On April 23rd, voters had a unique opportunity to hear directly from five of the six Democratic candidates for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia at a highly anticipated candidate forum in Roanoke, hosted by Roanoke Valley Democratic Women and Red Wine and Blue Virginia. This event was one of the rare occasions where full slate of contenders appeared together ahead of the June primary, offering voters a closer look at a diverse, dynamic field in one of the most competitive statewide primaries in recent years.
Ghazala Hashmi, Babur Lateef, Aaron Rouse, Victor Salgado and Levar Stoney responded to questions on a range of critical issues affecting southwest Virginians, including economic development, education, healthcare, climate, and voting rights. (Alex Bastani was unable to attend due to illness.)
“This was an important opportunity for southwest Virginians to hear from the people who are hoping to serve as the Commonwealth’s next Lieutenant Governor,” said Sarah Goodman, RVDW Political Affairs Chair and Regional Organizer for Red Wine and Blue Virginia. “We were proud to bring this level of access and civic engagement to Roanoke.”