At PW Perspective, we strive to be a voice for the community, and sometimes that means admitting when we have made a mistake. 

Earlier this year, PW Perspective endorsed Rozia Henson, Jr. and Makya Little for the Democratic nomination for Delegate in the 19th District, which includes parts of Prince William and Fairfax County. We have done joint endorsements before with Delegate Hala Ayala and Delegate Sam Rasul in the 2021 Democratic Primary for Lt. Governor, and there is every possibility that we will issue more joint endorsements in the future. But we have come to the regrettable conclusion that in this case, it was a mistake, and we should have exclusively endorsed Henson for the position.

Since our endorsement, Henson has secured the Democratic nomination, and despite initially conceding, Little has been making an active effort to challenge those results and run as an independent. The June 20th primary was decided by just 49 votes, a thin but still decisive margin. In accordance with Virginia law, since the election was decided with a margin of more than 1%, the results do not constitute a recount. While the results have been certified, Little has continued to advocate for the ability to run as an independent, and what’s worse, she has gone as far as to write to the Susan Swecker, the Chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia, and request that the party rescind its nomination of Henson and give her the nomination instead. 

In the letter, she claims that the party violated rules and gave Henson support because of his relationship with his mother, Shantell Rock, who is chair of Prince William County’s Racial and Social Justice Commission. The claim is frankly absurd given that Rock is currently running for school board against the Democratic endorsed incumbent, Loree Williams. Further, Little’s letter claims that Henson’s nomination is “against the will of the people.” But, to put it bluntly, that is a ridiculous and desperate lie.

Hindsight is 20/20, and had we known then what we did now, we would have solely endorsed Henson. Little’s claims of manipulation mimic the inane rhetoric of Donald Trump after he lost the 2020 presidential election, and they mock the fabric of our electoral system. Henson won the nomination because he secured more support from the community, and ultimately, he was the better candidate. Little’s disregard for the democratic process only cements our belief in that. 

Natalie Shorter, who also ran in the Democratic Primary, has made no efforts to claim foul play. She has not challenged the results on any ground, and she stands as a stellar example of grace in concession. 

Little is also claiming she deserves the nomination because she resigned from her job at the FBI, which has negatively impacted her personal finances. But that was a personal choice on her part. Running for office is a personal choice, and sometimes, it requires sacrifices. Those sacrifices do not mean you deserve to win by default. 

Just a few weeks ago, Little appeared before the state Board of Elections, asking to be allowed to run as an independent, but the board took no action regarding this request. Virginia’s “sore loser” laws prevent someone from running as an independent after losing a primary.

Henson is a well-known leader in the community, and he won the primary because of the work he’s done. To claim otherwise is an insult. Henson previously ran for delegate in the special election for 2nd District in 2020. He has been an advocate for the community and a leader in the local Democratic Party. There was no interference–his victory was solely his, and we are proud to support his candidacy in the general election.

The results of the primary were far from illegitimate, but Little’s continued efforts to overturn the primary or run as an independent are. We sincerely regret ever endorsing Little for this position, and we apologize to any readers who were swayed to support her by our endorsement.