On Friday, March 22, Dakota Claytor (D) collected the signatures needed to be certified as a candidate for Virginia’s 22nd Senate District election, his campaign’s Facebook page announced. Dakota has already begun to put together a staff and gather volunteers for the campaign.

Claytor was born and raised in the district, attending Amherst County Public Schools. Having been actively involved in theater, show choir, and interning with a middle school music teacher as a high school senior, Claytor understands the district’s “deteriorating” public education system, something he has vowed to fix. Currently, Claytor works as a freelance hair stylist and private music educator. He has also been actively involved in community theater where he can be often be found onstage.

Claytor is running on the issues of fixing the state’s broken health care system, deteriorating public education system, improving the lives of the blue-collar workers, and the legalization of medical and recreational use of marijuana. In an email to donors sent out recently, Claytor says he got into the race for the office because of incumbent Mark Peake’s decision to vote against the recently passed Medicaid expansion bill.

If no other Democrat files their candidacy papers by 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, there will not be a Democratic Primary Election and Dakota will face incumbent Mark Peake (R) in the general election on Nov. 5.

To learn more about Claytor’s campaign for State Senate, visit the campaign’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/ClaytorforVASenate22/