U.S. House · Virginia's 9th District
Joy Powers
CandidateD
- Race
- U.S. House · Virginia's 9th District
- Result
- H. Morgan Griffith, projected winner
- Opponent
- H. Morgan Griffith (R)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did3 statements · 0 votes
I believe healthcare is a human right, and I support universal healthcare.
Expand public health coverage
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotU.S. House · 9
2026-11-03
| H. Morgan Griffith R | incumbent |
| Joy Powers D | challenger |
Won the August 4, 2026 Democratic primary with 51.6% of the vote over Adam Murphy and Douglas Crockett.
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
I believe healthcare is a human right, and I support universal healthcare.
Says healthcare is a human right and supports universal healthcare, paired with investment in rural health infrastructure.[6]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Trade fights and tariffs have raised the cost of fuel, fertilizer, and a lot of what farmers buy and what families pay at checkout.
Her campaign issues page says tariffs and trade fights have raised costs for families and farmers and cost producers export markets.[7]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
We send Israel's government billions in weapons and taxpayer dollars every year with almost no conditions and no accountability, and I would end that.
Says she would end U.S. weapons and taxpayer dollar transfers to Israel's government as currently structured, saying they come with almost no conditions.[7]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Joy Powers, a Democrat and fourth-generation cattle farmer and small business owner from Bedford County, lost the November 3, 2026 election for Virginia's 9th District to Morgan Griffith. She had run unsuccessfully for the Virginia House of Delegates in 2025.[1][2][3][4][5]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Powers says she was raised in 4-H and FFA and lives and works on her family's 350-acre cattle farm in Bedford, Virginia; Cardinal News calls her a fourth-generation cattle farmer.[1][3] She describes herself as a small business owner and as the mother of a son she adopted through foster care.[2][3] According to her campaign website, she has served as superintendent of the Bedford County Fair and as a member of the Bedford County Agricultural Economic Development Advisory Board, and she founded Restore the Harvest, an agricultural education organization.[2][3] Her website also lists involvement with Virginia FFA, Virginia 4-H, Chamblissburg Ruritans, the Virginia Simmental Association and the Virginia Farm Bureau, and says she has been a foster care parent and advocate.[3]
Powers was the Democratic nominee for Virginia House of Delegates District 51 in 2025 and lost to Republican incumbent Eric Zehr, 75.4% to 24.5%.[2] She won the August 4, 2026 Democratic primary for the 9th District, defeating Adam Murphy and Douglas Crockett.[5] During the campaign, she described herself as a Southwest Virginia native and ran on a "HOME Plan" covering health care, economic opportunity, markets and education for the region.[5][1][2][3] She received 33.9% of the vote to Morgan Griffith's 65.9%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[4]
In their own words
Priorities
- Universal healthcare paired with direct investment in rural hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, EMS, mental-health and maternal care, and the healthcare workforce.[8]
- Rebuilding rural economic infrastructure, including rail, roads, broadband, energy, water/sewer systems, industrial sites, agriculture and manufacturing.[8]
- Full federal funding for Title I, IDEA special education, Head Start, school nutrition, career and technical education, and investment in rural school buildings and teacher pay.[8]
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Stricter gun laws
“I will work on keeping communities safe in ways that respect law-abiding gun owners, because around here that is most people.”[7]
On her campaign website, The Issues page
Campaign money$85K raised · 97% from individuals · FEC through 2026-07-15
Totals this cycle
Bars share one scale (raised = full). Cash on hand can include money carried over from earlier cycles.
Who gave
- Individuals $83K
- PACs & committees $3
- Own money & loans $2,587
Largest committee contributions
No direct contributions from PACs or other committees in the FEC’s bulk data.
Direct contributions only; outside spending is not included. Individual donors are itemized in the FEC’s receipts. All itemized receipts ↗ FEC filing ↗
Profile: /people/joy-powers
Compare all 2 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.Griffith seeks a ninth term in the 9th District. This time, he faces a cattle farmer from Bedford County. · Cardinal News · 2026-09-29 News report
- 2.Joy Powers · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026 Candidate's own words
- 3.Who is Joy · Joy Powers for Congress Candidate's own words
- 4.U.S. House · Virginia's 9th District results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 5.Virginia's 9th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 6.Joy Powers · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026 Candidate's own words
- 7.The Issues · Joy Powers for Virginia Candidate's own words
- 8.Virginia's 9th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference