fair shot at success. He understands the challenges working families face and knows they do not have time to waste. As Lt. Governor he will do what he did as Mayor - and dig right in and get things done. He will do the same as Lt. Governor of Virginia by focusing on:
Expanding Opportunity: making Virginia the best state for businesses to grow and create jobs, AND the best state for workers in the nation.
Strengthening our Schools: fully funding our public school system and early childhood education and care at the state level to ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed from the time they are born until after they graduate high school.
Increasing Access to Affordable Housing: funding affordable housing programs at the state and local level, increasing pathways to home ownership, and ensuring residents are not displaced by rising costs.
Protecting Choice: protecting everyone’s right to make their own health care decisions, because a few legislative seats are all that protect the right to reproductive freedom in Virginia.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Victor Salgado
Potential Candidate
https://lateefforva.com/
VICTOR’S VALUES
Victor is the son of Peruvian immigrants who has dedicated his legal career to protecting our system of government by investigating and prosecuting public corruption and related misconduct at all levels. Most recently, Victor served as Senior Litigation Counsel in the United States Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section, which oversees the investigation and prosecution of all federal crimes affecting government integrity–including bribery of public officials, election crimes, and other related offenses–and prosecutes some of the most sensitive and contentious public corruption cases in the country.In this role, Victor has prosecuted several high-profile matters, including but not limited to Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt for unlawfully enforcing federal immigration laws but later pardoned by President Trump; former Acting Inspector General Charles Edwards of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, for theft of confidential and proprietary information from the federal government; several foreign influence matters, including a criminal scheme to funnel $3.5 million in unlawful contributions into the 2016 U.S. presidential race from a Middle Eastern government; failed New Mexico candidate Solomon Peña, for allegedly organizing shootings on dwellings of elected officials to undermine election results; and several elected officials such as state senator Jake Files of Arkansas and congressman George Santos.
During his tenure at the Justice Department, Victor also handled complex criminal cases involving alleged violations of the Money Laundering Control Act, the Bank Secrecy Act, and economic and trade sanctions programs authorized by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In this role, Victor investigated several banks and cryptocurrency exchanges for alleged violations of federal laws and received the John Marshall award from the U.S. Attorney General for his role in the investigation and prosecution of Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange
Prior to joining the Justice Department, Salgado served as a prosecutor with the Corruption Bureau of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, where he investigated and prosecuted public officials as well as violations of state campaign finance laws and voter fraud.
In this role, Salgado prosecuted the largest pay-to-play criminal scheme in the State of New Jersey to date, in which a prominent engineering firm, through several of its major shareholders and officers, made over $1 million in illegal corporate campaign contributions. Victor also prosecuted Juan Stevens–a corrections officer who used his badge and state-issued equipment to impersonate law enforcement officers for the purpose of coercing women into having sex with him at various motels–and several other public officials for using public resources for personal and political purposes, including senior law enforcement officials.
Victor also has a dedicated track record of teaching, currently serving as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches White Collar Crime and Securities Violations, and providing instruction to newly-elected officials on matters concerning government integrity.
Victor was born in Paterson, New Jersey, after his parents immigrated to the United States from Lima, Peru. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from The George Washington University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. While in law school, Victor served as an Articles Editor for the Wisconsin Law Review, and his law student comment was selected for publication, and subsequently published, in the 2006 edition of the Wisconsin Law Review.
While in law school, Victor was also elected National President of the Law Student Division of the Hispanic National Bar Association.
Victor lives in Arlington County with his wife, who is a constitutional lawyer specializing in reproductive rights, and two school-aged daughters.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Aaron Rouse
Potential Candidate
https://lateefforva.com/
AARON’S VALUES
Aaron Rouse was born in Norfolk and raised by his mother and grandparents in Virginia Beach. He graduated from First Colonial High School and attended Virginia Tech on a football scholarship. Rouse was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 2007 NFL Draft and also played for the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals. After retiring from the NFL, Aaron returned home to start a non-profit organization focused on children in underserved communities and served on the Virginia Beach City Council.
As State Senator, Aaron is focused on building a strong economy for our community, lowering healthcare costs, and ensuring every student has a quality public education and access to job trainings. He serves as the Chair of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, overseeing all matters dealing with voting and elections issues in Virginia. Aaron also serves as the Secretary of the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus and Chair of the Senate ABC Subcommittee.
With Glenn Youngkin and Winsome Sears fixated on stripping our fundamental freedoms, a Republican Party that funds corporate tax breaks on the backs of everyday Virginians, and Donald Trump, once again, on the ballot, there is no margin for error. Democrats must retake control of our statewide offices in 2025.
Aaron has built his career on winning in tough spots when it matters – whether it be under the glare of NFL lights or flipping the State Senate seat needed to ensure we blocked Republicans’ assaults on reproductive freedom and voting rights. Virginia is ready for a new generation of leaders to step up. That’s why Aaron is running to be the next Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Jay Jones
Potential Candidate
https://jayjones.com/
JAY’S VALUES
Jay Jones is running for Attorney General to protect Virginia families — from crime and violence, corporate price gouging, and politicians with extreme agendas. Because Jay knows that our freedoms have always depended on people willing to fight for them.
As a member of the House of Delegates, Jay fought to expand Medicaid, increase the minimum wage, and give teachers annual pay raises. Jay was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates three times, representing the 89th District in Norfolk. In Richmond, he gave voice to progressive energy and environmental policies that improve the lives of all Virginians while preserving our air, water, and land. A tireless legislator, Jay championed legislation known as the “Ashanti Alert,” establishing a missing persons alert for adults in the Commonwealth. The “Ashanti Alert” is now used nationwide.
Jay previously served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, where he was a member of the Office of Consumer Protection. In this role he took on gun manufacturers, financial institutions, and housing conglomerates to vindicate the rights of everyday citizens.
Today, Jay is an attorney at Hogan Lovells, where he focuses his practice on state Attorneys General work as well as regulatory and policy matters, including environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues. An accomplished litigator, Jay led the fight on behalf of the Virginia NAACP against the Youngkin Administration to protect voting rights. Jay has also advocated tirelessly for reproductive healthcare access and abortion rights as a member of the Virginia Planned Parenthood board.
The descendant of slaves, Jay’s family has been in Norfolk since the early 20th century. His grandfather, Hilary H. Jones, Sr., was a pioneering Civil Rights attorney in Norfolk and became the first Black member of the Norfolk School Board. In 1969, he was appointed to the State Board of Education, the first Black to be named to the board in the history of Virginia.
Jay’s father, Jerrauld C. Jones, is one of the few Virginians to serve in all three branches of state government. He was a member of the General Assembly from 1988 – 2002, served as Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice under Governor Mark Warner and is a retired Circuit Court judge. His mother, Lyn Simmons, is currently a judge on the Norfolk Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court after a long career as a violent crime prosecutor and attorney in private practice.
Like his forebears before him, Jay is dedicated to ensuring his community and Commonwealth embraces every family — no matter who you are or where you come from.
Jay completed his undergraduate studies at the College of William and Mary, and earned his law degree from the University of Virginia. Jay, his wife Mavis, and two sons live in Norfolk, where they are members of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception.
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Shannon L. Taylor
Potential Candidate
https://shannontaylorva.com/
SHANNON’S VALUES
Shannon Taylor, a native of Charlottesville, Virginia, graduated from the University of Virginia in 1989. Her first job after college was as a paralegal at the Richmond-based firm of Hunton & Williams (now Hunton Andrews Kurth), which inspired her to pursue a career in law.
Shannon received her law degree in 1995 from the University of Richmond Law School and began her career as a prosecutor in the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office for the City of Richmond. Based on her skillful and successful prosecutions, she was named as a Special Assistant in the US Attorney’s office first in 1999 and then again in 2002-2004.
Shannon was special counsel for the Richmond Multi-Jurisdictional Grand Jury from 2004 to 2008. This position provided an opportunity to gain valuable experience working with additional agencies, such as the Virginia State Police, the Alcohol Beverage Control Board, and the Virginia Department of Taxation.
After three years in private practice, Shannon was elected Commonwealth’s Attorney for Henrico County in 2011, the first woman to hold that position in the County’s history. She was re-elected in 2015 and again in 2019, this time winning the entire County.
As Commonwealth’s Attorney, Shannon’s number one priority was keeping communities and families safe from crime. She has worked each and every day to keep Henricoans safe, keep violent criminals off the streets and remove illegal guns. In her role, Shannon has prioritized compassionate, effective policies to move Henrico forward, as the best way to keep the community safe while stressing rehabilitation.
During her tenure, Shannon has diversified the office so that it resembles Henrico County with women and minority prosecutors. She has enhanced the victim-witness program and has Spanish-speaking translators available.
Shannon has also worked closely with mental health caregivers and drug rehabilitation programs to give offenders the best chance to succeed and lead constructive lives in the community.
She fully recognizes the importance of civic involvement in public safety and works closely with neighborhood and community associations to ensure she is addressing their needs
Shannon is very active in the statewide Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys, serving as president in 2022-23 (VACA is a not-for-profit organization that represents prosecutors across the state and promotes communication, cooperation, training, and consultation on matters concerning crime and improving the legal system). Her leadership and office have received many recognitions and accolades during her tenure.
Shannon is a leading voice advocating at the General Assembly for policies that remove systemic racism and discrimination from the criminal justice system. She continues to work to update and strengthen laws pertaining to hate crimes and stalking.
