It’s no secret that many Virginians are suffering as a result of the crises that have hit our nation. According to the organization Feeding America, more than 840,000 people, about 10 percent of the state’s population, are facing food insecurity in the state of Virginia. It is clear that the status quo has failed the people of Virginia, and that we need a governor with the courage to fight for the workers of our state. Due to his advocacy for the rights of workers, his calls to reform Virginia’s health care system and stance on the second amendment, I am endorsing Delegate Lee J. Carter for the upcoming Democratic primary for governor, which will take place on June 8, 2021.
Lee Carter has made it clear that he is willing to challenge the status quo and to fight for the working people of Virginia throughout his political career. He has refused to take any corporate donations throughout his campaign as governor. Carter has been an outspoken critic of Virginia’s ironically-named “Right to Work” law, which limits the power of unions to collect dues. He has promised to fight to repeal this law as governor. Lee Carter has also passed legislation that would ban classifying wheelchair attendants in airports that aren’t allowed to ask for tips as “tipped employees”, and paying them less than minimum wage. Lee Carter has shown that he has the courage to stand up for the workers of Virginia.
Lee Carter has also been an outspoken advocate for reforming Virginia’s health care system. He helped get a $50 a month cap on insulin copays signed into law last year. Lee Carter has also promised to fight for a universal health care system in Virginia, saying in an interview with the magazine Jacobin, “I’m going to fight for a universal health care system in Virginia that covers everybody. We’re not talking about ‘access’ and ‘affordability.’ We’re talking about actually being able to see a doctor when you need it, period.” We need a governor that is willing to stand up to Big Pharma and fight to guarantee health care for all Virginians, and Lee Carter will be that governor.
On the issue of gun rights, Lee Carter supports necessary steps such as universal background checks while opposing other proposals such as an assault weapon ban and red flag laws. He is opposed to red flag laws because he is concerned that far-right extremists could abuse the law by using it to disarm their targets. “I want to make sure that anybody who neo-Nazis would want to kill will have the ability to stop Nazis from killing them,” said Carter. He will fight to defend the constitutional right for the people of Virginia to bear arms as governor.
The crises that we are going through right now have made it clear that the status quo has failed the workers of Virginia, and half-measures and platitudes from our politicians won’t be enough to solve these issues. We need a governor with the courage to stand up for the working people of Virginia.