Lee Carter in 2021 VA Governor's race
On Gun Control:
Voted for background checks; against assault weapons ban
Carter voted in favor of bills to establish universal background checks, report lost and stolen firearms, impose penalties for improper storage of firearms and prohibit the possession of firearms for individuals subject to protective orders.Carter
voted against bills that would ban the sale of assault weapons; establish extreme risk protective orders; reinstate Virginia's one-handgun-a-month rule; and allow localities to adopt ordinances governing possession of firearms in their jurisdictions.
Source: Prince Williams Times on 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial race
Jan 1, 2021
On Principles & Values:
I'm a socialist, "democratic socialist" is redundant
I don't describe myself as a democratic socialist. I describe myself as a socialist, because I feel that democratic socialism is a redundant term. One of the core pieces of socialism is that you have to have democratic control over the economy and
politics. If it's not democratic, then it can't be socialism, just definitionally. The thing that makes me a socialist is that commitment to worker ownership. Our choice really is socialism or barbarism. That's not a rhetorical device.
It's not a catchy slogan. It's a reality. We saw at the Capitol that liberalism does not have an answer for the rise of fascists. They will continue getting more and more violent. They will continue getting bolder and bolder.
The choice we have at this moment is to either build a mass working-class coalition that is militant in the defense of our people and our gains. Or we let the fascists win and that's unacceptable.
Source: Jacobin magazine on 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial race
Jan 1, 2021
On Crime:
Rethink what policing means, reduce size of police
Carter, a self-described socialist, said his stance on policing sets him apart in a party that boosted police budgets and passed reform bills with so many exceptions "they might as well be made out of swiss cheese." "We have got to rethink
what policing means in this Commonwealth," Carter said. "We've got to reduce the size of the police in this Commonwealth to what makes sense to have them doing. And nothing more."
Source: Virginia Mercury on 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial debate
Apr 6, 2021
On Government Reform:
Little to no oversight by legislature over executive branch
[On oversight]: "The Executive Branch of Virginia's government has become resistant and averse to oversight," Carter said. "There is little to no oversight by the legislature over the Executive Branch. They act with impunity far too often.
They act outside of the public eye. And there seems to be very, very little appetite within the General Assembly to create more oversight."
Source: Virginia Mercury on 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial debate
Apr 6, 2021
On Budget & Economy:
Put economic power into the hands of working people
Carter cast himself as an outsider--an electrician and part-time Lyft driver who struggled to get state unemployment payments during the pandemic, the only veteran among the group. "It's no secret that Virginia is divided," he said. "But that
division is not between Democrats and Republicans. It's not between urban and rural voters. It's between the haves and have-nots." He pledged to put economic power into the hands of working people and to defy big corporations.
Source: Washington Post on 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial debate
Apr 6, 2021
Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023