Glass ceiling on statewide offices remains for Black women, SMART endorses Terry McAuliffe, and highlights from the attorney general debate
The latest in VA politics
Glass Ceiling on Statewide Offices Remains for Black Women
By Josephine Walker
Capital News Service
RICHMOND, Va. — Four Black women have entered the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial race. If elected, the commonwealth would become the first state with a Black female governor.
Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, and former Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Prince William, are competing for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Former Roanoke City Sheriff Octavia Johnson is seeking the Republican nomination. Independent activist and educator Princess Blanding is running for the new Liberation Party, which she helped establish last year.
Former U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm, D-New York, made history in 1972 when she became the first Black woman to seek a U.S. presidential nomination for a major political party. Almost 50 years later, the road to electing a Black woman to a governorship or the presidency has yet to be traveled.
“The next time a woman of whatever color, or a dark-skinned person of whatever sex aspires to be president, the way should be a little smoother because I helped pave it,” Chisholm said in 1973 regarding her unsuccessful presidential bid.
Dearth of representation
Since Chisholm was elected, 50 Black women have served in Congress or federal office, according to the Center for American Women and Politics database. Ten Black women have held statewide executive offices such as lieutenant governor or attorney general, according to the same database. No Black woman has ever been elected governor, although former Georgia Rep. Stacey Abrams, D-Atlanta, came close in a 2018 hotly contested election.
Carroll Foy said the nation’s history limits what some citizens view as a capable candidate.
“Unfortunately, people look to the past to try to dictate what can happen in the future,” she said. “When people see women of color running for higher office, we are seen as the exception and not the rule.”
Organizations dedicated to electing women to office such as EMILY’S List, Higher Heights and EMERGE aim to make the paths to office more accessible in recent years, providing advice, contributions and peer support to women candidates.
McClellan said when she first ran for a House seat in 2005, she had very little guidance and few mentors.
“There was no collective PAC, there was no EMERGE, you know, groups that have since formed to help Black candidates and women candidates and Black women candidates. They weren’t there,” McClellan said. “I had to really do it on my own, with help from the handful of people who had done it before me.”
Media representation
The media often poorly represents women in politics, according to Political Parity, a research group that recruits and supports women candidates. Often, media coverage surrounding women running for office adds unnecessary details about a woman candidate’s clothing, weight, qualifications, motherhood situation and emotional maturity, according to the same report.
International Association Of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Endorses Terry McAuliffe for Governor
SMART, which endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential campaign, represents 203,000 workers across North America.
“Recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic is going to require leaders who have the proven track record and plans to fight for workers and create good paying jobs. As governor, Terry McAuliffe was a strong champion for Virginia’s workers and families, and we know he will be the leader workers need to recover from this pandemic,” said SMART’s General President Joe Sellers. “We are proud to endorse Terry because he has bold plans to create a stronger and more equitable post-COVID economy that focuses on raising wages and protecting workers. Terry has delivered for Virginians before and we know he will again.”
Jennifer Carroll Foy Releases Plan to Uplift Rural Communities
“I’ve sat in classrooms that lacked the resources we needed, and saw jobs leave and despair creep into my hometown. And while the challenges Petersburg faces are not one and the same with the challenges rural Virginians face, I know that the feeling of being overlooked is all too familiar for so many Virginians,” said Jennifer Carroll Foy. “For too long, rural Virginians have been left out and left behind by the broken status quo. As Governor, I’ll fight to uplift every part of this Commonwealth. My plan ensures rural Virginians have an equal shot at securing a job with high wages and good benefits, quality healthcare, a first-class public school education, and more so that every Virginian has the opportunity to thrive.
Key highlights of her plan include:
Ensure 97 percent of Virginians will have access to high speed internet by the end of her administration.
Investing in mobile health clinics to help provide care for the most vulnerable Virginians – people who suffer from mental illness, substance abuse, homeless populations, and rural communities.
Address critical school construction needs by making necessary reforms to the outdated Local Composite Index to ensure that high-risk students, their teachers, and their schools are getting the resources they need.
Assemble an extensive, strategic, and robust portfolio of project-ready sites and buildings across Virginia with a special focus on Virginia’s rural and distressed area.
Secure the funding needed to complete the remaining infrastructure projects and upgrades along the I-81 corridor, make additional investments to Virginia Passenger Rail Authority and continue the implementation of Governor Northam’s Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative, and support the New River Valley Passenger Station Authority and allocate funding towards the creation of a rail line to Christiansburg.
Continue supporting the Virginia Initiative for Growth & Opportunity (GO Virginia), which awards grants based on population for regional and statewide projects. These projects foster collaboration among business, education, and government, to effectively expand economic development in key regional priorities.
Reduce statutory restrictions on specialty dockets (i.e. Drug Courts, Mental Health, and Veterans dockets) and ensure greater funding for treatment services, including trauma-informed counseling.
GOP gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin joins Tucker Carlson
Senator Elizabeth Warren Endorses Del. Sam Rasoul for Virginia Lt. Governor
"Sam Rasoul is a hard worker who dreams big, fights hard, and gets results. Sam is the passionate, progressive voice Virginians deserve. As a Delegate, Sam showed determination in the fight to expand Medicaid, lower health care costs, and raise the minimum wage," said Sen. Warren. "As Lt. Governor, Sam has a plan to ensure quality, affordable childcare, and guaranteed paid medical and sick leave for all workers. I’m proud to endorse Delegate Sam Rasoul for Lieutenant Governor and I hope you vote for him in the Democratic Primary on June 8th."
GOP governor race: Who's in First Depends on Who's in Second - Associated Press
by Matthew Barakat
Being a voter’s second choice is usually a recipe for disaster for a political candidate, but in this year’s chaotic GOP gubernatorial race in Virginia, second-place status could be a winning ticket.
Seven candidates are vying for the Republican nomination at what the GOP is calling an “unassembled convention” this Saturday.
Jones hits Herring over ‘no empathy’ blackface admission in first Democratic AG debate - Virginia Mercury
by Graham Moomaw
As he tries to become Virginia’s first Black attorney general, Del. Jay Jones made clear on the debate stage Wednesday night that he wasn’t going to tiptoe around the topic of race.
Facing off against incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring in the first televised debate of the Democratic primary, Jones introduced himself as the descendant of slaves and the grandson of civil rights activists, going on to make several references to the perspective gained from his “lived experience as a Black man.”
The Jay Jones campaign released the following highlights from last night’s Democratic attorney general debate against Mark Herring
The Herring campaign sent out the following quotes after the Democratic attorney general debate
On gun violence: “There is no elected official in the commonwealth of Virginia who’s done more for gun violence prevention than me.” said Attorney General Mark Herring. “We need a lawyer with experience in the Office of the Attorney General so that we don’t lose critical progress in our fight to get weapons of war off of our streets. I’ve been endorsed by dynamic organizations like Giffords, Brady PAC, and the coalition to stop gun violence because Virginians know I'll do everything I can to keep our families and communities safe.”
On healthcare: “Donald Trump may be out of office, but the impact of his dangerous policies still linger,” said Attorney General Mark Herring. “That’s why I’m fighting in the Supreme Court to maintain protections for pre-existing conditions that help give over 642,000 Virginians with pre-existing conditions access to healthcare coverage. There is no one more equipped to handle the present challenges we face in the office of the Attorney General.”
On racial justice: “Progress for black Virginians includes so much more than just criminal justice, and our office is dedicated to racial inclusion efforts that must take place,” said Attorney General Mark Herring. “Our team worked to build a world class group of lawyers that reflects the diversity of the people they serve, including appointing the first African-American woman to serve as Chief Deputy Attorney General of Virginia when I first took office. Whether it was winning landmark lawsuits to remove symbols of Confederate propaganda from Virginia public spaces and license plates, or protecting historic slave landmarks in Loudoun County, I will always respond to local needs and concerns important to Virginia’s Black communities.”
State Senator Janet Howell and the Women of Color Coalition Endorses Delegate Hala Ayala for Lieutenant Governor
"I am proud to endorse Delegate Hala Ayala for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. We need more leaders like Hala in Richmond," said Senator Janet Howell. "It is so crucial to have elected officials who understand the importance of national and cyber security on the state level and how it impacts our Commonwealth. Hala will use her cyber security expertise and decade plus of activism to build coalitions and get things done. I hope you’ll join me in supporting Delegate Hala Ayala for Lieutenant Governor.”
Lt. Gov. candidate Andria McClellan includes NCI in her southside road tour - Martinsville Bulletin
by Bill Wyatt
Norfolk Council Member Andria McClellan toured New College Institute in Martinsville on Wednesday as part of what she described as a “road tour in Southside and Southwest Virginia.”
McClellan announced in December that she would be seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor in 2021.
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