Sheila Crowley

Sheila Crowley, 68, of Port Haywood is challenging incumbent Del. Keith Hodges (R-Urbanna) for the 98th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.

A Democrat, Crowley retired last year as CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition and now teaches part-time at Virginia Commonwealth University. Crowley said she decided to run because of the radical change that has occurred in politics at the national level.

The pivotal moment for Crowley was when the Virginia General Assembly again rejected the opportunity to expand Medicaid in the state. If the expansion had been approved, she said, it would have provided health care access to thousands of low-income and working class Virginians. She said that rejecting the measure sent a message “that health care is for the privileged few.”

In addition to health care, Crowley said she’s concerned about schools that have underpaid teachers and that don’t have the equipment they need. She said part ...