Joshua fights.
Joshua delivers.
Josh Cole has a proven track record delivering results. He knows a people’s servant needs to fight for the issues that impact hard-working Virginians.
Building a Stronger Economy
A living wage is about more than a paycheck, it’s about investing in our communities and empowering our people. As the son of a single mother, Josh saw firsthand what it takes to hold down a job in our state, and the hardworking spirit of Virginians. In the Capitol, Josh will continue to fight for the Virginians who are putting in an honest day’s work, day in and day out. Josh believes that small businesses are the backbone of Virginia’s economy and has fought to keep Virginia the best state for business in the country. He is also deeply committed to investing in minority-owned businesses, which is why he has supported legislation to establish grants and programs supporting women-owned and minority-owned businesses, helping to create a stronger economy for all Virginians.
Fully Funding Public Schools
Josh believes in fully funding public schools, so our children and teachers have the resources they need to succeed. He knows that great teachers are the foundation of our education system and that we need to recruit, retain, and support more teachers. This means paying them what they deserve, and giving them the tools they need to succeed in the classroom. Despite the dismantling of the Department of Education and the chaos in Washington, Josh will continue to fight to ensure all Virginia’s children have access to a world-class education.
Increasing Access to Affordable Health Care
Josh believes that health care is a human right and that Virginians should have access to quality health care they can afford. That’s why he supports removing work requirements tacked onto Medicaid expansion and capping the costs of lifesaving medications like insulin. He supports banning balance billing, a practice where an individual receives care from a hospital or provider inside their insurance network but is hit with a surprise bill because the staff treating them were out-of-network.
Protecting Reproductive Rights
Joshua will always defend a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions. He has delivered on his promise to protect reproductive freedom by passing HJ1, bringing Virginia one step closer to permanently enshrining these rights in our Constitution. This is about ensuring healthcare decisions stay between patients and their providers—not politicians in Richmond.
Passing Commonsense Gun Reform
Josh is determined to do everything in his power to keep his constituents safe from senseless gun violence. He voted to pass improved safe storage laws and mandatory background checks. Now he wants to build on this lifesaving progress by working to keep weapons away from domestic abusers and ensuring that our schools remain safe places for kids to learn.
Reducing Local Traffic
Josh supports creating regional transportation authorities and boosting the public transportation budget, so everyone in our community can safely reach their destinations. He has also advocated for ending daytime construction on I-95 and other major highways to ease congestion. During his first term, Josh helped establish a two-year study by the Department of Rail and Public Transportation on transit modernization and equity to ensure that services and opportunities are available to underserved communities.