DANVILLE, Va. – Two Danville City Council members are vying for the 49th District delegate seat being vacated by one of Virginia’s longest-serving delegates, Republican Danny Marshall.
The race pits Republican Madison Whittle against Democratic candidate Dr. Gary Miller in a district that has historically favored Republicans. Marshall received over 93 percent of the votes in the 2023 race.
“I wanted to fill in his (Del. Marshall’s) spot, make sure we can keep Richmond running in the same direction,” said Whittle, a business owner.
Miller, a cardiologist with over 35 years of experience in the city, sees an opportunity to amplify the region’s voice in the state capital. “We need to get more of our share of what comes out of the state. We often get ignored in the southside, and I’ve had many constituents tell me that,” Miller said.
Healthcare Priorities
Healthcare funding stands as a key issue in the race. Miller points to his firsthand experience with Medicaid cuts affecting patients. “Somehow, we’ve got to come up with the gap in funding. It was a big cut and... the whole state’s at risk here,” he said.
Whittle expressed support for Medicaid services for eligible recipients. “I think, again, every qualified person that is on Medicaid should have that service,” he said.
Agricultural Concerns
Both candidates bring farming backgrounds to their campaigns. Whittle, who owns a farm locally, advocates for less government intervention. “I don’t want government encroaching on my property or telling me what to do. And I think we take out the regulations and I think it will drop right down to the cash register,” he said.
Miller focuses on trade policies affecting farmers. “We need to look at those tariffs real hard. We need to use them to our advantage, not used to punish other countries who then turn around and take it out on us and our farmers,” he said.
Education Focus
With Virginia ranking in the bottom half nationally for teacher pay, both candidates support increasing educator salaries. Whittle highlighted recent progress under the Youngkin administration. “You need to keep the same folks that are putting these amounts of money into Southside, that are keeping the teachers’ pay up. We’re coming off of a low ground, and I think that we’re going to keep moving up,” he said.
Miller advocates for additional incentives to attract teachers. “How do we get teachers to come here? We offer to pay off their tuition. If you stay three years, a teacher, doctor or nurse, that could get forgiven. Well, those have gone away. The state’s going to have to come up with some way to attract teachers,” he said.
Economic Development
Both candidates emphasize growing regional business opportunities. Miller focuses on urban development and grant funding. “We need to help develop the cities. Get more money into the individual cities and counties to help with housing and get grants to help with that to help our small businesses,” he said. He feels one of the best ways to prop up the southwest region is to have the counties and cities work together better.
Whittle points to existing programs supporting business growth, hoping that will continue the momentum. “We have incubator programs, we work with the Institute for Advanced Learning to get these small businesses off the ground, and I just feel like we’re not letting up,” he said.