PW Perspective, Virginia’s Anti-Racist Voice, is proud to announce our joint endorsement of Delegate Hala Ayala (D-51) and Delegate Sam Rasoul (D-11) in their campaigns for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.

Ayala and Rasoul have both championed anti-racism in the House of Delegates and in their own communities.

Delegate Hala Ayala has been involved in the Prince William County community for years. A long-time resident of the county, she has served as a proponent of better public education, a voice for neglected communities, and an advocate for women and children. As the daughter of a Salvadorian and North African immigrant father and an Irish and Lebanese mother, Ayala has served as a champion for people of color and a representative of multiple communities. 

As a single mother, Ayala has been open about how she has struggled at times to make ends meet. She balanced raising her children with a career as a cybersecurity specialist with the Department of Homeland Security. She finished her college degree online while working full time and raising her children. 

As the only cybersecurity expert in the Virginia House of Delegates, Ayala has worked to strengthen the commonwealth against cyberattacks and strengthen consumer protections. 

Ayala was the only candidate in the lieutenant gubernatorial election who released a plan to protect Black mothers and to end racial disparities in healthcare outcomes. Maternal mortality is a crucial issue in the Black community; Black women are three to four times more likely to die during childbirth. Her platform includes creating a universal paid family and medical leave program, implementing a requirement for implicit bias training among healthcare professionals, and increasing access to doula care.

Ayala’s campaign focuses on healthcare, the economy, education, women’s rights, criminal justice reform, and infrastructure from roads to broadband access. Delegate Ayala has proven herself as a leader in her community and across the Commonwealth. As Lt. Governor, she would continue the vital work that she has been doing for years and drive Virginia into the future.

Delegate Sam Rasoul has served in the House of Delegates since he was first elected in a special election in 2014. His district includes parts of the City of Roanoke. When he was elected, he was the first and only Muslim member of the General Assembly, and if he is elected Lt. Governor he will be the first Muslim to serve in that capacity in any state in the country. 

Rasoul’s campaign revolves around the values of truth, love, and grit. The son of Palestinian immigrants, Rasoul grew up in the Roanoke Valley. He has often said that status as a first-generation American citizen and a religious and ethnic minority helped him learn the value in building bridges where he could.

Among his accomplishments while serving in office, Rasoul has passed a renewable energy tax credit for businesses, created the Green New Deal Coalition to push for environmental justice, and worked with constituents to craft the bills that he brings to the floor of the House of Delegates.

One of Rasoul’s top issues is saving local journalism. In recent years, the news industry has come under attack from the far-right, and those attacks have not only damaged leading publications but also small-town newspapers across the country. Rasoul is the only candidate in the race who has unveiled a platform to help the press thrive. His plan includes investing in local journalism, putting a cap on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) fees, and ensuring that government meetings are open to the public and the press. 

Rasoul’s other plans include addressing voting rights, expanding healthcare coverage, and increasing internet access across the Commonwealth.

As members of the Democratic majority in the House of Delegates, Ayala and Rasoul have worked to expand Medicaid coverage, raise teacher pay, and pass environmental reform.

Delegate Ayala and Delegate Rasoul are not career politicians; they are members of their communities who fought for those communities before they ran for public office and have continued to do so through their legislation. Both are proven leaders, and the Commonwealth of Virginia would thrive under either of their leadership. The PW Perspective is proud to support these two candidates who have and will continue to fight for anti-racism in Virginia.