VA-06 Democratic nominee?
Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleEmergency manager (FEMA)
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyModerate Democrat
Age44 years old (Jan 1, 1982)
GenderMale
Show moreShow less
LocationVirginia
BackgroundEmergency manager (FEMA)
Notable personal detailsPete Hamilton Barlow is a Democratic candidate for Virginia’s 6th Congressional District. He is a Shenandoah Valley native born in Rockingham County in 1982 and lives in Augusta County with his wife, Hannah. His background includes serving as an emergency manager with FEMA (2020–2025) and a Peace Corps deployment in the Philippines, as well as work with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Virginia State Parks.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports reversing recent large tax cuts for the wealthiest and argues for federal investment in rural infrastructure and healthcare. Criticizes tariffs imposed by the Trump administration as effectively regressive taxes on businesses and consumers. Emphasizes using federal resources to fund broadband, healthcare, and conservation rather than cutting those programs to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy.
Healthcare
The candidate emphasizes protecting rural healthcare funding and criticizes proposed cuts that would harm Medicaid-supported rural hospitals, while also expressing that many constituents want government to stay out of personal health-care choices. He is listed by an outside organization as committed to fighting for universal healthcare, creating conflicting signals about support for large public expansions versus more limited or market-respecting approaches. Overall his statements and endorsements provide mixed indications rather than a single clear policy stance.
Show moreShow less
Immigration & Border
The candidate has described the U.S. immigration system as “broken” and raised concerns about visa costs for foreign medical workers, but has not published specific policy proposals on border enforcement, asylum, or pathways to legal status.
Climate & Energy
Emphasizes protecting parks, rivers, and forests in Virginia’s 6th District and advocates for disaster-prepared infrastructure, codes, and preparedness measures (floodproofing, wildfire-ready codes, electrical redundancies). No explicit policy positions on emissions targets, renewable energy deployment, carbon pricing, or phasing out fossil fuels were found in the candidate’s campaign materials and published writing.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262026
LatestCycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- News
- Polls
- Endorsements



