Blaizen Buckshot Bloom is a candidate for Virginia House District 89 and is running as a Democrat.. His name will appear on the June 17, 2025 ballot. Bloom is running against challenger Karen Robins “Kacey” Carnegie in the Democratic June primary. The winner will appear on the ballot for the General Election on Nov. 4. There is also a Republican primary in the race for House District 89.
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Candidate Name: Blaizen Buckshot Bloom
Age: 21
Candidate Website: www.blaizenbuckshotbloom.com
Biography
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.
Why are you running for this office?
I am running to represent HD89 because I’ve experienced the worst and the best of
Chesapeake and Suffolk. I’ve successfully advocated since I was 14 for meaningful
improvements in our lives, and I’ve come to what I believe is a deep understanding of how we
can protect what is working and improve what is not.
I was a recent student in our underfunded public schools and understand not just the need to
restore diminished funding but also what, specifically, we need those dollars for. We need more
teachers, teachers assistants, social workers, and school psychologists to deal with our real
mental health crisis. We don’t need to use the term “mental health” as a smokescreen to ban
books and bully queer/trans youth. We need to fix crumbling buildings and add classrooms,
because no one can effectively learn in a school running at 160% capacity.
Like many in the working class, all of our R&R time growing up involved nature, because it’s the
best R&R you can have for free. This put me on a path towards advocating for environmental
justice in our dense neighborhoods as well as forming the bi-partisan Rural Chesapeake
Preservation Committee. These advocacy projects, as well as my college education in
environmental policy science, taught me the varied needs of our rural, urban, and suburban
communities. I understand how to pursue a balanced growth that works for everyone. We can
help aspiring farmers with apprenticeships and loan assistance, diversifying our farming
community while allowing retiring farmers to sell their land for a competitive price while
preserving the character of our independent farm region. We can do this while redeveloping
areas like the Chesapeake Mall Region so that everyone benefits, developing mixed use and
mixed income areas while guaranteeing current businesses and residents a right to return. I
understand that Hampton Roads has a port that is uniquely central and deep, making us ideally
positioned to become a global leader for wind turbine manufacturing with the right incentives.
Lastly, I am running because I’m tired of watching elected leaders in both parties drop the ball
on how we communicate with voters and how we serve them. People are hurting, and people
are stressed. I’m hurting and stressed. We need politicians who understand that economic
stability is paramount to everything. We need to center this in how we talk, how we listen, and
what we do. That’s been my approach as an activist, and I believe it’s what’s needed in
Richmond.
Why are you qualified to hold this office?
My working-class roots taught me the importance of economic justice and how to fight. 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. That’s not how kids should grow up. But, you
know, my mom got through it, and I think they managed to do a great job raising me and my
brother despite the world trying to make that as hard as possible. I took that energy into my advocacy, and it 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. 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.
What would be a bill you would sponsor in your first session?
I have a lot of day one priorities, some of which are widely shared (e.g. repealing the
“Right-to-Work” law), and some of which will require more educating and advocating toward
other legislators. In the latter camp, I very much believe we should restrict private equity’s
long-term speculation of the housing market and will immediately introduce legislation to that
effect. This private equity practice reduces housing stock and artificially inflates housing prices
to generate a profit at our expense. This prohibition will not in any way disincentivize new construction or prevent individuals from holding investment properties. What this would stop is private equity firms manipulating the housing market by buying up large chunks of homes, most of which were bought up during and following the 2007-2008 housing crisis, thereby reducing supply and spiking prices. We need policies that actively increase the supply of housing for everyday people, and this is one I would champion.
What is your view on accepting campaign donations?
You shouldn’t accept support from people who work counter to your values. Full stop.
We need drastic campaign finance reform in this commonwealth. 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.
Would you vote against the will of your party leaders in any circumstances?
When I helped kill the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, it had millions of dollars behind it and the backing
of powerful politicians in both parties. If there’s one thing I’ve always done, it’s stand firm on my
values and commitments to fight for what I believe is best for my community regardless of what
others may say or do to me afterwards. I’ve ruffled feathers in the past, and I will in the future. If
constituents and my own honest opinion run counter to leadership, I will vote with the former
every time. It’s the reason I have crosspartisan support even amongst the most ardent
conservatives, because electing representatives who will stand up for the values of themselves
and the community is paramount for any voter.
