Candidate Profile: James A. “Jay” Leftwich Jr. (Va. District 90)

James “Jay” A. Leftwich, Jr. is a Republican candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates District 90. His name will appear on the ballot on November 7, 2023.

He is running against Jeremy D. Rodden.

10 On Your Side reached out to all of the candidates running in this race with specific questions. The responses below came directly from the candidate and are unedited. If you do not see the candidate listed with a profile, we did not receive one.

Name: James “Jay” A. Leftwich, Jr.

Age: 60

Race: Virginia House of Delegates District 90

Party: Republican

Website: https://jayleftwich.com

Biography: Married to Renee Leftwich and proud parents of five.

Great Bridge High School, 1981
James Madison University, B.S., 1985
University of Richmond School of Law, J.D., 1988
Basnight, Kinser, Leftwich & Nuckolls, PC, 1988 to present, Partner and President.
School Board Member, Chesapeake, Public Schools 2002 to 2013, Chair 2012-2013
Virginia General Assembly, House of Delegates, 2014 to present.

Awards
Multiple Sclerosis Leadership Award
Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Champion of Freedom
Virginia Clerk’s Association, Legislator of the Year
Virginia Retail Merchants Association, Legislator of the Year
Security Industry Association, Legislator of the Year
American Council of Engineering Companies, Legislator of the Year

Community Involvement: Member of and/or officer of numerous civic and charitable
organizations and participant/supporter of numerous charities and youth-oriented programs.
Former Elder, Great Bridge Presbyterian Church

Why are you running for this office?

I enjoy helping people, interacting with the residents, improving policy, working with, and
“fighting” for solutions to improve our neighborhoods, City and State.

I see a need to reduce crime and the rate of repeat offenders, improve mental health services,
relieve the cost-of-living burden on Virginian families, ensure government is a partner and not a
hinderance to the success of Virginians and small businesses, improve the K-12 and college
experience, and prepare students (our children) to enter the employment arena, through
meaningful education, and workforce training for those who do not attend college.

What is the most important issue facing Virginia, and what is your position on it?

Virginia is facing many important issues. To isolate one is difficult, but if I had to choose, I’d say
the current opioid/fentanyl crises which is taking the lives of Virginians, in particular, our youth,
at an alarming rate; I also believe this crises fuels crime rates and mental health needs. We
need to hold dealers and distributors accountable. During the 2023 Session, the House of
Delegates passed legislation to punish them, but it failed in the Senate.
If re-elected, I will support this legislation again in 2024. This past Session, I introduced and
passed legislation, signed by the Governor, which requires coverage for mobile crisis response
and residential crisis units. Additionally, I was active throughout this past year’s General
Assembly budget process along with the Opioid Abatement Authority grant process and was
instrumental in Chesapeake Regional Medical Center receiving $7,500,000 to build behavior
health beds. This legislation and funding are intended to address both the opioid/fentanyl crisis
and improve access to mental health services in Chesapeake and Hampton Roads. I will
continue my efforts in this regard.

What is the top challenge facing your district, and how would you address it?

Challenges surround us and I believe most acts or failures to act create a ripple effect. In this
regard, most, if not every issue addressed in the General Assembly impacts my district and the
families that reside in the 90th.
The common thread, I believe, is the ever-increasing pressure to earn a living while balancing
the pressures of raising and educating our children. This comes in the form of increasing costs,
the efficiency, productivity, and safety of our schools, the cost of higher education, and an
assault on commons sense values and principles.
For every piece of legislation I introduce and each vote I take, I will continue to ask myself,
“how will this legislation impact these factors, the quality of life for my constituents, and their
ability to give their children what they need to succeed?”

What is your view on Governor Glen Youngkin’s proposal for a 15-week abortion ban with restrictions?

I support Governor Younkin’s proposal with exceptions for rape, incest, and health of the
mother.

How do you feel about the politicization of public education?

I believe both parties claim the other has politicized education. I’m not interested in winning
the argument regarding who started it. We simply need to ensure our students learn facts and
are not indoctrinated.

I believe parents should be involved in their children’s education. The educational process is to
ensure students are college ready and if they are not college bound, are prepared to enter the
job market with either a career/technical education skill or certification. This is why I
introduced a budget amendment, included in the budget recently signed by Governor
Youngkin, that appropriated $3,000,000.00 for career and technical education equipment in the
City of Chesapeake.

What legislation would you plan to sponsor in your first year?

Virginia’s tax collections have exceeded expenses by 5.1 billion dollars. I would most like to
see Virginia citizens receive relief from inflation through tax rebates and reduced tax burdens,
coupled with dedicating revenue to education and mental health services and intend to
introduce legislation and/or budget amendments to achieve these goals.

What is your view on unlimited campaign contributions? Should that change?

I would support caps on campaign contributions.

How will you still value constituents with whom you disagree with?

People come first and politics come second. I believe in the exchange of ideas and believe we
learn through challenging and testing our own perceptions. During my tenure in public office, I
have always met with, listened to, and considered the thoughts and ideas of all constituents
and groups.
There have been times when my perceptions of an issue were altered by someone with an
opposing position, and times when those I met with left with a better understanding of my
thoughts. I will continue to engage and listen to all constituents and groups.