Key Facts
Background
Leftwich graduated from James Madison University and received his JD from the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond in 1988. Leftwich has worked with the law firm of Basnight, Kinser, Leftwich & Nuckolis since 1988, and served on the Chesapeake Public School board from 2002 to 2013, serving as Chairman from 2012 to 2013. Leftwich has additionally served as President of the Chesapeake Bar Association in 1999 and as a Fellow at the Sorensen Institute of Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. Leftwich also works with the Chesapeake Rotary Club and is a former director of the Virginia Division of the American Cancer Society and Tidewater Pastoral Counseling Services [1, 5, 6].
Leftwich was elected to represent Virginia’s 90th District in 2013 and currently serves on the Courts of Justice, General Laws, and Counties, Cities, and Towns Committees. Leftwich has been recognized with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s “Champion of Freedom” award, as well as recognitions of “Legislator of the Year” by the Virginia Clerk’s Association and Virginia Retail Merchants Association [1, 5].
Key Issues
Crime
Leftwich wants to respond to an increase in violent crime in Virginia, especially as seen in Richmond, through internal scrutiny and regulation of Virginia’s Parole Board and legislation passed by the General Assembly on criminal justice in urban areas. Leftwich also introduced legislation that responds to issues of online death threats and human trafficking [1].
Education
Leftwich wants to implement stronger measures to promote school safety through more frequent lockdown drills and stronger crisis protocols. Leftwich also wants every school counselor to spend 80 percent of their staff time in the direct counseling of students, even if this requires additional funding to achieve, and remodel public school buildings through grants made by the Virginia Department of Education [1].
Endorsements
No endorsements could be found.
Sources
1 Jay Leftwich
2 WAVY
3 Virginia General Assembly
4 Facebook
5 Ballotpedia
6 LinkedIn