Democrat Jessica Anderson beats incumbent Republican Amanda Batten in House District 71 winning 53% of vote.
District 71, composed of Williamsburg City, along with portions of New Kent County and James City County, was predicted to be one of the closest races in Virginia this year. In the 2023 race between Batten and Anderson, Batten won by 667 votes with 50.90% to Anderson’s 49.03% according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
Anderson campaigned on affordable healthcare, more support for public schools and protecting abortion rights.
“We can strengthen our public school system by investing in a pre-K education for all 3 and 4 year olds, raising teacher pay, [and] creating a supportive learning environment,” Anderson's campaign website reads.
Batten campaigned on protecting schools and supporting law enforcement.
Anderson raised a total of $2,944,977 with her top donor, the House Democratic Caucus, contributing $1,740,024, according to the VPAP. Batten’s top donor, the Republican State Leadership Committee, contributed $330,000 to her campaign that raised a total of $1,226,535.
Contact news writer Lena Lantz-Trissel at Lena.LantzTrissel@richmond.edu
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