Key Facts
Background
Lamont Bagby, born and raised in Richmond, has served as chair for the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, an eight year term as a Henrico County school board member and District 74’s delegate in Virginia’s General Assembly [1, 2, 3, 4]. Graduating from Norfolk State and the Virginia Commonwealth University, Bagby has used his degrees in Education Leadership & Business Education to focus his campaign on social justice, specifically educational as he had been brought up in a low income neighborhood [2].
Key Issues
Education
In February of 2020, Bagby voted yea for the ‘Requires Schools to Create Policies Transgender-Friendly Student Policies’ bill. The next year Bagby voted yea for the ‘Prohibits Public Institutions of Higher Education from Asking About an Individual’s Criminal Record During the Application Process and From Denying Admission Based on Criminal History’ bill, prohibiting education institutes from asking about a person’s criminal history during the application process. In this month, Bagby also voted yea for the ‘Expands Financial Aid for Undocumented Immigrants’ bill, allowing all people to receive in-state tuition regardless of a person’s citizenship status [7].
Reproductive Rights
In February of 2020, Bagby voted yea for the ‘Reproductive Health Protection Act’, later signed by former Governor Northam [6], which repealed the need for a written consent form as well as an ultrasound reading (past requirements for an abortion). Later in the next year, Bagby voted yea for the ‘Repeals the Abortion Prohibition in Virginia Health Insurance Plans’ bill, repealing previous attempts to inhibit abortion by enabling the practice in several health plans across the Virginia area [7].
School Safety
Bagby, in February of 2021, voted yea for the ‘Establishes Gun-Free Zones on School Board Property’ bil, prohibiting anyone besides law enforcement officers from carrying a firearm in or around the school zone. In 2022, Delegate Bagby, along with other Democrats, voted nay to the ‘Prohibits Mask Mandates at Schools’ bill, permitting all K-12 students and staff from wearing a mask [7]. Bagby would later vote nay for the ‘School Resource Officer Grants Program and Fund’ bill, stating that funds would be awarded to local school and law-enforcement agencies to better train resource officers, excluding grants for firearms, handcuffs or any stun weapon/wrist restraint [5].
Endorsements
Tim Kaine, Senator; Mark Warner, Senator; Jennifer McClellan, Congresswoman; Bobby Scott, Congressman; Levar Stoney, Richmond Mayor; Doug Wilder, Former Governor; Dwight Jones, Former Richmond Mayor; Delores McQuinn, Delegate; Jeff Bourne, Delegate; Betsy Carr, Delegate; Ghazala Hashmi, Senator; L. Louise Lucas, President pro-Tempore of the Senate; Luke Torian, Delegate; Frank Thornton, Chair of Henrico County Board of Supervisors; Tyrone Nelson, Vice-Chair of Henrico County Board of Supervisors; Shannon Taylor, Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney; Alisa Gregory, Henrico County Sheriff; Colette McEachin, Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney; Ellen Robertson, Richmond City Councilwoman; Stephanie Lynch, Richmond City Councilwoman; Cynthia Newbille, Richmond City Councilwoman; Cheryl Burke, Vice-Chair of Richmond School Board; Dr. Shonda Harris-Muhammed, Richmond School Board member; Dawn Paige, Richmond School Board member; Nicole Jones, Richmond School Board member; Byron M. Adkins, Sr., Vice-Chair Charles City County Board of Supervisors; Preston Adkins, Charles City County School Board member; Carol Wolf, Former Richmond School Board member; Dr. Lance Watson, St. Paul’s Baptist Church; Dr. Anthony Chandler, Cedar Street Baptist Church; Dr. Kevin Sykes, St. James Baptist Church; Dr. Yvonne Bibbs, Sixth Baptist Church; Dr. Dwayne Whitehead, World Overcomers Christian Ministries; Bishop Darryl Husband, Mount Olivet Church; Dr. Derik Jones, First Baptist Church; Michael Hathaway, New Generation Church RVA; Dr. Cheryl Ivey Green, First Baptist Church; Rev. Ellsworth Tait, St. John Baptist Church; Dr. Larry Miles, Fresh Anointing Cathedral Church; Rev. Justin House, Tabernacle Baptist Church; Emmanuel Harris, Jerusalem Baptist Church; Rev. Donte McCutchen, Love Cathedral Community Church; Rev. Marvin Gilliam, Mt. Carmel Baptist Church; Rev. Dr. Price Davis, Mosby Memorial Baptist Church; Dr. Patricia Gould Champ, Faith Community Baptist Church; Rev. Duane Hardy, Seven Pines Baptist Church; Rev. Wayne Henley, Cedar Grove Baptist Church; Rev. Dr. A. Lincoln James, Jr., Trinity Baptist Church; Rev. Michael Jones, Gilfield Baptist Church; Rev. Van Jones, President, Charles City Clergy Council; Rev. George Magazine, Mount Zion Baptist Church; Rev. Dr. Diane Mosby, Anointed New Life Baptist Church; Rev. Kimberly Ridley, The Light Community Church; Rev. Dr. James Sailes, Antioch Baptist Church; Rev. Dr. Rodney Waller, First African Baptist Church; Pastor Fred Wyatt, Speaking Spirit Ministries; Chief Steven Adkins, Community Leader; JJ Minor, Community Leader; Amy Wentz, Community Leader; Donald Gee, Community Leader; Kevin Sullivan, Community Leader; Lonnie Battle, Community Leader; Shemica Bowman, Community Leader; Shelia Coleman, Community Leader; Eric Payne, Community Leader; Sandra Antoine, Community Leader; Planned Parenthood; Virginia Education Association; IBEW; AFLCIO
Sources
1 Lamont Bagby for VA Senate
2 Voterly
3 Virginia House of Delegates
4 Ballotpedia
5 TrackBill
6 WHSV
7 VoteSmart