Lily Franklin | |
|---|---|
| Member of the VirginiaHouseofDelegates from the 41st district | |
| Assumed office January 14, 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Chris Obenshain |
| Personal details | |
| Born | |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | Longwood University |
Lily Franklin is an American politician who was elected member of the Virginia House of Delegates in 2025. A member of the Democratic Party,she defeated incumbent Republican candidate Chris Obenshain.
Franklin worked as a high school math teacher in a public school. [1] She also served as a state legislative aide. [1]
In 2023,Franklin ran as the Democratic candidate for Virginia's 41st House of Delegates district,which covers parts of Montgomery and Roanoke counties. [1] [2] She faced Republican Chris Obenshain in a competitive race. [1] The election was not called for nearly a week as provisional ballots were counted. [3]
Franklin lost the 2023 election by a narrow margin. [1] The final margin was 181 votes,183 votes,or "fewer than 200 votes." [2] [3] [1] The final result was 50.3 percent for Obenshain to Franklin's 49.6 percent,a margin of less than one percentage point. [2] [4] [1] During this campaign,Franklin's spending exceeded $960,000. [4]
In 2024,Franklin announced she would again seek the 41st District seat in 2025,setting up a rematch with Obenshain. [4] Her announcement included endorsements from U.S. representative Abigail Spanberger and speaker of the house Don Scott. [4]
The race,which was in a district of approximately 55,000 voters,was one of the 10 most-advertised House of Delegates races in Virginia that year. [2] Franklin's campaign outraised her opponent,raising $2.27 million by election day,and spent $910,000 on advertising. [2]
On election night,November 5,2025,Franklin won the election,flipping the seat from Republican to Democratic control. [3] Unofficial results from that night showed her with a lead of 2.46 percentage points by 10:45 p.m. [3]
During her campaigns,Franklin stated that top issues for voters included lowering electric bills and increasing access to affordable home ownership. [1]
As a former public school teacher,Franklin opposes school voucher systems,arguing they take money from public schools and are "not even feasible." [1]
Franklin has stated her support for the Second Amendment while also expressing her belief that "weapons of war don't belong in our classrooms and on our streets." [1]
Franklin is "in full support of reproductive rights" and supports proposed constitutional amendments to protect those rights,as well as legislation to protect access to contraception. [1]
Franklin supports state-level utility reform to lower electric rates and has expressed support for rent caps and other housing incentives. [1] She supports initiatives to bring "good-paying jobs" with benefits to Southwest Virginia. [1]