Aaron Rouse

Virginians should be thriving, not just surviving. The middle class is struggling today, with an economy that is not working for hardworking people. Everything from housing and child care to groceries is getting more expensive, and Virginians need someone who understands their pain and who will have their back to help them thrive.

Every Virginian should have access to quality, affordable healthcare. As Lieutenant Governor, I’ll work with Governor Abigail Spanberger to protect Medicaid and Medicare, stand up to big pharma and fight to lower prescription drug costs. I repeatedly hear about the financial struggles Virginians face, especially our seniors, as their prescription drug costs continue to rise, along with the challenge of accessing care close to home. In the General Assembly, I’ve already led efforts to pass a bipartisan bill to lower the cost of prescription drugs and protect local pharmacies—cornerstones of our community healthcare system—but Governor Youngkin vetoed it. Having seen firsthand the struggles families face when my grandmother battled breast cancer, I’m committed to making healthcare more affordable for every Virginian.

Virginia is home to hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors. They’re hardworking people who keep our Commonwealth moving. As Lieutenant Governor, I will stand up for these Virginians, ensuring they are protected from harm during times of crisis. As a Senator, I got a new law signed to strengthen protections for furloughed federal workers and contractors during a government shutdown, shielding them from eviction and foreclosure, so they aren’t left out on the streets because of reckless actions by Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

In the Virginia Senate, I fought to make housing more fair, stable, and affordable for everyone. I worked to give renters more time to catch up on missed payments before facing eviction, pushed to prevent people from being denied housing due to a past eviction case that was dismissed or withdrawn, and strengthened property tax relief programs for seniors and individuals with disabilities to help them stay in their homes.

I believe in protecting reproductive freedom in Virginia, ensuring every individual has the right to make their own healthcare decisions without government interference. As Lieutenant Governor, I will fight relentlessly to pass a constitutional amendment that enshrines reproductive freedom in Virginia’s Constitution and protects abortion access. In the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned, I stepped up to challenge Governor Youngkin’s hand-picked candidate for State Senate, flipping a red seat to blue and becoming the deciding vote to protect reproductive freedom in Virginia. This past session, I voted for the Right to Contraception Act, a critical safeguard for Virginians’ access to birth control, and my committee passed a resolution that brings us one step closer to a voter referendum on this issue. I’m ready to keep standing firm for Virginia women, families, and personal freedoms.

Every life lost to gun violence is a tragedy, and every day we fail to act, more lives are at risk. As Lieutenant Governor, I will fight to protect Virginians from this ongoing crisis. Having witnessed the devastating effects of gun violence personally, losing multiple friends and experiencing tragedies like the Virginia Tech mass shooting in 2007 and the Virginia Beach mass shooting in 2019, I am deeply committed to finding solutions. In the Senate, I worked alongside my colleagues to pass common-sense gun safety legislation, from promoting responsible firearm storage to ensuring individuals with criminal records cannot access firearms. Unfortunately, Governor Youngkin vetoed these life-saving measures, but as Lieutenant Governor, I will continue pushing for critical legislation like firearm storage laws and advocate for the creation of a statewide Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention Center to implement data-driven, community-based solutions.