Democrat Ken Mitchell is aiming to flip a deeply Republican U.S. House seat in western Virginia by running a campaign focused on bipartisanship and civility.
Mitchell, a veteran and part-time farmer from Rockingham County, is running against Republican incumbent Rep. Ben Cline, who is seeking to represent the commonwealth’s 6th District for a fourth term.
Mitchell’s strategy focuses on reaching out to independents and moderate Republicans who are dissatisfied with the GOP’s direction, while also encouraging younger voters to engage in the political process.
“I find that not just independents, but moderate Republicans, are tired of the divisiveness,” Mitchell said. “They’re tired of the rhetoric. They’re tired of seeing their children have to watch adults fight over things. They want to find some civility in their lives.”
Mitchell’s top priorities include job growth, fair wages, transitioning to cleaner energy and economic development. He also supports equal pay for women and reproductive rights.
Cline, a House Freedom Caucus member, opposed the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory, supported the Life at Conception Act and endorsed Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican primaries.
Cline and his campaign did not respond to multiple interview requests.
Gail Oppy, a Cline supporter and president of the Republican Women of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, said she’s spent time talking with voters about the incumbent’s platform.
“I consider myself conservative, although I think being conservative has gotten a bad tagline these days,” Oppy said, highlighting Cline’s economic positions as one reason for her support.
“I am very concerned about being fiscally conservative in our government — locally, statewide, and nationally,” she said. ”That is one reason I would vote for him.”
On the issue of access to reproductive care, Oppy said she understands that there are instances when people seek abortions, but feels Virginia — which allows for abortions through the second trimester, as well as in the third trimester when the life or health of the parent is in danger — goes too far.
She also supports Cline’s stance on border security, adding that while immigrants should be allowed into the United States, they should cross in a “reasonable fashion.”
Mitchell acknowledged the district’s political makeup means he has to earn support among Republicans, as well as Democrats, but said he hopes his moderate message will resonate with voters concerned about the state of democracy.
He often engages with Trump supporters who taunt him at events, offering to sit down with them and chat over a cup of coffee. Sometimes, Mitchell said, he leaves having changed a mind or two.
Still, he’s faced an uphill battle, particularly in fundraising. Cline raised almost $1 million, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Mitchell’s most recent filing has him at about $190,000.
The 6th District, which stretches along Interstate 81 from Winchester to Roanoke, has been solidly Republican for decades. One Democrat, Jim Olin, has held the seat since 1953.
Although the cities in the district — Harrisonburg, Roanoke, Staunton and Winchester — all voted for Democratic challenger Jennifer Lewis in 2022, Cline won re-election with 64% of the overall vote. Polling by The Economist indicates Cline is “almost certain to win” again this year. Independent candidate Robby Wells is also competing for the seat.
Kara Dillard, interim executive director of the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement, said Virginia’s 2022 redistricting might have made the 6th District slightly more Republican, but other recent changes could also affect the election’s outcome.
“The 6th District is one of two districts in Virginia dubbed the most reliably Republican congressional district in the state,” she said. “Over the years, and through each redistricting cycle, VA-6 has only become more Republican as it's added counties to the north of Harrisonburg and Rockingham. What's been interesting in the past, and will still be relevant in this year's election, is the divide between the blue cities and red counties.”
Dillard offered two possibilities that might have affected the Valley’s political makeup ahead of Nov. 5.
Since the pandemic, booms in housing construction in surrounding counties have led city dwellers to purchase homes there, which might lessen the Republican hold.
Down-ballot races in what previously were nonpartisan elections — like school boards — have in the past few cycles become more polarized. And many county candidates have aligned themselves with Republicans, which tends to energize GOP turnout.
“First, [do] Harrisonburg, Staunton, Winchester, Roanoke and Lexington, which have experienced large degrees of population change and housing stock deficits in the last decade, have enough voters to overcome Cline's advantage in the counties?” Dillard asked. “Second, will VA-6's counties continue to be politically energized, offsetting any changes in the blue cities?”
Despite the odds, Democrats in the district have expressed hope, inspired by Mitchell’s message of “leave no one behind.”
“I’m voting for Ken Mitchell because I look at the alternative, and I think he’d be a much better representative because of his military service,” said Gene Blackmer, a retired teacher from Staunton. “I’ve heard a lot of nice things about him.”
Blackmer said he hopes for representatives who can address the region’s pressing issues and provide opportunities similar to those he had when he was younger.
“I worry about young people nowadays not being able to afford a house or many of the things we had growing up,” Blackmer said. “And educational issues bother me. There’s a lot of censorship in education, and I don’t believe in banning books.”
Oppy acknowledged the country's political division and expressed hope that legislators can find common ground.
“There has always been divisiveness in politics — that’s just the nature of the game,” she said. “But I would like to see more opportunities for coming together on policies, and it’s wonderful when we do see that.”
Mitchell said he remains focused on finding that common ground.
“I’m running a campaign from the middle, looking for the middle of the electorate — not the far right, not the far left, but where common good, common sense and common ground exist,” he said. “I think if we do that, we will find moderate Republicans, Democrats and independents leaning our way.”
