Virginia_Juneteenth
This week voters across Virginia nominated a strikingly diverse general election ballot, including Ghazala Hashmi for lieutenant governor—the first Muslim and person of southeast Asian descent nominated for statewide office.
Black women specifically are nearly 20 percent of nominees in competitive races, building on a recent record of progress in Virginia, which in the last five years has elected its first Black female US House member (Rep. Jennifer McClellan), first Black female majority leader (Del. Charniele Herring) and first Black female lieutenant governor (a Republican, unfortunately).
Because we’re celebrating Juneteenth this week, we are lifting up this year’s Black House of Delegates nominees with a slate of Black women running in some of the most competitive races.
The candidates whose primary victories we’re celebrating today—and who need your help in the November general election—are:
- District 64 candidate Stacey Carroll, a military veteran and foster parent who is endorsed by our national partner Elect Black Women PAC;
- District 66 candidate Nicole Cole, an education advocate who got involved in politics after MAGA extremists took over her local school board;
- District 73 candidate Leslie Mehta, a medical charity founder endorsed by Abigail Spanberger. She’s endorsed by our partners Vote Mama and EMILYs List;
- District 82 candidate Kimberly Pope Adams, who fell short of flipping this district in 2023. She’s endorsed by Vote Mama, Elect Black Women PAC, EMILYs List and The Next 50.
Thank you,
The WomenCount team
PS — In addition to Leslie Mehta, we’d like to congratulate May Nivar, Lindsey Dougherty and Kacey Carnegie, who also won competitive primaries last night and appeared at our May pre-primary event.