Voter Information Night June 11--Democratic Primary

1. Voter Information NightJune 11--Democratic Primary

2. Governor • Terry McAuliffe • Lt. Governor • Aneesh Chopra • Ralph Northam • Attorney General • Justin Fairfax • Mark Herring Candidates

3. GOVERNOR Terry McAuliffe

4. Terry McAuliffe BIO: Age: 56 Home: McLean, VA Occupation(s): Businessman, Entrepreneur, former Chair of the National Democratic Party, co-chair President Clinton’s re-election campaign Family: Dorothy (wife, married 1988) Dori, Jack, Mary, Sally, and Peter (children) Website: http://terrymcauliffe.com/

5. Terry McAuliffe • On the Issues • Education: • Pledges greater support for pre-K and early childhood education • Reform SOLs and rethink annual high stakes testing • Keep college tuition low and financial aid high • Support for workforce development in community colleges • Transportation: • Supports bi-partisan transportation deal approved by the General Assembly • Focus on projects that best serve the economic travel needs of our citizens and businesses — along with key safety improvements — we will ensure that those rail, road, and bridge projects that absolutely must get done do get done • Need to incentivize regional planning and implementation of smart growth planning

6. Terry McAuliffe • On the Issues • Healthcare: • Supports expansion of Medicaid in Virginia which will provide the commonwealth with $21 billion over 7 years to cover 400,000 uninsured Virginians • Energy: • There are millions of cutting-edge energy jobs waiting to be created, and we need them here in Virginia • We also know we can create thousands more jobs by encouraging energy efficiency and supporting people in making their homes and businesses more efficient. These kinds of renovations employ construction workers and keep building supplies moving through the economy, while saving homeowners and businesses money every month on their utility bills

8. Terry McAuliffe On the Issues Jobs:

9. Terry McAuliffe

10. LieutenantGovernor Aneesh Chopra Ralph Northam

11. Aneesh Chopra BIO: Age: 40 Home: Arlington, VA Positions Held: Virginia Secretary of Technology (Kaine), U.S. Chief Technology Officer (Obama) Family: Rohini (wife), two daughters Website: http://www.teamchopra.org/

12. Aneesh Chopra • On the Issues • Education: • Invest in Pre-K: We know that 90% of brain development happens before a child reaches the age of 5. We also know that students who are prepared to enter kindergarten are less likely to repeat a grade, more likely to graduate high school, and more likely to earn a college degree. • We have to fully fund our schools. • We have to be committed to finding new and creative solutions to our challenges. We must listen to our teachers, our communities, our parents, and our students. • We need to halt the skyrocketing costs of college and do more to help students and their families afford the college education that is vital to a successful career.

13. Aneesh Chopra • On the Issues • Energy and Environment: • Virginia must commit to itself to expanding the use of renewable energy in Virginia. • We can create thousands of good jobs and lower the Commonwealth’s electricity demand by investing in energy efficiency programs. • We must invest now in rebuilding our electrical grid, using the best in smart grid technology. This will allow our state to prevent blackouts, respond to outages faster, and lower overall costs.

14. Aneesh Chopra • On the Issues • Healthcare: • Expansion of Medicaid is a key step to building a better health care system. • The right action for Virginia is to take advantage of this unique opportunity and build an innovative health insurance exchange that helps drive down costs and increase access. • In our current healthcare system, doctors are paid for the number of patients they see, or the number of surgeries they perform, not whether they make you healthier or cure your illness. Making us healthier, and driving down costs, means rewarding providers for achieving better results.

15. Aneesh Chopra • On the Issues • Women: • As Lt. Governor I will vote against any legislation that limits a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions. • I will advocate for and support legislation that addresses paycheck discrimination in Virginia. • We must address relationship violence and sexual assault not only as a women’s issue but a public health issue. • LGBT: • I fully support marriage equality in Virginia, and as Lt. Governor will support legislation that protects LGBT Virginians from discrimination. I will also fight against any legislation that is discriminatory or protects those who engage in discrimination.

16. Aneesh Chopra • On the Issues • Gun Violence: • Universal background checks. Closing the gun show loophole and keeping weapons out of the hands of dangerous people. • Banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines. • Reducing illegal gun trafficking by cracking down on straw purchases. • Improving our mental health system and expanding access to care to ensure the mentally ill receive the care they need.

17. Aneesh Chopra • On the Issues • Jobs and the Economy: • In addition to a transportation system that works, we will focus additional investments in Virginia’s educational system – from pre-K to adult learning – to ensure our workforce is prepared to start on day one for 21st Century jobs. • In a global economy where entrepreneurs have a choice in where to plant their economic flag, I intend to lead in making Virginia the most welcoming state for new businesses especially for those led by women and minorities. • Loopholes all too often favor big corporations and hurt small businesses. We need fair and open rules of the road that give everyone a shot at success, protect consumers and our environment, and encourage the creation of new businesses and new industries. • By applying advanced manufacturing programs – from new materials, to modeling & simulation tools, Virginia can lead the national resurgence in American manufacturing, insourcing good paying jobs from overseas, not the other way around.

18. Aneesh Chopra

19. Ralph Northam BIO: Age: 53 Home: Norfolk, VA Positions Held: U.S. Army physician, pediatric neurologist, member Virginia State Senate Family: Pam (wife), Wes and Aubrey (children) Website: http://www.northamforlg.com/

20. Ralph Northam • On the Issues • Women: • I am deeply disturbed by the Republican assault on women’s reproductive rights led by Governor Bob McDonnell and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Their crusades to shut down reproductive health centers and to mandate costly and invasive medical procedures for women seeking abortions have embarrassed the Commonwealth, and have inserted government between doctors and their patients. • Guns: • As a former army doctor and a pediatric neurologist, I have seen first-hand the result of gun violence. Last month, I circulated a petition with several parents of victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy, calling for an assault weapons ban, smaller magazines, and universal background checks.

21. Ralph Northam • On the Issues • Health Care: • As a practicing physician, I congratulate President Obama for his leadership on the Affordable Care Act, and I am proud that I voted against efforts to block the Act’s implementation in Virginia. Our health care system was broken, and President Obama has taken a huge step in the right direction toward providing access to high quality, affordable health care for all Americans. • Last year, I sponsored legislation that would have had Virginia take a proactive approach to setting up health care exchanges, and I remain committed to ensuring that the Commonwealth moves quickly to comply with the law and start getting health care to currently uninsured Virginians. I also want to make sure that we make the right and prudent decision to expand Medicaid coverage, rather than walking away from millions of federal dollars that could help make sick people well.

22. Ralph Northam • On the Issues • Marriage Equality: • There is no excuse to discriminate against Virginians based on whom they love or to stigmatize the children of same-sex couples as unequal because their parents cannot marry. • We must cherish and promote ALL Virginia families and children across the Commonwealth. That is why I will continue to fight for marriage equality. • Jobs and the Economy: • We need to create a hospitable environment for entrepreneurs and workers. Making Virginia an attractive place for businesses and talented people to stay or relocate is about much more than just low taxes. We need top-notch schools, clean and safe communities, an efficient and affordable transportation system with legitimate mass transit alternatives, and equal opportunity for people regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

23. Ralph Northam • On the Issues • Transportation: • A convenient, safe, and reliable transportation system is essential to Virginia’s economy, and we need major investments in rail, roads, and other transportation infrastructure to keep the Commonwealth a great place for families and businesses. • As Lieutenant Governor, I look forward to convening a non-partisan commission that will develop a comprehensive, sustainable transportation funding package. • Energy and the Environment: • I strongly oppose drilling for oil off the coast of Virginia, and am proud that I helped defeat attempts to lift the moratorium on uranium mining in the Commonwealth. • I will continue to support efforts to promote alternative energy solutions such as wind, solar, and biodiesel, promote low impact development and improvements to wastewater treatment plants, and search for ways to make farming, forestry, and fishing more sustainable.

24. Ralph Northam • On the Issues • Education: • In order to ensure that they are prepared to take on the jobs of tomorrow, and to compete in a global economy, we must restore and increase funding for K-12 education, including teacher salaries. • We must also continue to develop a strong workforce in Virginia by supporting career and technical education at our outstanding community colleges.

25. Ralph Northam

26. AttorneyGeneral Justin Fairfax Mark Herring

27. Justin Fairfax BIO: Age: 34 Home: Annandale, VA Positions Held: former assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Family: Dr. Cerina Fairfax (wife), Cameron (2) and Carys (3) (children) Website: http://www.justinfairfax.com/2013/

28. Justin Fairfax • On the Issues • Women: • I want to see a Virginia where women’s fundamental human rights are protected. This includes a woman’s right to choose and to reproductive healthcare choices. As Attorney General, I would protect this fundamental constitutional right. • Guns: • Every Virginian has a right to live in a safe community. Recent instances like Virginia Tech and Newtown underscore the point that common sense gun reform is necessary. I support background checks and banning high-capacity magazines.

29. Justin Fairfax • On the Issues • Right to Vote: • I want to see a Virginia where the right to vote is encouraged, not curtailed by those seeking political gain. I am in favor of a participatory democracy where all Virginians have a say. And, part of changing the odds for all Virginians includes safeguarding our precious right to vote. I will fight to protect that precious right as your next Attorney General. • LGBT community: • I want to see a Virginia where all Virginians are treated equally and with dignity and respect. So, I would issue a nondiscrimination order protecting sexual orientation, gender identity and expression for the Attorney General’s Office. • Marriage Equality: • I believe that the 14th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, which provides for equal protection under the law, supports marriage equality.

30. Justin Fairfax • On the Issues • Protecting our children: • Using his experience in law enforcement as a former federal criminal prosecutor and Deputy of the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force, Justin will root out gangs, drug dealers, and human traffickers, as well as combat violent criminals and sex offenders; protecting our children, protecting our future. • Protecting our seniors: • Focusing on elder crimes that include neglect and abuse, violent crime, financial exploitation, and fraud, Justin will remove dangerous predators, who prey on our cherished seniors, from our communities and will work every day to keep seniors safe in their homes and neighborhoods. • Protecting homeowners: • Justin will convene a Mortgage Fraud Strike Force. This unit will prosecute those who prey on vulnerable homeowners, make sure that lenders and servicers play by the rules and hold them accountable, and find ways to help more Virginia families stay in their homes.

31. Justin Fairfax

32. Mark Herring BIO: Age: 51 Home: Loudon County, VA Positions Held: lawyer, Loudon County Board of Supervisors, VA State Senate Family: Laura(wife), Peyton (19) and Tim (16) (children) Website: http://www.herringforag.com/

33. Mark Herring • On the Issues • Protecting Seniors: • I will use the office of the Attorney General to protect the elderly, just as I have done as a State Senator. In the legislature, I sponsored and passed a bill to make it a crime to knowingly financially exploit an older or incapacitated adult. • Combatting Sexual and Domestic Abuse: • I believe the state can and should do more to ensure Virginians can live free of fear of becoming a victim of sexual or domestic violence. That’s why I championed legislation to strengthen penalties for strangulation, one of the most lethal forms of domestic violence. As Attorney General, I will continue to make this issue a priority.

34. Mark Herring • On the Issues • Guns: • I have and will continue to support common sense reforms to reduce gun violence including one-handgun-per-month and closing the gun show loophole. I also support increasing state resources to improve Virginia’s mental health system to ensure young people who need help are identified and receive the services they need. • Women’s Health: • I will stand up for the right of women to make their own health care decisions and defend a woman’s right to choose. As a State Senator, I introduced legislation to repeal harmful regulations imposed on women’s health centers designed to restrict access to affordable healthcare for women, because I believe a woman has the right to determine what’s best for her body.

35. Mark Herring • On the Issues • Voting Rights: • I will use the Office of Attorney General to make voting easier and to stop attempts to inhibit Virginians’ right to vote. I oppose policies like requiring a voter ID at the polls aimed at making it harder for Virginians to vote. • Equality: • I support marriage equality and efforts to stop discrimination in hiring. As a State Senator, I co-sponsored legislation to prohibit discrimination in state hiring. I oppose the so-called “conscience-clause” legislation that permits discrimination by private, state-funded adoption agencies, as well as extreme “anti-sharia” bills aimed at discriminating against religious minorities.

36. Mark Herring • On the Issues • Transportation: • As Attorney General, I will promote and enforce laws to fix transportation so people can get moving again, and to improve our air quality. • Service Members and Veterans: • As Attorney General, I will do everything in my power to support those brave men and women currently serving, as well as their families. Additionally, we should make it easier for veterans to transition smoothly into the workforce when they return.

37. Mark Herring