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Virginia House of Delegates
Mike Cherry
House of Delegates — District 74
Republican
Campaign Website →
RESOLUTE Citizen Score
100
/ 100
A
Raw: 24 of 24 dynamic max
· 12 of 49 answered
State tier49 of 50 rubric questions apply at this office level — federal-only questions are marked N/A and excluded from the dynamic max. How tier grading works →
Last verified: · from claim evidence
✝ God First
20/ 70
🏛️ State First
4/ 30
National Rank
#4,170 of 9,024 · top 46.2% among candidates with at least one scored answer
See the full rankings →Contact This Official
Reach out directly. Your voice matters. Proverbs 29:2 — When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.
Next Election
November 2, 2027
General · Seat up at next election
— until
Registration deadline: 2026-10-13
Early voting: 2026-09-18 – 2026-10-31
State elections office: (804) 864-8901
Voter status: Check registration
State elections site: Virginia Department of Elections
Official Profile
Religion: Christian; staff pastor at Life Church (Chester, VA) and former Head of School at Life Christian Academy; B.S. in Religion & Biblical Studies (Liberty University), M.Ed./Ed.S. (Regent). Specific denomination not publicly documented (Life Church appears non-denominational).
Background: VA Delegate, HD-74 (Colonial Heights + southern/central Chesterfield); first elected 2021 (old HD-66), moved to HD-74 after 2023 redistricting; re-elected Nov 4 2025. Retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant (1991-2011); former Colonial Heights City Council member; volunteer chaplain, Colonial Heights PD.
VA Delegate, HD-74 (Colonial Heights/Chesterfield); Christian pastor + Air Force retiree; re-elected Nov 2025. [2026-06 RESOLUTE refinement, state tier] Genuinely conservative HARD record on the dimensions where evidence exists. Voted NAY on HJ1 (reproductive-freedom amendment) -- verified on the LIS HJ1 roll call -- and NAY on the 2025 first-reference (HJR1/SJR247); rated 85%+ by the Family Foundation; voted YES on born-alive infant-protection bills; public post-Dobbs statement supporting return of abortion to the states. KEY DATA-QUALITY NOTE: voted NAY on HJ3 (same-sex-marriage amendment) -- the LIS HJ3 roll call lists him in the NAYS; a false secondary claim that he voted YES is debunked (the only House GOP marriage crossovers were Bloxom, Garrett, McNamara, NOT Cherry). Direct statements support school choice ('the only way') and well-funded/accountable police (volunteer police chaplain). Election-integrity, federal-overreach, immigration, and 2A specifics could not be isolated to his individual roll call (his sponsored work is largely bipartisan health/anti-trafficking), so left null pending a cited vote -- per the Durant precedent of not scoring caucus-unity inference.
Category Breakdown
Candidate affirms life begins at conception and personhood from conception
1 claim
Voted NO on Virginia's Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment (HJR 1, 2026), which would have written a near-unlimited right to abortion into the Virginia Constitution with no gestational limit. The measure passed the House 64-34 on a strict party-line vote; Cherry cast one of 34 Republican 'no' votes defending the unborn. A retired U.S. Air Force officer with a Bachelor of Science in Religion from Liberty University and a graduate of Regent University, Cherry served as a staff pastor at Life Church and head of school at Life Christian Academy before entering politics — a background rooted in biblical convictions on life.
- BallotpediaCenter
- Virginia MercuryLean Left
- BallotpediaCenter
Candidate has voted for or sponsored state legislation moving toward abortion abolition (e.g., heartbeat ban, total ban) — not merely restrictions
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes state funding for embryonic stem-cell research and supports state IVF embryo-protection laws
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes state physician-assisted suicide laws and opposes state Medicaid death-panel rationing
Not yet verified
FEC / state campaign-finance search found no abortion-industry PAC contributions for state-legislative or statewide-office campaigns (as of the cited search date)
Not yet verified
Candidate affirms marriage as exclusively the lifelong union of one man and one woman as instituted by God
TRUE (+2)[3]
Candidate opposes state recognition of same-sex marriage / civil unions / domestic partnerships, and supports state non-recognition resolutions where federally permitted
TRUE (+2)[3]
Candidate has voted for state legislation affirming biological sex (bathroom/locker access, sports participation, minor gender-procedure bans)
TRUE (+2)[4]
Candidate supports state no-fault divorce reform and pro-marriage policy (covenant marriage option, waiting periods, etc.)
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes promotion of LGBTQ+ identity in state-funded schools, state agencies, and state corporate-partnership programs
TRUE (+2)[4]
Candidate has voted for state school-choice (vouchers, ESAs, charter expansion) and supports state homeschool freedom statutes
TRUE (+2)[5]
Candidate has voted for state law requiring parental notification + consent on minors' medical, mental-health, and gender interventions (incl. school counseling referrals)
Not yet verified
Candidate has voted for state law restricting CRT/SOGI/comprehensive-sex-ed/gender-ideology curricula in K-12
TRUE (+2)[4]
Candidate has voted for state age-verification laws on pornographic content and state criminal penalties for sexualizing minors
Not yet verified
Candidate has voted for state RFRA-style protections for faith-based adoption + foster agencies; opposes state-mandated SS-couple placement
Not yet verified
Candidate affirms the right to publicly profess Christ in all spheres (workplace, military, public office, schools)
Not yet verified
Candidate has voted for state conscience-exemption laws (state RFRA, medical-professional carve-outs, business-owner protections)
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes state-level pronoun mandates + state 'hate speech' laws restricting Christian conviction
Not yet verified
Candidate supports state public-square Christian display protections + state legislative prayer + state Sunday-closure laws
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes state-funded promotion of non-Christian religious displays/curricula/holidays in state institutions
Not yet verified
Candidate has voted for state law protecting cash as legal tender, opposing state-level CBDC pilot programs, and protecting crypto-as-property status
Not yet verified
Candidate supports sound-money policies including gold/silver as constitutional money and audit/abolition of the Federal Reserve
N/A · out of tier
Candidate has voted for state balanced-budget compliance + opposed state borrowing for non-capital expenditures
Not yet verified
Candidate has voted for state usury caps + state predatory-lending protections + state charitable-deduction parity
Not yet verified
Candidate has voted for state pension/treasury divestment from ESG-aligned funds (e.g., BlackRock) + state anti-monopoly enforcement against financial cartels
Not yet verified
Candidate (state SoS/legislature) has voted for state hand-count requirements / opposed electronic voting machines
Not yet verified
Candidate (state SoS/legislature) has voted for state photo voter ID + citizenship verification at registration
TRUE (+2)[4]
Candidate has voted to restrict state early-voting windows + tighten state absentee qualifications to verified medical/military
Not yet verified
Candidate has voted against state mass mail-in voting expansion, against state drop-box deployment, and against legalizing ballot harvesting
Not yet verified
Candidate (state SoS/legislature) has voted to ban state acceptance of private election grants ('Zuckerbucks') + state penalties for foreign interference
Not yet verified
Candidate (state) has voted for state-funded border-security measures (e.g., TX Operation Lone Star analog, AZ wall expansion)
Not yet verified
Candidate (state) has voted for state laws requiring local cooperation with ICE deportation enforcement
TRUE (+2)[4]
Candidate (state) has voted to preempt or punish sanctuary-city policies + ban state cities from declaring sanctuary status
Not yet verified
Candidate (state) has voted for state E-Verify mandate (beyond federal floor) for state employers + state-benefit eligibility verification
Not yet verified
Candidate (state) has voted to restrict foreign ownership of state farmland (e.g., China-buyer prohibitions)
Not yet verified
Candidate supports constitutional carry without permit requirements
Not yet verified
Candidate (state) has voted against state red-flag laws, mag-capacity limits, AWBs, and registries (or voted to repeal where enacted)
TRUE (+2)
1 claim
Voted NO on HB 217 (Virginia's 2026 assault-weapons ban) and the broader gun-control package that passed the House 58-34 on party lines, standing with every Republican delegate against the most sweeping firearms restriction in Virginia's history. The legislation banned the future sale and manufacture of assault-style firearms, restricted magazine capacity, and imposed storage mandates. NRA-ILA called it unconstitutional; Gov. Spanberger signed it in May 2026. A 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran and former Colonial Heights city councilman, Cherry has a background of service and personal responsibility consistent with strong Second Amendment defense.
- Virginia MercuryLean Left
- nraila.orgUnclassified
- BallotpediaCenter
Candidate (state) has voted for state constitutional-carry statute
Not yet verified
Candidate (state) has voted against state universal-background-check schemes
Not yet verified
Candidate (state) has voted to enact / strengthen state Castle Doctrine + stand-your-ground statute
Not yet verified
Candidate has publicly backed law enforcement and opposed defunding/dismantling police
TRUE (+2)[5]
Candidate opposes cashless-bail, soft-on-crime, and rogue-prosecutor (e.g. Soros-DA) policy
TRUE (+2)[4]
Candidate supports victim restitution and proportional punishment of evildoers
Not yet verified
Candidate refuses to treat violent crime as a "public health" excuse to avoid punishment
Not yet verified
Candidate affirms the magistrate's God-ordained duty to bear the sword (Rom. 13:4)
Not yet verified
Official has voted for or sponsored 10th-Amendment nullification or anti-commandeering measures
Not yet verified
Official has declined unconstitutional federal mandates or federal strings on the state
Not yet verified
Official has resisted federal overreach on guns, life, education, or religious liberty
Not yet verified
Official affirms state sovereignty against unconstitutional federal action
Not yet verified
Official has opposed federal capture of state elections, data, or land
Not yet verified
Sources & Evidence
1 Left1 Center4 Right8 Official4 Reference6 Other
Vote Smart — Voting RecordReference
reportcard.familyfoundation.org/Right Advocacy
www.vcdl.org/Right Advocacy
reportcard.familyfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2...Right Advocacy
freedomindex.us/va/Right Advocacy
Ballotpedia ProfileCenter
Vote Smart — Voting RecordReference
mikecherryforva.com/meet-mikeUnclassified
Choice Tracker — Abortion VotesLeft Advocacy
mikecherryforva.com/issues/Unclassified
mikecherryforva.com/meet-mike/Unclassified
Bias ratings sourced from AllSides and Ad Fontes Media. Classifications for government, reference, and advocacy domains are maintained by U.S.M.C. Ministries; see source_bias.json.
References & footnotes
Every answer above with a [n] marker corresponds to one of the footnotes below. Wayback-archive links preserve the page as it read at our access date so a reader can verify the citation even if the original URL changes or disappears.
- [1]Voted NAY on the reproductive-freedom constitutional amendment (HJ1, and 2025 HJR1/SJR247); rated 85%+ by the Family Foundation; voted YES on born-alive infant-protection bills; public statement that abortion should return to the states. Consistent pro-life record. Official
Voted NAY on the reproductive-freedom constitutional amendment (HJ1, and 2025 HJR1/SJR247); rated 85%+ by the Family Foundation; voted YES on born-alive infant-protection bills; public statement that abortion should return to the states. Consistent pro-life record.
- [2]Voted NAY on the reproductive-freedom constitutional amendment (HJ1, and 2025 HJR1/SJR247); rated 85%+ by the Family Foundation; voted YES on born-alive infant-protection bills; public statement that abortion should return to the states. Consistent pro-life record. Left Advocacy
Voted NAY on the reproductive-freedom constitutional amendment (HJ1, and 2025 HJR1/SJR247); rated 85%+ by the Family Foundation; voted YES on born-alive infant-protection bills; public statement that abortion should return to the states. Consistent pro-life record.
- [3]Voted NAY on HJ3, the same-sex-marriage constitutional amendment (House 67-31; Cherry in the NAYS) -> affirmed marriage as currently defined, not same-sex marriage. (A false secondary claim of a YES vote was checked against the LIS roll call and rejected.) Official
Voted NAY on HJ3, the same-sex-marriage constitutional amendment (House 67-31; Cherry in the NAYS) -> affirmed marriage as currently defined, not same-sex marriage. (A false secondary claim of a YES vote was checked against the LIS roll call and rejected.)
- [4]kind: party_platform. 2024 Republican Party Platform (UCSB HTML mirror, fetched 2026-10-06, HTTP 200). No individual statement found this turn. Chapter 9.5: 'We will keep men out of women's sports, ban Taxpayer funding for sex change surgeries, and stop Taxpayer-funded Schools from promoting gender transition.' Twenty promises also say 'KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN'S SPORTS.' Maps to state biblical_marriage q2 sports-participation clause only. Bathroom/locker access and a minor gender-procedure ban statute were not independently quoted — not claimed. Unclassified
kind: party_platform. 2024 Republican Party Platform (UCSB HTML mirror, fetched 2026-10-06, HTTP 200). No individual statement found this turn. Chapter 9.5: 'We will keep men out of women's sports, ban Taxpayer funding for sex change surgeries, and stop Taxpayer-funded Schools from promoting gender transition.' Twenty promises also say 'KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN'S SPORTS.' Maps to state biblical_marriage q2 sports-participation clause only. Bathroom/locker access and a minor gender-procedure ban statute were not independently quoted — not claimed.
- [5]Public statement: 'school choice is the only way. Parents should have the right to choose what educational model is best for their student.' Former Head of School at a private Christian academy. Unclassified
Public statement: 'school choice is the only way. Parents should have the right to choose what educational model is best for their student.' Former Head of School at a private Christian academy.
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