Roanoke journalist and author Beth Macy is running for Congress in Virginia's 6th District, currently represented by 4-term Republican Ben Cline.
Macy worked for decades at the Roanoke Times and has written the books Factory Man, Dopesick, Paper Girl, and others.
Democrats haven't won the 6th District since the early 1990s, and Cline has won more than 60% of the vote in recent elections. But Macy sees an opening.
"I know it's a pretty conservative district, but I think if you peel back the layers of the onion, you're going to find that we're more alike than we're different," Macy says.
Macy cites the rising costs of groceries and healthcare, and lack of action by Congress to address them.
"People are struggling," Macy says. "I interviewed a hairdresser last week on Friday. When these Obamacare subsidies expire at the end of next month, her monthly premium, get this, is going up from $198 a month to $1,200 a month. How do we expect her to pay for that? I think people of the 6th district know who is in it for themselves, and who is in it for them. I'm in it for them, I'm in it for people like Allison Greeley, and I'm in it for you."
Macy is the third Democrat to enter the 6th District race, joining former federal official Pete Barlow, and veteran Ken Mitchell.
