NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Virginia's 2023 general elections are on November 7, and all 140 seats in the state's General Assembly are up for grabs.
This is also Virginia’s first election since legislative district maps were redrawn using 2020 census data — so most voters will be in new districts for both state Senate and House of Delegates.
In the 70th House District, two political newcomers are challenging the incumbent candidate to represent a large swath of Newport News. Democrat Shelly Simonds hopes to defend her seat from Republican candidate Matt Waters and Libertarian candidate Michael Bartley.
Richneck Elementary and addressing school safety
On the outskirts of the 70th District is Richneck Elementary School, where a 6-year-old boy shot his teacher in January, sparking a nationwide conversation about school safety.
All three candidates agreed school safety would be their top priority, if elected to represent the district. Though, each would have a different approach.
VOTER GUIDE: Virginia's 2023 elections are coming up. Here's a look at races, candidates, voter registration info and more.
Simonds, a former educator and mother of two, said the incident pushed her to complete a four-point plan designated to boost school safety. She pushed for more gun control when it comes to firearm access and nearby children.
"We have to make sure there is more civil liability for individuals who allow children to have access to guns," Simonds said. "We need more gun storage laws, and common sense gun control."
Waters is a Newport News native, a father of five, and a CEO of a political consulting company. While he's never held public office, if elected, he said he would push for more law enforcement inside schools.
"We need to employ a non-profit public partnership where you have former first responders, former military personnel, etc. who all engage our public schools almost as hall monitors," Waters said.
Bartley, an aerospace engineer and father of two, said his focus would be on reducing government oppression. If elected, he said he would be a proponent of more school choice as an avenue for parents to keep their students safe.
"We need to invest in our children, not the buildings themselves," Bartley said. They should be able to take that funding and go wherever they want to in the state, instead of being limited to one area code."
Voters will have their chance to decide which method and candidate they prefer on Election Day.