Beth Macy
Advanced from the Democratic primary unopposed after other candidates withdrew and the primary was canceled.
Beth Macy is the Democratic nominee challenging incumbent Ben Cline for Virginia's 6th District. She is a longtime Roanoke Times reporter and best-selling author, known for books including Dopesick and Factory Man, running on affordability, health care and support for rural communities.[1][3]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Positions on the issues
- SupportsRaise taxes on high earners or corporations
Says Congress should raise the cap on Social Security payroll taxes so wealthier earners pay a larger share.[4]
- SupportsExpand public health coverage
Campaign priorities include expanding access to health and mental health care and opposing privatization of Medicare.[3][4]
- OpposesBroad tariffs on imported goods
Calls for ending tariffs, saying they act as a tax on purchased goods and hurt farmers by shutting them out of overseas markets and raising equipment costs.[4]
In their words — priorities
- Making life affordable for working families and expanding access to health and mental health care.[3]
- Regulating data centers and artificial intelligence, including a proposed nationwide moratorium on new data centers until energy, environmental, cost and workforce concerns are addressed, and requiring Big Tech to pay the full costs of data-center construction and energy/water use.[4]
- Protecting Social Security, Medicare and veterans' benefits from privatization, and raising the cap on Social Security payroll taxes so higher earners pay more into the system.[4]
Background
- Grew up in a small town in Ohio, the first in her family to attend college, and later settled in Roanoke, Virginia.[3]
- Spent 25 years as a reporter for The Roanoke Times covering people and communities across western Virginia.[3]
- Author of the best-selling books Factory Man, Dopesick (adapted into an Emmy- and Peabody-winning Hulu series she helped produce and write) and Paper Girl.[3]
Campaign money
Raised $1.7M · spent $839K · $847K cash on hand (through 2026-07-15) FEC filing ↗