Jessica Anderson (Virginia)

Jessica Anderson (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 71. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.^[source] The Democratic primary for this office on June 17, 2025, was canceled.

Biography

Jessica Anderson was born in Newport News, Virginia. She earned an associate degree from Thomas Nelson Community College in 2007. Her career experience includes working as a receptionist at a Williamsburg-James City County elementary school.^[1]

Elections

2025

General election

General election for Virginia House of Delegates District 71

Incumbent Amanda Batten and Jessica Anderson are running in the general election for Virginia House of Delegates District 71 on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Amanda Batten (R)
		Jessica Anderson (D)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Jessica Anderson advanced from the Democratic primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 71.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Amanda Batten advanced from the Republican primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 71.

Campaign finance

Endorsements

Anderson received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

2023

General election

General election for Virginia House of Delegates District 71

Incumbent Amanda Batten defeated Jessica Anderson in the general election for Virginia House of Delegates District 71 on November 7, 2023.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Amanda Batten (R)	50.9	18,152
	Jessica Anderson (D)	49.0	17,485
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	22

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 35,659
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Jessica Anderson advanced from the Democratic primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 71.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Amanda Batten advanced from the Republican primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 71.

Endorsements

Anderson received the following endorsements.

2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Virginia District 1

Incumbent Robert J. Wittman defeated Herb Jones and David Bruce Foster in the general election for U.S. House Virginia District 1 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Robert J. Wittman (R)	56.0	191,828
	Herb Jones (D)	43.0	147,229
	David Bruce Foster (Independent)	1.0	3,388
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	293

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 342,738
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Austin Nichols (Independent)

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Herb Jones advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Virginia District 1.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Robert J. Wittman advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Virginia District 1.

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

Jessica Anderson has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Jessica Anderson asking her to fill out the survey. If you are Jessica Anderson, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for. More than 22,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.

You can ask Jessica Anderson to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing campaign@jessicaandersonforva.com.

2023

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released January 20, 2023

Jessica Anderson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Anderson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a daughter, mom, wife, runner, Receptionist at a local WJCC elementary school and proud Virginian, born and raised. I am full believer that every citizen deserves a quality education, equal treatment under the law and the right to bodily autonomy. As a former Conservative myself, I’ve seen how divided we’ve become as a nation and continue to strive to bridge that gap, for the hopes of reaching truth and understanding. I’ve have the privilege of working in and raising my children in both New Kent and Williamsburg/James City County, allowing me to see the needs of everyday families. I look forward to representing my community come January 2024.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I will fight for bodily autonomy ALWAYS! Arbitrary laws have no business in VA that restrict healthcare professionals to make sound decisions or hesitate, putting human beings in danger. As a mom of 3 daughters, I will make sure they have the same rights I had in the state of Virginia
A functioning and thriving Public education is crucial to our community. As both a mom and employee of the school, I see the needs that are not being addressed and the miscommunication between so many involved in the school; from administration to families to the community itself. I want to be a voice to find solutions and create well balanced, well educated and safe students.
Virginia has made incredible strides over the last 6 years at the state level and this progress has been at the benefit of many residents. I want to be a part of that further shift to honor our traditions, while being a bright light in the south. I want to see that every Virginian has opportunity and feels heard and seen. We all deserve to be heard and seen!

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Reproductive rights, public education, and ensuring our state sees great success moving forward.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity. Any elected official should stand behind their decisions, as well as be up front and honest about the good and bad of their past. People who elect us deserve to know exactly who they are getting and as elected officials we should fight to deliver what we campaigned on. We need to see less corporate money in politics so the people get a true representation of the majority, not the rich and powerful.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am passionate and honest, something that seems to be missing from one too many politicians in our government. I also believe that conversations are crucial for change and I have. This ability to open the lines of communication to anyone, even those who adamantly disagree with me.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to leave the legacy of a world better for my daughters and the families they choose to create in their future and I will fight to ensure they have that.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Columbine shooting in 1999 was probably the most impactful, as I was a graduating senior that year. Shortly after in 2001, another impactful moment was 9/11. I think these two moments were my introduction to adulthood and showing how vulnerable we were as a society and nation. We came together as a result of both those moments and I struggle to see the division that exists with new tragic events 20 years later.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I helped for my dad, at the early age of 14, cleaning carpets and selling Sno-cones and then went on to work at Busch Gardens (a right of passage for most Hampton Roads teens), as well as a PT cashier at the local Farm Fresh. My parents were both working class and were incredible examples to myself and my brother, of what a strong work ethic looks like. I was raised to always be able to take care of myself and it’s been a valuable lesson throughout my life.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

VA

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

VA

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

VA

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Jessica Anderson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Anderson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m Jessica Anderson, a 40 year old, married mom of 3 daughters. Born and raised in Newport News, VA and have been a resident of Williamsburg, VA since 2015, I’m ready to step up for the 1st Congressional District of VA. The last several years I have been incredibly active in the running community, getting to know so many amazing and diverse people and I’m in my 4th year working part time in one of WJCC’s incredible elementary schools. The past 6 years has really opened my eyes to the progressive changes our state and country are desperately in need of and I’m here to make it happen. I want to see HUGE change for not only my children, but their children and the future generations to come. It has become more and more clear that the only one to MAKE change is to get involved in the process, so here I am. I have built an incredibly platform, using humor and humanity while discussing policy views, human rights stances, all driven by data and resources. Many know me as @crazymotherrunner, but I hope come 2022, Virginia know me as Congresswomen Jess Anderson.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Educating Our Future with TRUTH
Human Rights are NOT negotiable
People OVER Profits/Healthcare for ALL

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I’m incredibly passionate about making sure Women's rights and the rights of our LGBTQIA+ community, are protected as human rights. I will address the racial bias in our policing and judicial systems and work towards adequate reform to bring about equality to the marginalized community disproportionately impacted. In our public schools, we need to see less government overreach, resulting in critical thinking/conversation, reallocating funds to staff and resources, creating equity in schools throughout the nation, and giving power back to educators when it comes to teaching an accurate account of our both tragic and triumphant history. I will also fight for a universal healthcare system that gives ALL Americans basic healthcare access, which should be a right, NOT a Privilege.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

In daily life, my mom, a women who has been through a world of pain and trauma and yet continues to spread positivity and joy to those who have the pleasure of knowing her. In politics, Stacey Abrams, she has been a force like no other. She has fiercely fought for voting rights, putting feet on the ground and not letting anyone get in the way. She is a force to be reckon with and a positive force for change and reform.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I think integrity is one of the most important principles as an elected official. We see far too many politicians who campaign on policy, but never fight to put it into place

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I think the qualities that would make me successful in this position is not only my blatant honesty, but my ability to recognize my own failures and shortcomings and take accountability in that when I need to. I think many of us struggle with recognizing and learning from the things that we do not know of or understand, and I want to make sure that that’s not the case with me.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I believe the core responsibility for representing the first district of Virginia and Congress would definitely be speaking for the average Virginian. We need more people in Congress who see the suffering of average America and I want to to see massive improvements for their quality of life.

What legacy would you like to leave?

The legacy of improving the quality of life for the American people

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

When j was 20 years old, seeing 9/11 occur was probably the first, most memorable and impactful US event in my life. It was both tragic and a moment of seeing our nation come together with the same purpose.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My 1st job was working at Busch Gardens back in 1997 at age 15. It was seasonal work that I returned to for 2 summers.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Anything by Blake Pierce, she writes fictional suspense/investigative series, always with a powerful female main character, who has usually overcome countless hardships and trauma and always survives.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Annie January from the series, “The Boy”s. Her internal struggle to stay true to Her mother, and the past version of herself, while also coming into her own as she sees the reality of the world is very relatable. She also puts integrity over power, which I think is what more people need to do.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

“Surface pressure” from the movie Encanto

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I think the biggest struggle for me was not recognizing the existence of trauma and hardship outside of my own personal bubble or circle. The last few years has really open my eyes and my ears to listening and educating myself on the lived experiences of others, and how that impacts their ability to exist on equal footing in our country.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

I feel it’s beneficial for representative to have a basic understanding of our government and more importantly, critical thinking. I also believe that experience can look very different, sometimes our lived experiences are crucial. Me, being a mother, wife and for many years in my life, someone who lived paycheck to paycheck, I have a far better understanding of what the average American is wanting and needing for day to day life and they can translate as a member of congress.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

I fear the downfall of our education system and the increases of social media dependency will lead to crippling of our society. I also fear the continued gerrymandering and bias redistricting in many states will allow minority leaders making decisions for the majority. We need to see voter rights implemented at a federal level or democracy will die.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

I feel 2 or even 4 years are adequate amounts of time to implement true change in policy and our government.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I feel term limits need to exist! We have too many politicians getting comfortable in their roles and their comfort is leading to complacency, on so many issues. Term limits will allow for others to take on these roles and hopefully invoke real change in politics

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

There are so many progressive representatives I am proud to see making their way into congress; Cory Booker, AOC and Bernie Sanders, to name a few. I truly just want to be a voice for the people, not a corporate talking head, like so many in office currently.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Recently I openly discussed my first mammogram, at age 40, on my platform and a woman commented that she was happy to finally be getting her 1st mammogram at 53 years old. When I asked why she had waited over 13 years, her reply was, “I finally had insurance to cover it”. This is not what I want our country to represent. Preventative healthcare should be and I plan for it TO BE a right, and NOT a privilege.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Probably telling my kids when they get hurt, “don’t worry, it’ll heal before you get married”

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

I do believe compromise in any situation is necessary to get people talking and for change to occur, but I also believe we must draw hard lines in the sand. When we bend to far, we lose what we were fighting for. Compromise shouldn’t lead to giving up full control.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

I will prioritize People over profits when it comes to revenue. I also want to see a livable wage for the American people and access to higher education for all.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Jessica Anderson campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2023	Virginia House of Delegates District 71	Lost general	$398,883	$111,403
2022	U.S. House Virginia District 1	Withdrew primary	$0	N/A**
Grand total			$398,883	$111,403
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

External links

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Candidate

Virginia House of Delegates District 71

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 19, 2022

[show]

Current members of the Virginia House of Delegates

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Don Scott

Majority Leader:Charniele Herring

Minority Leader:Terry Kilgore

Representatives

District 1

Patrick Hope (D)

District 2

Adele McClure (D)

District 3

Alfonso Lopez (D)

District 4

Charniele Herring (D)

District 5

Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D)

District 6

R.C. Sullivan (D)

District 7

Karen Keys-Gamarra (D)

District 8

Irene Shin (D)

District 9

Karrie Delaney (D)

District 10

Dan Helmer (D)

District 11

David Bulova (D)

District 12

Holly Seibold (D)

District 13

Marcus Simon (D)

District 14

Vivian Watts (D)

District 15

Laura Jane Cohen (D)

District 16

Paul Krizek (D)

District 17

Mark Sickles (D)

District 18

Kathy Tran (D)

District 19

Rozia Henson (D)

District 20

Michelle Maldonado (D)

District 21

Joshua Thomas (D)

District 22

Ian Lovejoy (R)

District 23

Candi King (D)

District 24

Luke Torian (D)

District 25

Briana Sewell (D)

District 26

Jas Singh (D)

District 27

Atoosa Reaser (D)

District 28

David Reid (D)

District 29

Marty Martinez (D)

District 30

Geary Higgins (R)

District 31

Delores Oates (R)

District 32

Bill Wiley (R)

District 33

Todd Gilbert (R)

District 34

Tony Wilt (R)

District 35

Chris Runion (R)

District 36

Ellen Campbell (R)

District 37

Terry Austin (R)

District 38

Sam Rasoul (D)

District 39

Will Davis (R)

District 40

Joseph McNamara (R)

District 41

Chris Obenshain (R)

District 42

Jason Ballard (R)

District 43

Will Morefield (R)

District 44

Israel O'Quinn (R)

District 45

Terry Kilgore (R)

District 46

Jed Arnold (R)

District 47

Wren Williams (R)

District 48

Eric Phillips (R)

District 49

Danny Marshall (R)

District 50

Tommy Wright (R)

District 51

Eric Zehr (R)

District 52

Wendell Walker (R)

District 53

Tim Griffin (R)

District 54

Katrina Callsen (D)

District 55

Amy Laufer (D)

District 56

Thomas Garrett (R)

District 57

David Owen (R)

District 58

Rodney Willett (D)

District 59

Buddy Fowler (R)

District 60

Scott Wyatt (R)

District 61

Michael Webert (R)

District 62

Nick Freitas (R)

District 63

Phillip Scott (R)

District 64

Paul Milde (R)

District 65

Joshua Cole (D)

District 66

Bobby Orrock (R)

District 67

Hillary Kent (R)

District 68

Keith Hodges (R)

District 69

Chad Green (R)

District 70

Shelly Simonds (D)

District 71

Amanda Batten (R)

District 72

Lee Ware (R)

District 73

Mark Earley (R)

District 74

Mike Cherry (R)

District 75

Carrie Coyner (R)

District 76

Debra Gardner (D)

District 77

Michael Jones (D)

District 78

Betsy Carr (D)

District 79

Rae Cousins (D)

District 80

Destiny LeVere Bolling (D)

District 81

Delores McQuinn (D)

District 82

Kim Taylor (R)

District 83

H. Wachsmann (R)

District 84

Nadarius Clark (D)

District 85

Marcia Price (D)

District 86

Aijalon Cordoza (R)

District 87

Jeion Ward (D)

District 88

Don Scott (D)

District 89

N. Baxter Ennis (R)

District 90

Jay Leftwich (R)

District 91

Cliff Hayes (D)

District 92

Bonita Anthony (D)

District 93

Jackie Glass (D)

District 94

Phil Hernandez (D)

District 95

Alex Askew (D)

District 96

Kelly Convirs-Fowler (D)

District 97

Michael Feggans (D)

District 98

Barry Knight (R)

District 99

Anne Ferrell Tata (R)

District 100

Robert Bloxom (R)

Democratic Party (51)

Republican Party (49)

[bio-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 19, 2022

[1]

	v • e State of Virginia Richmond (capital)
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Jessica Anderson (Virginia)

Biography

Elections

2025

General election

General election for Virginia House of Delegates District 71

Democratic primary election

Republican primary election

Campaign finance

Endorsements

2023

General election

General election for Virginia House of Delegates District 71

Democratic primary election

Republican primary election

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Virginia District 1

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

2023

2022

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

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