Kiesha Preston

Kiesha Preston, born and raised in Roanoke VA, has spent her life working to better the lives of people who are often forgotten. A proud single mother to three children and graduate of Patrick Henry High School, she is a survivor of domestic violence. She took that harrowing experience and turned it into a personal strength, fighting for a better world for those who have also experienced abuse. She wrote and was instrumental in the passing of legislation which eliminated certain housing barriers for victims of domestic/sexual violence and human trafficking.

Between Summer 2021-Summer 2023, Roanoke experienced a 54% increase in homelessness. This past year saw another 12% increase, according to a new Blue Ridge Continuum of Care report. I will work to increase available housing, including housing affordable to people of low and moderate incomes. I also will help those social service organizations that are instrumental to helping transition people off of the streets and into permanent, secure housing.

Gun deaths have steadily increased in Virginia over the last decade. From 2013 to 2022, the gun death rate increased 47%. There are reasonable, effective, and implementable options to make our communities safer from gun violence. Kids don’t need bulletproof backpacks – they need decisive action from their elected representatives.

Education is the pathway to opportunity in America, but our community is being held back by the State Government. School leaders in the Roanoke district have stated that we need a new high school to address overcrowding. Having a low student/teacher ratio has been shown time and time again to be one of the best indicators of academic success. Student overcrowding in our area has and will continue to lead to lower academic outcomes for our children. Our kids deserve better. I will demand that school funding at the State level meet the needs of our community.

Safe access to abortion and maternal healthcare isn’t just a women’s issue it’s a human issue. Everyone deserves the right to make decisions about their own body, health, and future. Restricting access to legal, medically supervised abortion doesn’t just stop people from getting abortions, it stops doctors from doing their jobs. It puts lives at risk, leaving healthcare providers afraid to act, even in emergencies. It puts pregnant people in danger, especially those facing life-threatening complications. And it causes devastating stress for families, partners, parents, children, watching their loved ones suffer because a broken system puts politics over care.

Year after year, protections for workers have been stripped back. Unions have been weakened, leading to employees being exploited by their employers. While shareholders get rich, the working class gets poorer. I will work to strengthen worker protections, closing loopholes for wrongful termination and discrimination. I will advocate for employees who want to start a union and will support existing labor organizations to get the wages and benefits they deserve so they can prosper from their hard work.