On Friday at Netroots Nation I interviewed Krystal Ball, who is running to represent the 1st district in Virginia. She is a straight ally running a campaign with strong public support for LGBT rights and reproductive freedom.

We must have a balance of experience and idealism in Congress, with multiple generations represented.  Right now, those under 30, with their unique perspective and combination of idealism and pragmatism have no voice in Congress.  

Krystal will be the voice for grandparents, parents and young people; for anyone with an interest in the next generation. She will stand up for marriage equality, for education funding, for technology based rural job growth and for protecting the environment. When everyone in Washington talks about how “future generations” are going to have to live with the environmental mess, failure of social security and huge deficits, they are talking about a generation currently not represented in Congress. We have fewer women in Congress than Afghanistan or Rwanda! Let’s change that.

She is running to unseat a real anti-gay winger, Rob Wittman. From his family values page:

As a member of the Values Action Team, I will continue to support pro-life, pro-family legislation.  I will work in defense of parental rights, religious liberty, and the definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Furthermore, I support efforts to curb internet pornography and obscenity.

As usual, he represents social conservatism that wants government out of business, but peeping in your bedroom and your doctor’s office.

Krystle brings a lot of enthusiasm into this race (she’s 27) and wants to encourage the youth vote, which usually needs quite a bit of motivation to vote consistently (outside of this last presidential election) and Ball has a novel motivator — The Krystal Ball Student Loan Challenge. Whoever raises the most money for Krystal by September 30, 2009 will win something near and dear to their pocketbooks.  Their student loans will be paid off — up to $50,000.

You can donate to Krystle’s campaign here.