According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Gov. Ralph Northam, House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn and House Majority Leader Charniele Herring endorsed Delegate Hala Ayala (D-51) for lieutenant governor in the party’s June 8 primary, backing a candidate who would become the first Latina to hold the office.

“Her leadership in the House Democratic majority has been central to these and so many other historic pieces of legislation that are improving the lives of Virginia families. I’ve seen firsthand her indispensable ability to bring people together to make progress,” Northam said in a statement.

Herring said Ayala “has been a central part of some of the biggest legislative wins of our Democratic majority.”

Filler-Corn highlighted that, if elected, Ayala would be the first woman of color to serve in statewide office and the first woman to serve as lieutenant governor, “bringing historic representation to the highest levels of our state government.”

The leaders will appear alongside Ayala on Monday during a campaign event at the Virginia Women’s Monument inside Richmond’s Capitol Square.

Ayala was one of the first Hispanic women elected to serve in the House of Delegates, alongside Del. Elizabeth Guzman, D-Prince William, who was also first elected in 2017. Guzman was also seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, but withdrew earlier this month, citing a lack of funding.

For Northam, Ayala was the candidate “most aligned with him ideologically and who made the most sense for the ticket,” a source close to Northam said.

The other candidates in a crowded Democratic field are: Delegate Sam Rasoul of Roanoke, Delegate Mark Levine of Alexandria, Andrea McClellan of the Norfolk City Council, Xavier Warren, and Sean Perryman, former head of the Fairfax NAACP.

The winner in the Democratic primary will face the Republican nominee, who will be selected in a May 8 convention.