VA Senate Candidates Offer Competing Visions for the Commonwealth
By: Tiffany Boggs, Mason Votes Contributor
With the 2026 midterm elections less than 50 days away, Virginians prepare to head to the polls to vote who will be in the Virginia Senate to shape the future of Commonwealth.
Nicknamed “the world’s greatest deliberative body,” the U.S. Senate plays an essential Constitutional role in creating legislation that impacts daily life for all Americans. As outlined in Article I, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, each state gets two Senators, giving equal representation to every state regardless of size.
Virginians face a choice this November between incumbent Senator Mark Warner (D) and retired Army Major General Bert Mizusawa (R). Both candidates come from different backgrounds and offer competing visions to serve the Commonwealth in the U.S. Senate for the next six years.
Mark Warner’s Leadership Vision
Incumbent Senator Mark Warner (D) is a former governor seeking reelection for a fourth term in the U.S. Senate in 2026. Key issues in his campaign are public safety, healthcare affordability, the economy, national security, and artificial intelligence policy.
- Crime and Public Safety: “Warner supports a comprehensive approach to crime that focuses on preventing violence, holding offenders accountable, and ensuring law enforcement has the tools and resources they need to do their jobs while upholding civil rights and the rule of law.”
- Economy: “Warner is focused on lowering costs for families, growing wages, and creating an economy that rewards work, encourages innovation, and expands opportunity across every corner of Virginia.”
- Health Care: “Warner believes that there’s still a long way to go to improve our health care system, and that we need to move towards a universal coverage model so that we can stop arguing about who deserves coverage, and focus on lowering costs for all.”
- National Security: “Warner works to ensure that the U.S. is prepared for the evolving threats of the 21st century, tackling novel challenges around AI, technology competition, access to rare earth minerals, and more.”
- Technology: “Warner believes technology competition is the defining issue of the 21st century, and that America needs to be the global leader on emerging technologies to promote national security and remain economically competitive.”
- Taxes: “Warner believes our tax code should be fair and transparent, helping working families keep more of what they earn while ensuring the wealthiest Americans and corporations are paying their fair share.”
To learn more about Warner’s campaign and initiatives, visit: warner.senate.gov
Bert Mizusawa’s Leadership Vision
Bert Mizusawa (R) is a retired major general of the United States Army seeking his first term in the U.S. Senate in 2026. Key issues in his campaign are fiscal responsibility, lowering healthcare costs, defending the military, and nuclear energy.
- Fiscal Responsibility: “I will focus on balancing the budget to protect future generations from financial ruin.”
- Affordability: “I will lower the tax on selling your home, lower the tax burden on Virginia families, and help bring down the cost of living.”
- Lowering Health Care Costs: “I will lower healthcare costs for Virginians. That starts with holding insurance companies accountable and funding for rural hospitals.”
- Defending the Military: “As a four-time combat veteran with 41 years in uniform, I understand the difficult issues facing veterans, their families and survivors. I will protect veterans’ benefits, expand access to quality healthcare, and ensure veterans aren’t stuck waiting on Washington for the care they earned.”
- Energy: “Nuclear power is clean, cheap, reliable and safe. Today’s nuclear technology is, as they say, not your father’s technology. I support bringing new nuclear power on-line to slash the ever-increasing energy costs for American households.”
- Stopping Corruption: “For too long, members of Congress have gotten rich while the people they represent fall further behind. As Senator, I will ban congressional stock trading, so politicians put their constituents first, not themselves.”
To learn more about Mizusawa’s campaign and initiatives, visit: bertforsenate.com
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Early voting in Virginia begins Friday, September 18th and voters can apply for mail-in ballots, through Friday, October 23rd.
Click here to explore our Quick Guide to Voting as a Mason Student >
Register/verify and find your assigned polling location using Virgnia’s official Citizen’s Portal: vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation
Your voice matters! Make a plan to vote and help shape your future.
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Mark Warner Photo Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mark_Warner_2025.jpg, cropped. Public domain.
Bert Mizusawa Photo Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mizusawa.jpg?, cropped. Public domain.