Home Staunton’s Makayla Venable opposes Ellen Campbell for District 36 in Virginia House
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Staunton’s Makayla Venable opposes Ellen Campbell for District 36 in Virginia House

Rebecca Barnabi
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Makayla Venable, activist, community healthcare worker and lifelong Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro area resident, has announced her intention to run for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 36th House of Delegates District.

Community leaders, stakeholders and neighbors are invited to the official launch of her 2025 campaign at the Augusta County Courthouse on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Republican Incumbent Ellen Campbell has filed to run for reelection in 2025.

“When I first floated the idea of running, multiple people asked the same question – why? What was the specific
moment, my catalyst, that made me want to run for this seat? My answer was simple – there wasn’t one. Instead, this desire was a culmination of watching bad things happen, things that didn’t settle right with my soul. I wanted to do more than sit on the sidelines. I want to make a difference. This work doesn’t feel like work to me; it feels like purpose, and I’m walking in it,” Venable said.

If elected, Venable said she vows to give a voice to individuals “who usually go unheard in our political system, bring awareness to and develop solutions for our mental health crisis, and work diligently to reduce and prevent gun violence, specifically gun violence facing our youth populations.”

Virginia’s 36th House of Delegates District represents the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro, the southeastern quadrant of Augusta County and the northern half of Rockbridge County.

The primary election will be held Tuesday, June 17, and the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 4th.


Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca J. Barnabi is the national editor of Augusta Free Press. A graduate of the University of Mary Washington, she began her journalism career at The Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star. In 2013, she was awarded first place for feature writing in the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia Awards Program, and was honored by the Virginia School Boards Association’s 2019 Media Honor Roll Program for her coverage of Waynesboro Schools. Her background in newspapers includes writing about features, local government, education and the arts.