Photo by Mathyas Kurmann on Unsplash
After last week’s victories for progressive candidates in the Virginia General Assembly and beyond, aren’t you feeling inspired? It really does make a difference to focus on state and local races. State legislatures decide on, e.g., voter registration requirements, Congressional district boundaries, Medicaid expansion plans, anti-trans “bathroom bills,” and whether gun regulations should be more or less restrictive. Local officials are in charge of schools, parks, zoning decisions, and much more. Sheriffs and prosecutors—elected positions in most places—have the power to determine whether your community is a safe and just place for all residents, particularly people of color and undocumented folks.