I am very pleased and honored to accept the nomination of the Democratic party for another term to be your Delegate for the 57th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. I first want to thank my family – Nancy and Matthew – for supporting me all of these years. Without them, I could not do this job.
Since I took office in 2006, I have learned a great deal about how best to represent this district and region. It is a challenge to get things done in Richmond, particularly when you are in the minority in the House. But with every year that goes by, I have become more effective, whether it has been in re-writing the adoption statutes that was accomplished early in my tenure, fighting against the forced resignation of President Teresa Sullivan in 2012, continuing to advocate for more funding for public education, or working to ensure that our Amtrak service from Charlottesville to DC has a dedicated source of funding.
I have been pleased to receive the endorsement of state and local teacher groups and to be designated by the League of Conservation Voters, the preeminent legislative environmental group in the Commonwealth, as a “Legislative Hero” for six years running.
My election as the Democratic Leader in the House has brought increasing responsibilities and opportunities to influence policies in Richmond that reflect the values of our region. As many of you know, the landmark Transportation Bill passed in 2013 could not have been done without Democratic votes in the House. I have pushed for this kind of legislation for years, and it was gratifying to help deliver the votes to pass it, given my new leadership position in the body.
These accomplishments are gratifying, but they cannot be done without you. You have supported me with your ideas, messages of encouragement, and monetary support. To do my job, I will need all three again. Please feel free to pass this announcement on to a friend, let me know what is on your mind, and, if you can, donate to my campaign or my political action committee, the Virginia First PAC. Donations to the PAC will go to help elect other candidates to the House who share our values. In that way, we marshal our local resources to gain more votes for our values in Richmond.
As always, it is an honor to represent you in the House of Delegates. I ask for your vote in November to be returned for another term.
