The race to represent Virginia’s House of Delegates District 41 is heating up, and both candidates recently released ads in the digital space and on the airwaves.
The 41st District is anticipated to be one of the closest House of Delegates races this year. Democrat Lily Franklin, of Blacksburg, is looking to flip the district and unseat Del. Chris Obenshain, R-Montgomery County. The 2025 race is a rematch after Franklin lost to Obenshain in 2023 by 183 votes in a district deemed to “lean Republican” by the Virginia Public Access Project.
Franklin’s campaign has raised $540,830 as of June 30, more than twice as much as Obenshain’s campaign, which raised $248,873, according to data compiled by VPAP.
Some of that money has gone into ad buys, and both campaigns have released their first advertisements in the digital space and airwaves around the same time.
Obenshain’s first digital ad was launched on August 7. It leans heavily on the incumbent’s identity as a lifelong resident of Southwest Virginia, U.S. Army Reservist and family man. He says, as delegate, he’s working on “bipartisan solutions” to make sure the region remains “the best place to live, work and raise a family.” He outlines his campaign initiatives, including an effort to end the much-maligned “car tax,” expand child care options, create jobs and “getting tough on crime,” though there isn’t much room in the 30-second advertisement to explain how he plans to achieve those goals if reelected.
Franklin’s first ad began airing on August 15 on television and in digital spaces. It emphasizes her identity as a lifelong resident of Southwest Virginia who had to work multiple jobs through college to make ends meet. The advertisement introduces Franklin to the voters as a former teacher who believes “hard work should be rewarded.” She outlines her campaign initiatives, including efforts to “fight” for affordable health care, lower electric bills and better schools. There is not much room in Franklin’s 30-second advertisement to explain how she plans to achieve those goals if elected, either.
About $22,552 had been spent in “pro-Obenshain” advertisements as of June 30, according to VPAP.
To see where the candidates stand, see the comparisons on the Montgomery County and Roanoke County pages on our Voter Guide.
Dates to know: Early voting begins Sept. 19.