With the Virginia General Assembly election Nov. 3, the
Virginia Catholic Conference created a voters guide to help
identify contested races and engage candidates on issues of
concern to Catholics.
The guide consists of two parts. One side contains a Virginia
map that highlights the 60 contested Senate and House races.
The second side provides a summary of the seven key themes of
Catholic social teaching and a list of suggested questions
for candidates. The VCC uses these seven themes when
developing positions on various legislative proposals.
State representatives enact laws that directly impact the
unborn, those sentenced to death, families and children,
workers, the poor and marginalized, and the environment. The
questions for candidates relate to legislative items recently
debated in the General Assembly and are provided to
facilitate conversations between voters and candidates.
The guide includes a link to find candidates’ email addresses
to send questions. Voters are encouraged to use candidate
responses to evaluate their positions on issues relevant to
Catholic social teaching.
Before the election, the VCC also will distribute a letter
from Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde and Richmond Bishop
Francis X. DiLorenzo that will provide Catholic principles to
consider when voting.
