Q&A: Blaizen Buckshot Bloom, HD89 Dem Primary Candidate
HD89 Dem primary candidate Blaizen Buckshot Bloom answers questions on their background, philosophy, and policy positions.
Today’s installment of my series of Q&As with Democratic House of Delegates primary candidates takes us to House of Delegates District 89, which includes parts of Chesapeake and Suffolk. Blaizen Buckshot Bloom is running against Karen Carnegie in the Democratic primary, hoping to face off in the general against the winner of the GOP primary. One-term Republican Del. Baxter Ennis currently represents the district but is not running for reelection.
Please provide a quick personal background for an audience who may not know you.
Blaizen Buckshot Bloom is an activist, climate policy scientist, and union member running to represent House District 89 in the Virginia House of Delegates. If elected, they would be the youngest ever Democrat elected to that body. They have a history of successfully fighting for environmental justice, union rights, student rights, and queer and trans rights. Growing up in a disadvantaged household struggling to get by, they know that personal freedom is inseparable from economic stability and are running to help Virginians lead big, healthy lives that include the right to love who you love and to afford a life of dignity.
Please talk about what makes your district unique and special in this Commonwealth.
Virginia’s 89th House of Delegates district is one of the largest in Hampton Roads by land area, covering parts of Suffolk (Holy Neck, Whaleyville, Cypress) and Chesapeake (Western Branch, Deep Creek, Grassfield). The district blends rural forests, farmland, and suburban neighborhoods, anchored by the Great Dismal Swamp and Chesapeake Square Mall. From historic charm in Suffolk to vibrant communities in Chesapeake, the 89th district is a place where tradition meets progress.
What's the most important purpose of a member of the House of Delegates?
Members of the House of Delegates are there to fight for legislation that advances the interests of their constituents. I know that sounds obvious, but it’s important to remember when those interests clash with those in a position to write huge campaign checks. I’m very cognizant of this, which is why we are not accepting any money from fossil fuel companies or from any special interests whose aims do not genuinely align with mine. I also pledge that you will always have my ear, not just because I want to help but because there’s no better way to identify a problem than to hear from someone experiencing it. When I go to events, I readily share my personal number, (757) 839-7070, and email, Blaizen@BlaizenBuckshotBloom.com. If you’ve read my answers above, you’ve hopefully seen that I’m not running because I want to rub elbows with the powerful or build myself up, I’m going because I’ve been failed repeatedly by the system and don’t want any other child to grow up like I did.
How would you characterize the current campaign finance laws and regulations in Virginia? What reforms, if any, do you believe are necessary?
The current campaign finance system disproportionately benefits the wealthy and large corporations, fostering corruption among elected officials. The goal is fully funded public elections, but there are meaningful steps we can take which are more achievable in the short-term. If elected, I will introduce and cosponsor legislation to cap contributions from individuals, businesses, and PACs. I will also introduce legislation to publicly match 1:1 small dollar donations for campaigns that pledge not to take donations above a certain threshold. This would amplify the voices of normal, everyday Virginians. Furthermore, to facilitate greater participation from working-class individuals, state representative positions should be treated as full-time roles with commensurate compensation, preventing financial hardship for those who choose to serve.
Is your campaign accepting contributions from corporations or corporate PACs?
I will not be taking contributions from large corporations or any corporate PACs. I would accept contributions from small, local businesses.
How would you characterize the ethics laws and regulations in Virginia? What reforms, if any, do you believe are necessary?
Virginia ethics laws are uneven, with some professions much better regulated than others. Our legal profession is, by and large, one of the good ones. Politics and law enforcement ethics laws could be very much improved. While I won’t pretend to be an expert on all fields, I generally believe that strong ethics laws are essential for citizens and consumers to know that the professionals that serve them can and will act in the best interests of the community. Here are a few examples of improvements I would advocate for in office.
With respect to politics, we need a host of campaign finance improvements that I have already gone into above and don’t feel a need to repeat. We also need to depoliticize election law, which is absolutely a matter of meeting the ethical requirements of democracy being fair and representative. We should replace our partisan redistricting commission with a nonpartisan board. We also have partisan election boards that currently interpret electoral law’s myriad “gray areas.” Having the majority of these boards made up from the party of the governorship prevents them from fairly monitoring our elections. These boards must become nonpartisan.
With respect to our legal profession, the ethical requirement for equal representation under the law is undermined when prosecutors have exponentially more money to deploy than public defenders. We should mandate parity, not just in state finding but in local booster funding.
Currently, localities can increase the money available for commonwealth attorney offices and public defenders offices, but there is no requirement for parity. This can lead to the latter being understaffed with lawyers who only stick around for a year while the commonwealth attorney offices have more staff and easier lawyer retention. This fundamentally denies defendants without the means to hire expensive attorneys their ethical right to a fair trial.
In the field of law enforcement, qualified immunity is a huge ethical concern. Officers should not be above the law they administer. I support repealing qualified immunity for police and public employees. I also believe increasing the qualifications and training for police officers is a question of ethics. It is unethical to allow underqualified officers onto the streets. Additionally, we should mandate that mental health professionals accompany law enforcement when they respond to mental health episodes (911 or otherwise). Currently, law states that mental health professionals “may accompany” law enforcement. I support rewording that to “shall accompany.”
Finally, I believe sixteen and seventeen year olds should be able to vote in local elections, especially for school boards. Students are arguably the most impacted group from school board decisions, so it is unethical to deny them a voice in those elections. Furthermore, it is our ethical duty to foster democracy, and allowing them to exercise this franchise during high school in elections that impact them intensely will foster a sense of civic engagement that will follow these teenagers into adulthood.
Are there any areas of policy in which you believe you'd have to abstain from voting due to real or perceived conflicts of interest?
I’m working class, so my conflicts of interest are much less than those of wealthier legislators who have varied investment portfolios. If there were something like that which arose, I would absolutely abstain from voting.
How is climate change affecting your district?
As a coastal community, we are on the frontlines of sea level rise and nuisance flooding. Hampton Roads is one of the most vulnerable regions in the U.S. to these threats, with flooding already disrupting daily life, damaging homes, and straining infrastructure. Compounding this risk are the coal ash deposits left behind by now-closed coal plants. These toxic sites, located near our waterways, threaten to release harmful pollutants into our environment as sea levels rise and flooding worsens, endangering public health and ecosystems.
How do you feel about gambling policy in the Commonwealth? Do you support authorizing more casinos? Do you support legalizing so-called "skill games"? Do you support gambling on cruise ships in Virginia waters?
I believe people have a right to gamble but the government has a responsibility to keep those games fair, to make sure winning is possible, and to encourage responsible gambling.
To these ends, I think casinos should tell anyone who’s been gambling beyond a certain time, say ten hours, to take a break. I think people who are overly intoxicated should be turned away until they sober up. I believe casinos that offer a sports book shouldn’t be able to refuse the action of someone who wants to accept a bet the casino has offered, even if that gambler has a history of deploying a winning strategy. If a gambler is better at sports odds than the house, then the house’s only recourse should be to get better at calculating odds. I believe, when possible, casinos should offer tables with house rakes and a rotating deal, which allows better players to become long-term winners. This is already how poker rooms work, but the structure can also be offered at baccarat and blackjack tables. I don’t believe casinos should be able to refuse the action of a blackjack player who knows how to keep the count with an eight deck sleeve, which is absolutely not cheating. I also believe slot machines should have to post their odds.
As for authorizing more casinos, I support continuing the practice of letting local communities decide if or where they want new casinos. The public referendum system is the best way for making casinos go where they are wanted and don’t go where they’re not.
In respect to so-called “skill games,” I believe their appropriate place is inside casinos with gaming licenses. I believe most people find their presence in gas stations and hotel lobbies to be a nuisance, and those places are not equipped for the kind of oversights I support to foster an environment of responsible gambling. I would include cruise ships in the category of appropriate venues for gambling. They, like terrestrial casinos, have the capacity to appropriately monitor gambling behavior, and so I see no reason to oppose them.
How do you feel about ranked choice voting?
I am a strong proponent of ranked choice voting. When voters feel empowered to vote for who they feel is the best candidate to represent them, our democracy is better for it. Not only that, but this system encourages a wider variety of candidates with distinct viewpoints to enter races and run positive campaigns aimed at securing second-choice votes from their competitors' supporters. Ranked choice voting is simple, easy, and benefits our communities.
Do you believe we need to reform our Virginia Freedom of Information Act?
I do, and I support Senator Roem’s legislation she introduced last year to cap the costs of FOIA requests to prevent unreasonable charges to constituents simply seeking basic access to information, which should be easy to provide without any cost. I’ve experienced firsthand how local officials have charged outrageous prices in the thousands of dollars to provide basic information on how pandemic relief funds were spent.
Do you support repealing the so-called "right to work" law? Are there other labor reforms you support?
Yes, as a union member and worker, I would absolutely vote to repeal our state's “right-to-work” law. In addition, I support efforts to enshrine the right to collective bargaining for all workers across the state into the state constitution while ensuring that all other government workers don’t need permission from their employers to collectively bargain or go on strike.
Additionally, I support raising the minimum wage to no less than $17/hr indexed to inflation and productivity increases, which includes abolishing the subminimum wage exception for jobs that accept tips. We should give localities the power to raise local minimum wages even higher. We should also ensure that every worker has mandatory paid family & sick leave. To do this, I propose establishing a fund paid into by large corporations to help small businesses with these added expenses, thereby allowing them to compete for talent without a financial burden beyond their means.
How do you feel about data center proliferation in Virginia?
Like many Virginians, I have concerns about the impact of the increasing number of data centers in our commonwealth.
My primary concern centers on the potential for increased costs for consumers. The construction of data centers places a significant demand on our electrical grid, and I believe that the developers should bear the responsibility for ensuring there is an adequate increase in electrical supply to meet that demand. This could involve developers directly participating in the construction of additional energy sources, such as nuclear facilities, and I firmly believe that these development costs should not be passed on to consumers in the form of higher utility rates.
Beyond energy concerns, I also strongly advocate for the protection of historic sites from any damage or negative impact resulting from data center development. This aligns with my broader approach to development in general. Just as I support responsible redevelopment and affordable housing projects in existing areas over suburban sprawl into our rural areas in Hampton Roads, I believe we must prioritize thoughtful and sustainable development practices when it comes to data centers.
I oppose tax breaks in any form for these companies, and would ensure that any developmental costs don’t get passed onto the citizens of this commonwealth. I would also work to create policies that push these developments to use other sources of cooling outside of fresh water to protect our water supply here in the commonwealth.
Do you support legalization of marijuana? If so, how should the Commonwealth use the substantial tax revenue that would result?
I support the legalization of marijuana and support allocating this revenue to areas such as education, healthcare, substance abuse recovery programs, public defender offices, and/or community improvement funds.
What’s your definition of “power”?
Power is the capacity to create change. It's not about domination or control, though many misuse it that way. True power lies in the ability to enact positive change for your community, to uplift those around you without diminishing others.
What's your definition of "democracy"?
Democracy is when the public truly has a voice in the way their government works, whether that be directly or through representatives. I also believe that a democracy can only exist when the public has the basic right to speech and self expression and will not be punished or blocked from careers for taking personal stands.
I can’t argue in good faith that today America is a true democracy. We’re an oligarchy with our representatives mostly chosen by the wealthiest, most powerful Americans who keep those individuals comfy in power. We have a government that allows crackdowns on citizens that dissent against the government or boycott against companies engaged in antidemocratic policies. We have a system that bullies voters into voting for the “lesser of two evils” because of our first-past-the-post electoral system that makes it near impossible for independent or third party candidates to get elected into office.
But I am fully committed to pursuing the ideal of democracy that empowers everyday citizens to take control of our government without pushing down on others around them.
Why do you believe you're the best candidate to take on the eventual GOP nominee?
My working-class background uniquely positions me to win in this district. I understand the struggles of working families, regardless of political affiliation. My father is a disabled navy veteran who experienced the worst of our underfunded VA but never gave up pushing for the care he deserved and needed. After a decade of battling that bureaucracy, a decade we’ll never get back, he finally got that care. I watched my mother survive a string of abusive relationships while trying to raise us on a single paycheck that was never enough. I didn’t discover I had Crohn’s Disease or Asthma until my late teens because I hid symptoms out of fear of creating medical bills my mother couldn’t afford. This background is the reason I can walk into even the most conservative spaces and win over staunchly GOP voters to my side, like I have election after election. Like my own conservative father, voters want an authentic voice representing them who will fight for what they believe to be right regardless of what might be “good politics.”
Furthermore, I’m a community organizer who knows what it takes to run campaigns with near impossible odds and still win successes for our community. And in this second Trump administration, we need people who know what that’s like. It’s an energy I bring to this fight that began when I grew up watching my parents struggle to make it through each week. An energy that empowered me to help kill the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a classic case of environmental injustice that could have incinerated Thurgood Marshall Elementary School with a single spark. That energy helped me win some REAL mental healthcare improvements for students when I took on a toxic school board culture that wanted to use “mental healthcare” as a smokescreen to ban books and bully queer/trans youth. I have a proven track record of winning results. That energy is what we need in our legislators right now if we want them to effectively fight for the big improvements we need in the face of the monumental forces aligned against us. We need people who understand that when forces try to intimidate and quiet you, the response is to get louder and more active, not patiently wait for a more opportune circumstance that may never come. I am that candidate.