Leslie Mehta hopes ‘common sense’ bipartisan approach will win over voters in Virginia congressional contest

“Both Democrats and Republicans have been incredibly disturbed by this post-Roe era that we are in,” Mehta said, adding she hopes to defend reproductive freedoms if elected.

Democrat Leslie Mehta is challenging Republican Rob Wittman in the race to represent Virginia’s 1st congressional district. 

The Republican-leaning district spans parts of Henrico and Chesterfield counties to the west and stretches east to Virginia’s coast to include James City and York counties. 

Wittman has represented Virginia’s 1st congressional district since 2007. All of Virginia’s congressional districts were redrawn in 2021, and Mehta is hoping the changes made to the 1st District will make it more competitive on Election Day. 

“The district has changed, and Rob Wittman hasn’t,” Mehta, who lives in Chesterfield, said in an interview with The Dogwood. 

Mehta is the former legal director for the ACLU of Virginia, a civil rights organization, and has practiced law for 20 years. After her daughter was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder in 2017, Mehta started connecting with elected officials on improving Medicaid and funding for rare disease research. She sits on the board of the International Rett Syndrome Foundation, and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointed Mehta in 2023 to the Virginia Rare Disease Council. 

Mehta said she doesn’t agree with Youngkin on every issue but when his team reached out to her, she could not pass up the opportunity to contribute to the fight against rare diseases. She cites her appointment by Youngkin as part of her “common sense” approach to governance that Mehta hopes will appeal to 1st District voters. 

“When there’s a way to do something in a bipartisan way, when there’s a way to reach out and connect with people who are on the other side of the aisle, I’m willing to do that,” Mehta said. 

Mehta criticized Wittman for his opposition to certifying the presidential election in 2021 and his opposition to reproductive freedoms. Wittman supported the US Supreme Court’s decision to take away the constitutional right to an abortion that led to former President Trump’s abortion bans. 

“Both Democrats and Republicans have been incredibly disturbed by this post-Roe era that we are in,” Mehta said, adding she hopes to defend reproductive freedoms if elected. “What I want to do is codify Roe on the federal level and make sure there are protections for IVF.” 

Mehta said America needs to invest in public education. By contrast, Wittman supports federal legislation that, according to the National Education Association, would divert taxpayer dollars from public to private schools. 

“I know that it is important that we not only have education, certainly, but quality education irrespective of your zip code,” Mehta said. 

 Wittman did not respond to a request for comment. 

Read more: Congressional races to watch in Virginia in 2024