Anger and disgust at the current administration, along with hope for change, drove many First District Henrico voters into the voting booths Tuesday

Voters who shared their sentiments before and after casting their votes on Election Day at several polling locations in Western Henrico County shared economic concerns and other anxieties about how they felt the country is being run, pushing many to bubble in a vote for Shannon Taylor.

At several precincts within the First Congressional District, voters were making a choice between candidates - Republican incumbent Rob Wittman and Taylor, the Democratic challenger and Henrico Commonwealth's Attorney.

Voters expressed a variety a views and political orientations, with the majority of those who agreed to speak with a reporter saying they would vote for Democratic party candidates Taylor and U.S. Senator Mark Warner.

Most of the voters interviewed said they voted in favor of the three Constitutional Amendments.

In addition to inflation, voters said they were using their votes to speak out against what they view as government officials’ ethical violations, President Trump’s broken promises to end wars and opposition to the administration’s civil rights violations.

At 10 a.m. at the Second Baptist Church polling place on River Road, a mother (who did not give her name) leaving the polling site carrying her toddler son expressed concern regarding education funding and safety.

“A lot of people around us keep going more and more [to] private [schools], and I feel like that’s because there’s not excellent funding for public education,” she said. “And the more people that go private, the less funding there is. I also have concerns about healthcare and women’s access to healthcare. I feel Rob Wittman has gotten a lot of time and really hasn’t done much.”

She voted for Taylor.

 “I’m looking for a Blue wave,” said a voter who only gave his first name (Bob), citing opposition to Trump’s “gaudy” monuments and the country’s tarnished reputation as his reasons for voting Democratic.

Camini Pahuja, who came to vote with her daughter-in-law, Maria, said she supported Democratic candidates. An immigrant from India, she said she wanted candidates who were honest, maintained integrity and were not divisive. She also emphasized inflation and anti-immigrant sentiment as a concern.

“I’m a die-hard Democrat because that’s the reason we’re here,” Pahuja said. “Otherwise there would be no Indian immigrants. Back in the ‘60s and ‘70,s they opened immigration to technical people. That’s how I came here.”

Maria said her main concern was gun violence prevention, which she understood Taylor to support.

“I was glad to see her on the ballot and support her,” Maria said.

At that point in the morning at the at the Second Baptist Church, 350 voters of the precinct’s 1,750 total voters had cast their votes in person.

Before noon at the polling site at the Lakewood senior living community, Tatiana Longest, a voter leaving the polls, expressed hope for a “Blue wave” citing concerns over protections for women’s healthcare, bodily autonomy and people of color.

“I voted yes on the first amendment because nobody’s healthcare or bodily autonomy should ever be taken away,” Longest said. “The second one I voted yes because love is love. Again, your belief should never hinder anybody else from being able to live their life and love who they love, just because you don’t think that’s right.

“And the third one, I voted yes on that because you could be a felon for the smallest thing out there. So being hindered from being able to vote just because you’re a felon, I don’t think it’s constitutional because everybody has the right, you shouldn’t lose the right just because you have a label stamped on you.”

A number of other voters brought up Trump and national Republican policies they disagreed with that had pervaded the zeitgeist – culture war issues, “Trumpism,” and Republican stances on transgender rights as primary motivators for voting Democratic.

"I was anxious to vote. This is a very important election because things have gotten off track, and I want to see democracy restored," said Lakewood staffer Mike Tesseri, citing the politicization of the U.S. Department of Justice, corruption in the Trump administration like the selling of pardons and the seemingly uncontrolled changes or what Tesseri ironically called 'beautification' of Washington, D.C.

Some of the elderly male Republican voters who reside in the private retirement community expressed support for Wittman.

Doris Simmons said she voted Democratic with the hope for change, citing high gas prices and the growing number of people in need of basic food and shelter, along with the constitutional right to cast a ballot.

“People don’t have no food to eat,” Simmons said listing her concerns. “It’s obvious we need a change. People don’t have homes no more, and then when you take food from someone’s mouth when they gouge them so high, and then you have to help them out at the food bank.”

At that point in the morning, 741 voters of the precinct’s 2,122 total voters had cast their votes in person.

Later, on Tuesday morning at the Columbian Center polling site on Pump Road, 770 of 2,015 registered voters in the precinct had already cast their ballots. 

A couple voting together for Taylor expressed concerns regarding national stability and whether political results will be accepted.

Bahaa Fawzi, walked over from a nearby subdivision with family members to cast his vote for Rob Wittman. He also voted no on the amendment questions. His choices clashed with his 13-year-old daughter Joy.

“I disagree with him,” Joy said. “Prices are too high. I feel like nothing is fair these days. With ICE, I feel like the world is not safe. They’re killing a bunch of people. They shot someone in the head.”

Another voter, Sandy Bailey was hopeful Taylor would win. She said she went to Wittman’s office on the Eastern Shore to express her concerns and his staff listened.

“I don’t believe that his sort of invisible kowtowing to the MAGA that he pretends that he doesn’t do, I don’t think that’s fair. I think if you are going to quietly follow the MAGA agenda, then you should admit that,” Bailey said.

A few voters pausing to speak with the Citizen after casting their ballots during their lunch break at precinct 417 at Tuckahoe Elementary School expressed concerns regarding cuts to healthcare, what they termed corruption by the Trump administration and problematic international relations, specifically the war with Iran.

“Trump said to vote like his name is on the ballot. That’s what I did,” said one Taylor voter who did not want to be named. “I’m unhappy with the economy. I’m unhappy with his leadership. I can’t stand him. I do like Rob Wittman. I do think he’s doing a good job in Congress, but I was voting more for my party.”

For the amendments, she had voted yes on the first two and no on the last one.

For University of Richmond students Catherine Klipstein, 21, and Rose Drowota, 22, the most important issue to them were the constitutional amendments maintaining abortion rights and voting to support same sex marriage.

“We’re a mess,” said voter Tim Speece, who worked in healthcare administration. “The war in Iran. Corruption. The Reflecting Pool. The White House ballroom. The arch. I think the respect for us around the world is probably the lowest point it’s been in decades. Regarding healthcare, I continue to hear ‘We have a plan,’ but we see nothing. Rob [Wittman] likes to talk about what he does in Congress, but it’s like lipstick on a pig. The majority of the Republicans are just voices for Trump.”

The experienced precinct captains who reported the in-person voter numbers, all said the tallies represented a steady stream with energy that felt similar to numbers of voters during a presidential election year.

Dina Weinstein is the Citizen’s community vitality reporter and a Report for America corps member, covering housing, health and transportation. Support her work and articles like this one by making a contribution to the Citizen.