In a year of historic firsts, Hala Ayala (D-Prince William) has announced her candidacy for Lieutenant Governor. Ayala is the second candidate to run for the post. Delegate Elizabeth Guzman announced last month her exploratory campaign to run as well for Lieutenant Governor.

“There’s a whirlwind happening, and in a Commonwealth as vast and diverse as ours, we can’t make progress or heal discord without bridging divides — between our communities and our leaders, between our ideals and our realities, and between our past and where we’re going,” Ayala said in a statement.

Ayala, 47, is the daughter of a Salvadorian and North African immigrant father and an Irish and Lebanese mother. She’s a cyber specialist under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Already she has received endorsements from elected officials, such as Delegate Danica Roem, in a tweet sent out shortly after the announcement.

Later in the evening Ayala hosted a virtual forum and talked with the constituents. She talked about how her candidacy reflects the growing diversity that represents the Commonwealth. In addition, she shared about the experiences she dealt with growing up experiencing tragedies such as losing her father to gun violence, and later on dealing with the struggles of living on public assistance. In spite of these obstacles, she made it a point to always help others, passing Medicaid expansion in her first year.

“No one who needs medical care should be 1 sick day away from unemployment,” said Ayala during the forum. She also discussed how her knowledge of cyber security enabled her to understand the importance of national security and safety issues.

She addressed a myriad of questions from those in attendance, from helping families who are unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic to VA increasing gun control. One of the topics that she discussed in detail was helping families in lower income communities, as concerns about possible evictions might increase the amount of homelessness in the area.

“It is not only a homeless issue, but a public health issue,” said Ayala.

Another topic of interest was how she would address the party divide among Democrats. Ayala, being a certified mediator and former counselor, talked about bridging the divide. “If your leaders aren’t demonstrating the qualities you’re looking for, don’t vote for them. Putting policy and people above anything else, you will always win.”

She made an emphasis on dealing with the criminal justice system and the disproportionate number of black and brown people who are targeted. “I will submit a hate crime bill for those who use race as a reason for calling 9-1-1,” said Ayala, who also wants to continue revisions to the system.

One viewer asked what can homeowners and city planners do to increase cleaner energy initiatives? “We must have a pragmatic start to laying down pivotal infrastructure,” answered Ayala. “The Clean Energy Act will improve the majority of renewables by 2050, reduce the carbon footprint, and provide renewable energy jobs.”

“If we don’t start the conversation, then we aren’t taking action to support our climate.”

Citing her multi-racial ethnicity, she discussed helping minority communities through the banking systems and business owners of color being provided every opportunity to fulfill their goals as Lieutenant Governor. “It is time for us to really have this representation. We need a seat at the table.”