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Make Virginia affordable again.
As I travel across our diverse and far-flung 5th District, I hear one request over and over: Make Virginia affordable again.
Our farmers are being squeezed by the administration’s new tariffs—repeating the same harmful pattern we saw seven years ago. Potash, a critical fertilizer ingredient imported from Canada, now costs more. The price of agricultural equipment and fuel continues to climb, cutting deeply into profits. In response, longtime trade partners like Canada, Mexico, and China have slapped retaliatory tariffs on key Virginia exports such as soybeans, poultry, and pork. The result? Falling international demand for our farmers’ products and a shrinking bottom line.
Small farms are at particular risk. How long can they survive when costs rise and export markets shrink? Every lost sale threatens jobs in our agriculture sector—and when farmworkers lose income, they spend less at local businesses and contribute less in taxes, hurting the entire Commonwealth’s economy.
This is not just a farming issue. Many Virginia businesses are under similar strain from rising prices and unpredictable tariffs. Once ranked the best state for business, Virginia has now slipped to fourth place. Our labor force has shrunk by 10,000 workers. Unemployment is up by more than 4,000, leaving 160,116 Virginians without work. Core inflation sits at 3.9%, and the cost of living continues to rise. Too many people live paycheck to paycheck—or have no paycheck at all. Young adults entering the job market face especially bleak prospects.
Meanwhile, our current 5th District congressman, John McGuire, has done nothing to address this affordability crisis. He has stood silent as costs climb and opportunities vanish.
I will not. I pledge to fight for our farmers, our small businesses, and every Virginian. I will work to end harmful, unfair tariff policies; to bring down the cost of food, fuel, and housing; and to create conditions that once again make Virginia a place where businesses want to start, grow, and invest. The time is long past for leaders who simply defend bad federal policies while Virginians struggle. We need action—and I’m ready to deliver it.