There are few, if any, debates planned for Virginia’s governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general candidates this year. But a digital forum hosted by the Arc of Virginia and other disability rights groups put them all in one event this week.
For the would-be governors, the first question focused on fears about federal cuts to Medicaid that disability advocacy groups worry could disproportionately impact their communities.
Democrat Abigail Spanberger reiterated concerns for 350,000 Virginians she said are at risk of losing health care coverage. And she pointed to $26 billion in federal funding rural hospitals are set to lose over the next 14 years.
“I will use every resource to mitigate the impacts from the bill," Spanberger said. "I believe Virginians deserve the freedom of choice in their care. That’s why I’ll continue to invest in waiver services, like Medicaid DD waivers, to bring down the waitlist and improve access to care.”
Republican, and current Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears said President Donald Trump’s "One Big Beautiful Bill" was about returning Medicaid coverage to those who need it, not those who exploit it.
“What we’re saying is, according to the bill, you must be looking for work, in training, or volunteering yourself in some capacity to serve the community," Sears said. "And that’s all we're saying, all the bill is saying anyways, for 40 hours. Most of us work 80 hours.”
Both attorney general nominees were asked what they would do about Virginia laws that restrict voting rights for those under a guardianship.
Republican incumbent Jason Miyares said those facing issues could contact his office for help navigating the court process that can be used to get that right back.
“We have an incredible group of attorneys there; they do incredible work," he said. "They’re incredible public servants. They know how important it is for me that Virginians have that voice, they have that vote.”
Democratic candidate and former Delegate Jay Jones said he supports legislation that would roll back those rights-limiting laws.
“That means implementing appropriate evaluations to determine an individual’s capacity to vote," Jones said. "For example, cognitive assessments conducted by state agencies and local departments of social services.”
And lieutenant governor candidates were asked how they would advocate for the disabled in future state regulation of artificial intelligence.
Chesterfield-area Democratic Senator Ghazala Hashmi is on the state’s disability commission. She said she’d ensure discrimination in AI systems was addressed in the law.
“AI systems often rely on historical data, and this historical data may actually reflect some ableist assumptions or systemic exclusions and I will push to mandate transparency for how they are trained and used,” Hashmi said.
For Republican and former radio host John Reid, it was a matter of limiting state-linked agencies and services when using AI.
“State-purchased tech going forward has to meet strong accessibility standards and include user testing with people with disabilities," Reid said. "We shouldn’t purchase unless it's already baked into the code.”
You can watch the full forum at the Arc of Northern Virginia’s YouTube page. Early voting in the 2025 elections starts Friday.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
