By Bridget Manley, publisher
While some of this fall’s legislative contests will be determined in the June 17 primaries, that’s not the case for the 34th Virginia House District seat race, where the candidates are already set. Political newcomer Andrew Payton, a Democrat, is challenging Republican Del. Tony Wilt, who is running in November for his eighth full term to the seat that includes Harrisonburg.
Payton, a former professor at Eastern Mennonite University and a local community organizer, announced his candidacy for the Democratic Party this spring.
Payton has a history of community organizing in the Valley. He served as chair of the Climate Action Alliance of the Valley and was a member of the City of Harrisonburg’s Environmental Performance Standards Committee. He also serves on the executive committee of Renew Rocktown, an alliance of organizations committed to climate action and social justice.
Those roles, Payton says, has given him a strong understanding of climate and environmental justice issues. He has collaborated with local organizations to secure grant funding for low-income households for weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades and has worked alongside elected officials to advocate for environmental matters.
Payton told The Citizen that local climate action can look like insulating someone’s attic, which can help lower energy costs for low-income families.
“A large percentage of our community deals with energy poverty, where they pay an overwhelmingly large share of their income towards electricity for cooling and heating costs,” Payton said. “Finding ways to bring those costs down is immediately helpful to that family.”
Meanwhile, Wilt, who has held the seat since 2010, serves on several committees and panels, including the Labor and Commerce Committee, the Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel, and as vice chairman of the I-81 Committee that oversees improvements to the interstate and how to fund them.
That experience, Wilt said, helps in Richmond. He told The Citizen that building a reputation, working with his democratic colleagues on bipartisan issues, and understanding the legislative process help the voters of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.
“Over the years that I’ve been here, I’ve proven myself to be an honest and trustworthy legislator,” Wilt said. “I’ve got a good reputation across the aisle.”
The candidates and their issues
Wilt said one of the most significant issues he aims to address is reducing the cost of escalating grocery prices, medical expenses, and energy costs.
Wilt said he believes that, while well-intentioned, the Virginia Clean Economy Act, enacted in 2020, is “not tenable.” The act mandated Virginia’s transition to 100% clean energy by 2050.
“It is not going to meet the energy needs that our citizens want, that our citizens need, and trying to do so will just drive up the cost of energy,” Wilt said. “People will continue to see those increases on their energy bills.”
Payton, however, defends clean energy and said he wants to see further legislation to protect water and land while accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels.
Payton also advocates for fully funding public schools, urging corporations to pay “their fair share in taxes.”
He also plans to campaign for affordable housing and wage increases, adding that he would endorse legislation to protect tenants, amend zoning laws and support initiatives that enhance workers’ rights, including collective bargaining.
Payton also said he supports expanding public health care coverage for more people.
Wilt’s top priorities include protecting and expanding agriculture in Rockingham County. He supports legislation that removes barriers for agritourism businesses, such as breweries, wineries, and farms. Wilt advocates for personal property and estate tax policies that enable farms to remain within families.
Wilt said the continued expansion of I-81 remains a top priority. He said he is working “behind the scenes to secure something more substantive, something more permanent,” for I-81.
The district and the money
Following the 2021 redistricting, the 34th district was created, relocating from the western half of Rockingham County to the east and encompassing Elkton and the eastern section of the Route 33 corridor. Wilt lost a significant portion of his enthusiastic voter base in Broadway and western Rockingham County.
However, the district still leans Republican, and Wilt won the 2023 election with nearly the same margins as previous years, winning almost 57% of the vote against Esther Nizer, who received 43% of the votes.
Wilt holds a significant funding advantage over Payton as well, according to VPAP. Wilt has raised $69,676 in this campaign, with $125,543 in cash on hand. Meanwhile, Payton, who entered the race in April, has raised $6,435 since his announcement and has $5,826 in cash available.
Payton said that while he has an uphill climb, he is ready for the challenge.
“In a strong democracy, we should have races everywhere,” Payton said. “There should be options on the ballot.”
He is trying to balance fundraising with connecting with voters across the district and he feels that voters in the district are already active and motivated for the election.
“I think this is a really big year, in terms of the election,” Payton said. “This is a strong republican district, everyone says Tony Wilt has got it set, but I just don’t think that’s true. I understand it’s a challenge; it’s going to be hard to reach everyone, but I don’t think this is an impossible race for me to win.”
For Wilt, he said the reason he continues to run is to help his constituents. He said he believes it’s the best part of the job and many of the bills he sponsors come from suggestions by his constituents, who make him aware of issues they care about.
“The highlight of this whole job is constituent services,” Wilt said. “The citizens who have a problem or an issue and need help with it, and when we can get in and go to bat for them, and the citizens appreciate that, that is my ongoing platform.”
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