by John Reid

Running for elected office can be a daunting challenge, especially for the first time. It helps when you have an intimate knowledge of the area you grew up in, which is the case for Ashley Hutson. Born and raised in Prince William County, the Osbourn Park High School graduate and Democratic candidate for Manassas City Council met with the PW Perspective’s John Reid to discuss life on the campaign trail.

“It has been an exciting campaign,” she said. “I have particularly enjoyed learning about the various passions of the people of this city. There are some awesome charitable groups and organizations which are working really hard to improve the lives of their neighbors and communities. Whether it’s by providing jobs, or food, or other services, it has been so enlightening to see the work they are doing to make our community what it is.”

She has been knocking on doors, holding fundraisers at places like Sinistral Brewing Company, and along the way she talked about what she’s learned. “I am the youngest candidate, but I have worked around government affairs for the past seven years,” she said. “Coming from a place of wanting better for the community, and being from Prince William County, it has been really positive.”

“There is a lot of support from different groups, and several people who are rallying behind my campaign. I am a current participant for the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, and that is going to help me in this role. I’ve learned so much about budget preparation, and knowing how items are changed to help people’s lives. Also, the ethics and bi-partisanship will help to reach across the table. Although it leans Democrat, there’s still some tension in the council, and I will come from a place of togetherness and work towards the greater good.”

Connecting the community has been a passion of hers, and she reflected on her first moment in civic action.

“Working with the Heavy Construction Contract Association, we have to come from a perspective of helping laborers to business owners,” she said. “One of the most standout things I worked on in the political realm was when the temporary protective status of Central Americans was under attack.”

“We sat down with Senator Tim Kaine to discuss the impact it would have on the industry, and if they were to be sent away, it was about a third of Virginia’s construction workforce. It would have slowed things down and increased costs.”

She talked about how taking action helped the workers maintain their statuses to keep business operating.

“As a result, their temporary protected status was not removed. It helped the businesses and the people who work and live here”

Being an Osbourn Park High School graduate, how does it give her an advantage?

“I think it gives me a perspective of how much Manassas, and Prince William County as a whole, has changed,” she said. “When I was younger, there wasn’t a lot in the downtown area that drove my family here, but now, we have First Fridays, awesome restaurants and shops. It’s become a stop on the map, and to be the only candidate who’s experienced the changes gives me a different view than others on how much it has developed.”

“The community is tight-knit,” she continued, “and we promote diverse interests. One of the great things about Manassas is we are proud of our history of where we’ve come from, but we’ve also highlighted the good we are doing now.”

Understanding the growing demographics of Manassas inspired her to learn about different cultures and languages.

“Our schools are 70% Spanish speaking,” she said, “and I hope I can field more concerns. I’m thankful for wonderful people like Sonia Vasquez Luna, who do a great job of reaching out to our neighbors. Learning the language has driven my appreciation for culture, because I wanted to bridge the gap. I had a lot of friends who didn’t know English, so I studied Spanish to help communicate in different settings.”

Hutson reflects on what constituents are sharing as she has met with them. “Safety,” she said, “both by the road and community. There’s people who want to see a speed bump on Center Street. There will always be talks about the tax rates, the data centers, and the recent purchases of properties on Marsteller and Mathis Avenue. We just received the surveys back, and people enjoy living here. Change can be scary, and that’s why it’s important to have someone who understands construction processes, or provide the timelines. Some people think Mathis Avenue is going to be bulldozed immediately, but changes could be a decade away.”

She talked about how preparing for growth now will reduce potential issues in the future.

“Growth is inevitable in this area, and we can’t just sit back and do nothing. I’m a participant on the Community Advisory to the Washington Council of Governments Transportation Planning Board, and I was part of Visualize 2045, and the projections of population growth are astounding. In a place where traffic is horrendous, sitting back is not an option. What I’m hoping to do is explain the timelines, the funding processes, the differences between the transportation and land development processes. We want the bike lanes, the green spaces, but first we have to map the utilities to see what space we can work with.. I will explain them in layman’s terms to help ease any concerns.”

As with most of Northern Virginia, a critical challenge is attainable housing. Relating to her knowledge of land-use, she talked about simplifying design to reduce costs.

“We’re seeing huge homes with marble finishes, stainless steel, and that is expensive. One answer to attainable housing is simpler building, by building something simple yet affordable. Development firms are businesses and work for a profit, but I think if we can use simpler materials and fewer resources, we will list these properties at a lower price.”

If there was one sentence she described for her campaign, it’s one of seeing Manassas continue the path of growth.

“The only thing that makes an elected official different from anyone else is their willingness to step up and do the work. I love my city, and I want to see it grow in a positive direction. No matter your background, I’m here to listen.”

Early voting continues until June 15. For more information on voting in Manassas, please visit the website.