Mental Health Reform

After losing his son to mental illness, Creigh dedicated his life to reforming our broken mental health system. Creigh fought to establish the Behavioral Health Commission, implemented and expanded the use of mobile crisis services, and successfully advocated for historic, comprehensive investments into our mental health system—like attracting new mental health professionals and increasing hospital bed capacity for those in need of care. His life saving work has earned him recognition both nationally and across the Commonwealth as a foremost champion for mental health reform.

Creigh will continue his life’s work on reforming our mental health system by working to build additional community capacity—so we can ensure we have a work force ready to meet the mental health needs of our community—and investing in long term supportive housing so that every person has an opportunity to live their best life.

Healthcare

Creigh believes that everyone deserves access to the medical care they need when they need it, and he’s been on the forefront of expanding healthcare accessibility and affordability in the Commonwealth. That’s why Creigh led the fight to expand Medicaid to over 400,000 Virginians, lower the cost of insurance premiums, and cap the cost of life-saving prescription medications. And when the Charlottesville area faced skyrocketing health care costs—the highest in the nation—Creigh worked with constituents to improve access to affordable health plans and to demand more transparency and accountability from insurance companies.

Abortion Access & Gender Equity

Creigh has always and will always fight to protect and expand abortion access in the Commonwealth – that’s why he’s endorsed by REPRO Rising (formerly known as NARAL Virginia) and the VA National Organization for Women PAC. Creigh firmly believes it is time to protect in the state constitution the right to abortion access here in Virginia. We have an obligation to the people of the Commonwealth, and across the country, to ensure abortion access is not subject to change based on the next election, or the whims of our political opponents.

And as the former Chair of the Privileges and Elections Committee, Creigh led his caucus in passing the Equal Rights Amendment in 2020 and fought to expand access to quality, affordable childcare.

Gun Safety Reform

Creigh knows firsthand the gun violence epidemic has run rampant through our communities—and he’s on the frontlines fighting for vital gun reform. Creigh championed an assault weapons ban that passed the Senate with bipartisan support, and after the tragedy at UVA, Creigh worked with University and community leaders to introduce a bill that would ban firearms on college campuses. Creigh also fought to implement life saving gun reform legislation like universal background checks, red–flag laws, safety storage laws, and reinstated the one handgun a month law.

Creigh’s work to reform and curb gun violence has earned him an “F” rating with the NRA, recognition as a Mom’s Demand Action Gun Safety Candidate, and a personal endorsement from Gabby Giffords and her life saving organization Giffords PAC.

Environment

Creigh is a champion for environmental protections in the Commonwealth. He expanded renewable energy tax credits, fought against the Atlantic Coast & Mountain Valley Pipelines, and established a tax credit to protect natural resources and preserve land for future generations. Creigh also revitalized the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, which has conserved over 1,000,000 acres since 2000.

Education

Creigh believes that our public school system is the great equalizer and that every child in Virginia deserves a world-class public education, regardless of zip code. That’s why Creigh fought to raise teacher pay, secure additional funding for our career and technical institutions, solve the bus drive shortage, and created the SOL Reform Committee to keep our school system accountable. And when students began struggling with mental health, Creigh expanded access to mental health education programs in our elementary and secondary schools. Creigh will continue fighting for our students and schools by working to raise the teacher pay even further (above national average), lower the cost of higher education, and demand Governor Youngkin and the GOP keep their politics out of our public schools.

Public Safety & Criminal Justice Reform

As a criminal defense lawyer and Co-Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Creigh has been a champion for criminal justice reform in the Commonwealth. He has fought to eliminate the presumptions against bail, remove mandatory minimums, make our trial processes fairer, and expand expungement laws so that people can legitimately have a second chance to succeed. And as one of only three Democratic lawyers on the Judiciary Committee, Creigh expertise is vital to ensuring we have a Commonwealth with an equitable, transparent, and accountable justice system.

Voting Rights & Democracy

As a lawyer and lifelong Democrat, Creigh has been on the forefront of expanding voting rights in the Commonwealth. As the former Chair of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, Creigh led the charge to expand access to early and absentee voting, established same-day voter registration, and fought to restore voting rights for those who were formerly incarcerated. And when district lines were no longer representative of the people, Creigh led the fight to eliminate gerrymandering in the Commonwealth and has worked to find fairer ways to redraw district lines.

Jobs & The Economy

Creigh knows firsthand the struggle our working families face when trying to make ends meet. That’s why he’s fought to expand unemployment benefits, raise the minimum wage, implement paid family and medical leave programs, and stood up for our workers to defend collective bargaining and union representation. And when sky high electric bills were overwhelming our working families, Creigh sponsored the Affordable Energy Act to regulate utility costs and hold Dominion and Appalachian Power accountable.