Delegate Hala Ayala (D-51) understands what it means to come from humble beginnings and being able to succeed despite all obstacles, and as she enters the final weeks of the Democratic primary for Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor, she recently spoke with the PW Perspective about how those experiences have prepared her for this position.

Ayala has been involved in the Prince William County community for several years. As a graduate of Woodbridge Senior High School and an involved parent, she’s served as an advocate for education and students. As the founder of the Prince William County chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW), she has fought against sexism and misogyny in her community. As the only cybersecurity expert in the House of Delegates, she understands the importance of having sound infrastructure, especially in underserved areas. 

“Being Lieutenant Governor, I’ll bring an added value to the Commonwealth, meaning education,” Ayala said. “We need to inform Virginians what steps they can take to protect themselves. Hacks are going to continue. It’s not 100% but we can take steps and measures to make sure that infrastructure is updated to make sure we have a separation between networks. I’ll be able to bring my lived experience to the table. We will discuss assessment to reward communities that are building bridges to incorporate these policies.”

Fighting for more diverse voices to lead the communities they serve is also a passion of hers. As an Afro-Latina/Lebanese woman, she fully understands the necessity of representation. “We’ve seen a lot happen over the past few years,” said Ayala. “What I’m trying to get across is running for Lieutenant Governor is not about sentiment, it’s about representation. When you elect women, we bring governance and everyone wins. We’ll continue to work so that equity is in all of our systems and we’ll make sure everyone has a seat at the table and not just on the menu.”

She has also led the charge in establishing Medicaid, broadband expansion and higher pay for teachers. In addition, she constantly advocates for police reform in the Commonwealth, from supporting the ban on no-knock warrants, to crisis intervention training for police. 

“We have to fight constantly for reform,” says Ayala. “When we’re talking about justice, it’s not just us, it’s everyone. You will have a Lieutenant Governor who will fight for the communities and make sure that equities are in the system.” 

“As a woman of color with Black children, this is the lived reality. We have two realities, those who are not so diverse and ours. Two systems are not equitable, so we’re going to continue to work hard. We can bridge that gap. I’m going to work with the governor and discuss these very impacts to each of these communities. We can’t just let the moment pass us, it’s going to take representation and those who can be impacted.”

She talks about what she has learned during this campaign, and how it has created a connection with constituents. “I think that you grow as you campaign, you become even more humble about their struggles and their plights, or their innovations.”

“It has enlightened me and made me that much more connected with Virginians. In that same vein, that is what made our campaign so successful. We implement policies that resonate with Virginians and that we have a connection with the people. We look forward to being the pragmatic candidate that will continue to usher the efforts to take us across the finish line. We are ready to show that Black and Brown women lead!”