Nicholas J. Freitas

Age: 41

Education: Bachelor’s, Henley-Putnam University

Contact: 703-298-4717; nick@nickforva.com

Website: nickforva.com

Abigail A. Spanberger

Age: 41

Occupation: CIA case officer, U.S. Postal Inspection Service agent, education consultant

Education: Bachelor’s, University of Virginia; MBA, GISMA Business School and Purdue University Civic/community activities: FeedMore volunteer; Girl Scout Troop leader

Contact: (804) 223-0770; info@abigailspanberger.com

Website: abigailspanberger.com

I decided to run for re-election to Congress because: In Congress, I’ve been honored to engage with working families, listen to the needs of our communities and fight to make everyone’s voice heard. During this time of widespread uncertainty, I’m focused on solving problems, working with Democrats and Republicans alike, and advancing legislation that directly improves the lives of our neighbors. I’m running to protect access to affordable health care, strengthen workforce training programs, expand broadband internet access, reduce prescription drug costs and address disparities that have long existed, but have been truly laid bare by COVID-19. These are critical priorities as we rebuild and recover from this crisis.

What do you see as the top two issues facing the district? First, the top concern of Central Virginians remains health care, specifically the cost of health care coverage and prescription drugs. COVID-19 has only intensified the financial and health care pressures experienced by so many of our neighbors — and it has emphasized the pressing need for investments in telehealth services. Second, the recent economic downturn has caused an unemployment crisis, forced beloved businesses into bankruptcy and put us on a path toward another housing crisis. And it has proven that reliable internet is still out of reach for far too many families, students and businesses in our district.

How I plan to address those issues as a member of the U. S. House of Representatives: To protect health care coverage for all Virginians, we need to push back against the administration’s attempts to strip protections for those with pre-existing conditions and we need to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for skyrocketing drug prices. To safely reopen businesses and schools, we must expand COVID-19 testing capabilities. We also need to make sure schools, businesses and health care workers have reliable access to PPE and access to broadband to enable telework and virtual learning. To make sure our economy can recover, we must give Central Virginia’s small businesses the resources they need to weather and adapt to this crisis.