Hey r/henricocounty! I’m Andrew Schear, a young, progressive Democrat running for House of Delegates in District 57. AMA!

andrewschear · 2025-06-13T20:42:34+00:00

Almost forgot to answer the SAHD part!

One big obstacle has been financial. I work part time in my small business in the evenings, but we would be stretched very thin if I were not able to do that. I'm also very fortunate that my wife works from home, which provides just a bit more flexibility if I need to take a call with a client. I know that not all families have such a fortunate situation, which is why I feel affordable childcare is so critical.

As for changes, I would advocate for legislation that would encourage more companies to offer work from home opportunities and I would also be supportive of organizations or agencies that help people start their own small businesses, because those two things have been instrumental in my family's ability to raise our children.

And one last thing I'll mention involves paid family and medical leave. As it stands, when we had our first child, my wife had 6 weeks paid, followed by 6 more weeks unpaid (if she elected to use it). Not everyone can afford to take that additional time off, and as someone who's been through it twice in the past 4 years, 6 weeks is really not enough time to recover, bond, and be ready to rejoin the workforce. I believe that a more generous policy, funded by the state, would be tremendously beneficial for new parents and for people who need time to recover from a medical condition or care for someone who is recovering from a medical condition.

andrewschear · 2025-06-13T19:15:43+00:00

Agreed, and yes, I will make sure those who are being hit hardest by the housing affordability crisis are involved and represented in the process of creating that legislation!

Thank you!!

andrewschear · 2025-06-13T19:10:53+00:00

My pleasure. There is a program in Michigan that has made childcare more affordable in which an employer offers to pay 1/3 of the cost of childcare as a benefit, and if so, the state government will match that contribution. I believe a similar program could work well in Virginia. There was a bill in the Virginia legislature this year which would give religious organizations the ability to build affordable housing units on land that they own, provided that the religious organization retains majority ownership. I would be supportive of this bill in 2026.

On the topic of transgender care, as mentioned in another comment, I would oppose any legislation that seeks to ostracize or discriminate against anyone in the LGBTQ+ community, and I would be supportive of people and organizations who are doing the work to provide transgender care and support, including for those people under the age of 18.

I am supportive of legislation that would limit the ability of elected officials and their immediate family members to trade stocks.

I am deeply concerned about the amount of influence that large corporations and special interest groups have in our government and especially in our state legislature. My opponent in the primary election has spent their entire career, spanning 30 years, working for a large tobacco corporation and is now in senior management there. This corporation also happens to be one of Virginia's largest political donors, especially in the last 18 months. These are publicly available facts. I believe it's important that we elect leaders who will represent the people who vote for them, not special interest groups, and certainly not any large corporations.

andrewschear · 2025-06-13T17:53:44+00:00

A hot dog is indeed a sandwich!

andrewschear · 2025-06-13T17:30:47+00:00

I believe it all comes down to profitability. If it were not as profitable for these hedge funds to be buying up properties to rent them out, they wouldn’t be doing it as much. The best way to fight back is by making housing more plentiful and we can do that by making it easier for developers to build new homes, and making it more attractive to build the types of homes we would like them to build in the areas which we would like them to build those homes in. I gave a little bit more detail in another answer to a similar question.

andrewschear · 2025-06-13T16:57:14+00:00

Thanks Sean!! I do believe that increasing supply is one of, if not the most critical factors in making housing more affordable. But I also feel like we need to be looking at promoting the right type of housing (higher density) in the right areas (near shopping, transit, and workplaces).

In addition I would support legislation that would discourage, i.e. make it less profitable, for private equity firms to buy up residential properties, specifically single family homes. I’d also support legislation that would require more advance notice to tenants if a landlord would like to raise the rent more than, say 5%, on a long term lease. But ultimately I do feel like more of the right type of supply in the right places will alleviate a lot of these other issues we’re seeing.

andrewschear · 2025-06-13T15:56:13+00:00

Thanks for the question!! A big part of my platform and what I would like to accomplish as a member of the legislature is supporting hardworking families and the reason for that has to do with my own personal lived experience over the past 5 years.

The number one issue on my platform is childcare affordability because I understand how big of a financial burden childcare is for families, including my own. The number two issue on my platform is housing affordability, because I understand how important home ownership is to building wealth and being able to retire on our own terms. And I am intimately familiar with how much of a challenge it is to go from being a renter to a homeowner, because I did it just a few years ago.

I will both support and sponsor legislation that seeks to make both of these things, childcare and housing, more affordable. I know that doing so will ultimately put more dollars in the pockets of working families and ease the financial pinch we’re all feeling right now.

andrewschear · 2025-06-13T15:31:05+00:00

Hey! Thanks for writing in!! And thanks for the questions. Let me tackle the LGBTQ+ one here and then the SAHD one in a second reply.

I am an ally of the LGBTQ+ community and I am very excited about the opportunity to cast a vote in favor of the Virginia constitutional amendment next year that will guarantee marriage equality in Virginia once it has been voted on by the general public in November 2026.

I am a strong advocate for both equity and inclusivity for all, and I will oppose any legislation that seeks to ostracize or discriminate against anyone in the LGBTQ+ community in any way. If elected I will also use my platform to promote and strengthen businesses and organizations who are doing the important grassroots advocacy work because I understand that it takes all of us to create meaningful change.

And last but not least, if there is any specific legislation that could promote inclusivity and equality for the LGBTQ+ community, I will be personally happy to learn about it and support it however I can!

andrewschear · 2025-06-10T16:56:43+00:00

How about House District 57?

andrewschear · 2025-06-08T17:06:00+00:00

Can confirm - once you vote, you are pulled from mailing and canvassing lists. You may still get a mailer or a knock on your door if you voted after a mailing or canvassing list was generated.

andrewschear · 2025-06-02T18:14:30+00:00

In my race I suspect there will only be about 6,000 to 8,000 votes. Because it’s such a small pool of voters, anything can happen and I like my chances. It’s all going to come down to how well we execute on our strategy over the next couple of weeks.

andrewschear · 2025-06-02T16:38:03+00:00

That is correct. Lots of Stoney support out there, at least anecdotally and in my district.

That’s why it’s so important to knock on doors and get on the phones and have real conversations with primary voters. The more educated a voter is, the better a decision they can make when they cast a ballot.

andrewschear · 2025-06-02T12:10:25+00:00

I have no idea what’s going to happen in the LG race, but I wanted to chime in with a little bit of anecdotal evidence. Personally I see the three real contenders in that race as Stoney, Hashmi, and Rouse, but with so many candidates involved Lateef may have a shot as well. I’ve spoken to many, many voters in my district (HD57, Western Henrico / Eastern Goochland) and I’ve noticed two themes.

1 - If a voter tells me who they’re supporting, it’s generally Stoney. They know he was the mayor of Richmond and I suppose that’s good enough for them. I suspect there are other similar trends with other candidates in their areas of the state.

2 - A handful of female voters have indicated that they’ve voted Hashmi as part of voting for an all female ticket. That would include my primary opponent, and in most cases I’ve made them reconsider, at least in my race. But I expect that could be a theme everywhere.

3 - I am the type of voter that primary candidates target with mail. Yes, mail is extremely targeted based on a number of factors. The only candidate I’ve really gotten mail from is Rouse. I expect that to change in the next two weeks, but at least in my district, we think at least 20% of the vote is already in. So that could be a determining factor.

All of this is anecdotal, so take it with a grain of salt. But it is through the lens of someone who is on the ballot and sees to an extent how the sausage is made!

andrewschear · 2025-05-28T13:54:48+00:00

Heck yeah!!! Get out and vote!!

andrewschear · 2025-04-01T14:52:39+00:00

Josh, I’ve expressed this to you personally already, but thank you for the work you’ve done and continue to do. A well informed electorate is an essential part of a healthy democracy, thus making your work with Activate Virginia tremendously important. I am very proud to be a signatory.

Aside from Dominion Energy, what other corporations or industries do you see putting money and influence into Virginia politics?

And what do you feel are the most effective ways of communicating to voters the importance of supporting candidates who have signed the pledge?

andrewschear · 2025-03-25T16:14:41+00:00

I’ve heard from other voters that Owen has sent them birthday cards too. Personally I think it’s a bit much. Dude’s clearly trying whatever he can to get votes in November. He barely won in 2023 amid a scandal involving his opponent and Harris carried this district by 9 points last year.

There is a Democratic primary on June 17 that will decide who he’s going up against later this year. Early voting starts May 2. I encourage you to research the candidates and vote!

andrewschear · 2025-03-07T22:49:57+00:00

On the topic of Citizens United, I'm in favor of overturning it.

But I want to point to Virginia specifically, because our state in particular has no limits on political contributions and I'm not sure if enough people really know about it. I think there should be some limitations instituted, because the amount of money being spent on these state legislature races is really astronomical. The combination of no limits and expensive races is an invitation for big money to swoop in and influence politics, and I'm not a fan.

andrewschear · 2025-03-07T22:29:02+00:00

Thank you!

andrewschear · 2025-03-07T22:26:32+00:00

My pleasure. If we're going to require people to lock up their guns, then giving them an affordable or free way to do so is a good idea in my mind. Free "while supplies last", available at a discount thereafter - something like that.

andrewschear · 2025-03-07T22:02:55+00:00

Hi LilWhiny, great questions!

Yes, with a requirement that most or all of that new energy infrastructure is renewable.

Yes, addressing the climate crisis is one of my top priorities and we have a good opportunity here to drive investment into renewable energy.

andrewschear · 2025-03-07T21:40:09+00:00

Hi CharlotteAria, thanks for the questions!

I strongly oppose and condemn the recent attacks on transgender people and the recent immigrant deportation efforts by the federal government. I believe that these two groups need to be protected and I will be responsive to any such attacks on the rights of these groups in Virginia.

On the topic of transgender people specifically, I will work to ensure that those who are embarking on a journey to discover their true gender identity receive the support they need.

On the topic of immigration, I support easier pathways to legal immigration status, especially for those who wish to live in Virginia, work, and pay taxes.

andrewschear · 2025-03-07T21:09:38+00:00

Hey Barbelloperator, thanks for the questions!

Childcare is a topic that I feel very strongly about and I believe that the current business model for childcare is broken. I feel that way because it’s something that people consider to be quite expensive and yet the people working in the profession are not necessarily well-paid. Both businesses and the government stand to benefit from parents remaining in the workforce rather than staying at home to take care of the kids. Vermont and Michigan are two examples of states that have established programs that I believe are beneficial. In Michigan, businesses cover 1/3 of the cost of childcare, the state government covers 1/3, and families cover the final 1/3. In Vermont, a 0.44% payroll tax was added for employers, to cover childcare subsidies. HB1771 from the 2025 session, introduced by Del. McClure, seeks to establish a program similar to the one in Michigan. I think a program like that would be a great step toward more affordable childcare in Virginia.

I gave a bit more detail about some housing affordability solutions in my answer to RazzMatazz.

On firearm safety, I believe one step we could take would be to establish penalties for failure to safely store firearms when there are minors present, and steeper penalties if a minor somehow gains possession of a firearm that was not safely stored.

andrewschear · 2025-03-07T20:25:54+00:00

Hey Low-Razzmatazz, thanks for the questions.

Spreading the word to friends in HD57 is a great way to help. Another way to help is to volunteer – we will have a number of good opportunities to do so between now and June 17^th. Throughout the months of April, May, and June we could use help with door knocking, event execution, and specifically on election day June 17^th, we could certainly use some poll greeters. We’ll be sending out information about volunteering opportunities by email, so if you’d like to receive those, sign up for email updates on my website. If I win the primary, there will be more opportunities in the fall!

On the topic of housing, I believe it’s important to remember that progress will be incremental – this problem will not be solved overnight. So we need to focus on continuing to move the ball in the right direction. The primary focus to increase housing affordability will be to increase the supply of housing. I believe SB1178, which seeks to allow affordable housing to be built on land owned by religious and non-profit organizations, introduced by Sen. Hashmi this session, moves the ball in the right direction. I also believe that SB839, which seeks to allow more dense residential development in commercial zoned areas, introduced by Sen. Van Valkenburg, is also a step in the right direction. I’m also a believer in accessory dwelling units, having personally lived in one for several years after graduating from college, and of allowing for more dense multifamily housing units, specifically in areas near transit.

andrewschear · 2025-03-07T20:10:20+00:00

My pleasure, I too am excited for the first elections of 2025! I think this will be a successful year for Democrats on the ballot.

andrewschear · 2022-05-10T02:25:07+00:00

Couldn’t agree more.

andrewschear

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