Both candidates running in the Nov. 7, 2023, general election for Virginia House of Delegates District 15 — Laura Jane Cohen (D) and Marcus Evans (R) — completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office.
Here are the candidates’ responses to the question: What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
Cohen:
- “Gun violence prevention – A longtime Moms Demand Action volunteer, I will fight to prevent gun violence and stop the NRA. I will work to strengthen Virginia’s secure storage and “red flag” laws, disarm domestic abusers, require microstamping and childproofing for new handguns, and prohibit high-capacity magazines, untraceable “ghost guns,” and assault-style weapons.
- Public education – I will empower our librarians & teachers to decide which books are best for our students and make sure our kids are taught accurate & reflective history. I will also work to increase teacher & staff pay, address staffing shortages, & fund universal PreK & workforce development.
- Abortion rights – I will fight to defend abortion access and enshrine reproductive freedom into Virginia’s constitution. I’ll also fight for comprehensive insurance coverage for reproductive health services, including family planning, abortion care, and prenatal and postpartum care for all Virginians.”
Evans:
- “Our schools are not focused on education and achievement but the boutique politics of the left. Students are falling behind and the decline of performance of our students means a lifetime of lack luster achievement when they enter the workforce.
- Taxes on our income, housing, food, and property are being used as a piggy bank by politicians. Our State and Local budgets keep increasing, and the only ones being asked to do more with less are taxpayers. The ever-increasing property taxes are being spent on underperforming services such as declining test scores in our schools.
- Panhandling, graffiti, property crime and drugs are entering our community. We have laws on the books but our police do not feel empowered to enforce them and local States Attorney are not prosecuting criminals. The State Legislature has the power of legislation and the purse to keeps our communities safe.”
Click on the candidates’ profile pages below to read their full responses to this and other questions.
We ask all federal, state, and local candidates with profiles on Ballotpedia to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Ask the candidates in your area to fill out the survey.
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