Richmond, Virginia—After losing his seat to Delegate Hala Ayala in 2017, Rich Anderson is running to try and drag Virginia’s policies backward. As Delegate Hala Ayala and Rich Anderson prepare to debate for the first time this year, voters are anxious to hear about where each candidate stands on issues that are important to their families. According to a recent poll, 53% of voters would support Democrats taking over the legislature, compared to 37% who want Republican control. Voters are looking for a candidate who shares their values and will vote to increase the minimum wage, protect abortion access, and take action to prevent gun violence. They know Rich Anderson won’t do that.

“People who live in our communities are looking for candidates who will represent them and their values in Richmond. They want someone who will vote to ensure that their families have the opportunity to thrive and succeed,” Anna Scholl, Executive Director of Progress Virginia, said before the debate. “But we know that when Rich Anderson was a delegate, he proved over and over again that he was out of touch with his constituents on important issues like raising the minimum wage, preventing gun violence, and protecting access to abortion. When voters go to the polls on November 5, they’ll vote for someone who will look out for them and their families, not corporations and the wealthy few.” 

Background: 

• As a Delegate, Rich Anderson took money from the corporate gun lobby and his lack of action to pass commonsense gun legislation earned him an A rating from the NRA.  
  • 94% of voters in Virginia support background checks on all gun purchases
  • 83% of voters would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports background checks for gun purchases and 67% of voters would be more likely to vote for a candidate who would ban assault weapons. [A Majority of Virginia Voters Want Democrats to Control Legislature, CNU Poll Finds, Washington Post, October 2019]
• When Anderson was Delegate, he voted against raising the minimum wage every chance he got. He even voted against an amendment on a bill to raise the wage just for government workers. 
  • 66% of voters would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour. [A Majority of Virginia Voters Want Democrats to Control Legislature, CNU Poll Finds, Washington Post, October 2019]
• While campaigning in 2017, Anderson sent out implicitly racist mailers that used coded language such as “thug” and “gang members” in an effort to stoke racial fears.
• Rich Anderson voted to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood, which would make it more difficult for people to access affordable abortion and other health care services like cancer screenings, treatment for STIs, and birth control. [Virginia House Votes to Defund Planned Parenthood, WTKR, February 2017]
• Rich Anderson also voted against funding for long-term, reversible contraception, like IUDs, for low-income women. That means people who have decided they don’t want children at the moment could end up paying $900 for birth control.