2021 Candidates
If you are interested in viewing recorded debates among the candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General, please visit the Facebook pages of these organizations: Virginia Young Democrats, Virginia Association of Democratic Chairs, and the Virginia People's Debates Association. If you are interested in viewing recorded debates among the candidates for House of Delegates, County Board, and School Board, please visit the Arlington Democrats' YouTube Channel.
View the Sample 2021 Ballot
State Candidates
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During his tenure, Terry brought 200,000 good paying jobs to the Commonwealth, drove unemployment down, and raised personal income over 13%. He invested in workforce development and infrastructure, laid the groundwork for Virginia to be a national leader in clean energy, and helped build a solid cyber ecosystem in the Commonwealth.
Time and again, Terry fought the Republican-led legislature. He successfully secured a record $1 billion investment in education and expanded preschool to thousands of Virginia children. As Virginia’s first lady, Terry’s wife Dorothy made ending childhood hunger in the Commonwealth a priority. Thanks to her tireless advocacy, Virginia made tremendous strides in addressing this critical issue and schools have served 13 million more meals per year.
As governor, Terry served as a brick-wall against extreme Republican attacks on women’s health care rights. He kept open every women’s health clinic in the Commonwealth and vetoed all anti-women’s rights legislation passed by the General Assembly, including a bill that would have defunded Planned Parenthood in Virginia. In 2013, Terry campaigned proudly on his support for marriage equality, and he was the first Southern governor to officiate a gay wedding.
One of his proudest accomplishments was successfully reversing a racist Jim Crow law that disenfranchised hundreds of thousands of Virginians. Thanks to his efforts, more than 200,000 Virginians have now had their voting rights restored and are able to participate in our democracy. In December 2017, Terry was named “Public Official of the Year” by GOVERNING magazine.
A tireless champion for progressive policies, Terry has dedicated his life to electing Democrats. He got his start with President Jimmy Carter’s campaign when he was just 23 years old, and later served as co-chair of President Bill Clinton’s 1996 campaign and chairman of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign.
Terry has worked for the last 12 years to build the party infrastructure that led to flipping and keeping the Commonwealth blue. Since leaving office, he has continued to fight for progressive policies and campaigned for Democratic candidates across Virginia.
The youngest child from a middle-class family, Terry started a business paving driveway for neighbors and local businesses at age 14. Since then, he has worked with and led dozens of businesses in diverse sectors of the economy helping to improve companies and create economic opportunity. Terry and Dorothy have been married for over 30 years and have five children. They live in McLean with their dogs Daisy and Trooper.
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Born and raised in Virginia, Hala understands our Commonwealth, its history, its challenges, and its many opportunities. As the daughter of a Salvadorian and North African immigrant father and an Irish and Lebanese mother, Hala reflects the growing diversity of Virginia and the strength that it brings to our future.
Growing up, Hala’s family struggled to make ends meet. And when she was pregnant, her job didn’t offer any health insurance. Thankfully, she qualified for Medicaid, which provided healthcare for her and her son. After he was born, he suffered from asthma and acid reflux and needed urgent medical attention. Medicaid saved his life.
Hala went on to build a career as a single working mom. For over 20 years as a cybersecurity specialist with the Department of Homeland Security, she worked to protect our nation’s information systems and prevent attacks on our national security. And in 2013, Hala completed her college degree online while working full time.
From the local PTA and statewide women’s advocacy groups to serving on the McAuliffe Council of Women, Hala has long worked for progress. In 2017, she helped organize the first Women’s March in Washington. Seeing millions of women stand up against division and hate inspired her to run for office. She ran for Virginia’s 51st House District and won against a four-term Republican incumbent in the diverse and fast-growing suburbs of Prince William County.
A key part of the new Democratic Majority, she made good on her campaign promises – expanding Medicaid for 400,000 Virginians, raising teacher pay, passing the Equal Rights Amendment and expanding background checks to keep guns out of dangerous hands.
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Mark has gone to court time and again to protect your healthcare. When former President Trump abandoned the defense of Obamacare in court, Mark stepped in to protect coverage for preexisting conditions and to keep healthcare affordable and accessible for Virginians. He has also sued to block efforts to defund Planned Parenthood and limit women’s access to reproductive healthcare.
Even in the NRA’s backyard, Mark has been a proud champion for commonsense gun safety laws, like universal background checks, bans on high capacity magazines and bump stocks, reinstatement of Virginia’s one-handgun-a-month law, and a “red flag law,” and has gone to court to successfully defend Virginia’s new gun violence protection laws from legal attack by the NRA and the gun lobby. He has sued to block untraceable, undetectable 3D guns from hitting the streets, and launched innovative campaigns to reduce violence in Virginia communities.
Mark led a multimillion-dollar, multiyear project completed in July 2020 to eliminate Virginia’s backlog of untested rape kits. As a result of his work, more than 2,600 kits were tested, Virginia’s backlog has been eliminated, and charges are being brought against suspects. He also chaired Virginia’s Task Force on Campus Sexual Violence and is pushing for reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
And since the day he was sworn in, Attorney General Herring has worked nonstop to defend the rights of Virginia taxpayers, seniors, veterans, and military families. He has secured more than $300 million in restitution for Virginia families and payments from companies who ripped off consumers, and his best-in-the-nation Medicaid Fraud Unit has recovered more than $1 billion for taxpayers.
Mark is the first Democrat to serve as Virginia’s attorney general in more than 20 years, and the first attorney general to be reelected in nearly 30 years. Prior to serving as Attorney General, Mark served as a State Senator from Loudoun, a member of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, and as an attorney in private practice in his hometown of Leesburg. Mark received a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the University of Virginia before attending the University of Richmond School of Law. He and his wife, Laura, have been married for 30 years. They have two children, daughter Peyton, and son Tim.
House of Delegates
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Elizabeth Bennett-Parker is the Vice Mayor of Alexandria and the Democratic nominee for Delegate in the 45th House District.
As Vice Mayor, she serves as a member of the Alexandria City Council and is the youngest woman elected to Council in Alexandria’s history.
Born in Alexandria to two Naval officers, Elizabeth is dedicated to serving her community. She co-leads Together We Bake, a nonprofit job training and personal development program for under-served women.
Elizabeth is the founder of Fruitcycle, a business fighting the tragic paradox that, while one in six Americans experience food-insecurity on a daily basis, 40% of our food is thrown into landfills.
Before launching Fruitcycle, Elizabeth worked for the National Governors Association, where she served as governors' liaison to Congress, federal agencies, and the White House on issues related to transportation, economic development, and health.
She was selected as one of Alexandria’s 40 under 40 in 2017. She has served on the Alexandria Community Criminal Justice Board and the Commission on Employment, as well as the boards of the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, Agenda:Alexandria, and the United Way Regional Council for Alexandria. She is a graduate of Leadership Greater Washington, Emerge Virginia and the Alexandria City Academy.
Elizabeth served as a Fulbright Fellow, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Cornell University, and earned a Master's from the University of London.
She and her husband, Stephen, live with their rescue cat, Julep and dog, Nori, thanks to the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
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Patrick Hope is a Member of the Virginia General Assembly as the Delegate from the 47th District of the Commonwealth of Virginia and is running for re-election to a seventh term. Delegate Hope currently serves as Chair of the House Public Safety Committee and also sits on the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee and the House Courts of Justice Committee. He is a health care attorney with over 20 years of experience working for Virginia and has been recognized by numerous organizations for his success in passing complex legislation focusing on the expansion of services to vulnerable populations, especially older adults and people with disabilities.
Patrick serves on numerous Virginia commissions, including the Joint Commission on Health Care, which he chairs, the Behavioral Health Commission, which he serves as vice chair, the Substance Abuse Services Council, and the Disability Commission.
Patrick was born in San Antonio, Texas. A high school graduate of Castle Hills First Baptist School in San Antonio, Patrick received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from St. Mary's University in San Antonio ('93), then received his Master of Arts degree in Congressional Studies from The Catholic University in Washington, DC ('96), and then received a Juris Doctorate degree from The Catholic University Columbus School of Law in Washington, DC ('01).
After spending several years working on Capitol Hill for Senator Bob Kerrey (D-NE) and Representative Henry B. Gonzalez (D-TX), Patrick worked for various health care organizations advocating for the improvement of patient access to medical care. He currently is the Executive Director of the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance. He also is an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Patrick also has a very strong record of community leadership. Patrick was the founder and first president of the Buckingham Community Civic Association (2003-2009) and chaired the Arlington County Community Services Board (2005-2008). He also was co-chairman, Arlington Implementation Task Force to End Homelessness (2008-2010), and Commissioner for the Arlington County Commission on Aging (2002-2007).
In addition, Patrick belongs to numerous organizations and causes: Arlington County Bar Association, Arlington Historical Society, Friends of Clarendon House, Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance, Arlington Committee of 100, Leadership Arlington (2010), and Arlington Kiwanis and South Arlington Kiwanis. Patrick serves on the Board of the Arlington Historical Society and the Arlington Committee of 100.
Patrick lives with his wife Kristen and their three daughters – Emma, Patty, and Lilly – in the Buckingham community of Arlington. They have lived in the Buckingham neighborhood since the year 2000.
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Rip is Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, a leadership role in which he works with Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn and Majority Leader Charniele Herring to promote the goals of House Democrats. Rip served two terms as the House Democratic Caucus Campaign Chair, during which time he led the Democratic Party’s effort to gain seats and win back the majority in the House. He became Campaign Chair in 2017 and oversaw the strategy that led House Democrats to pick up a whopping 15 seats. He reprised his role as Campaign Chair during the 2019 cycle in which Democrats made history by taking back both the House and Senate. As a Delegate, Rip has fought every year to encourage the growth of Virginia's clean energy and energy efficiency sectors, promote access to the ballot box, protect and advance LGBTQ rights, and de-politicize the redistricting process. Speaker Filler-Corn appointed Rip to serve as Chair of the powerful Labor and Commerce Committee’s Energy Subcommittee, a role in which he used his experience legislating in the energy space to help shape the way Virginia moves forward on these crucial issues. He also serves as Chair of the Finance Committee's Third Subcommittee which considers bills related to corporate and individual income tax. Additionally, Rip serves on the Rules Committee and Courts of Justice Committee.
During the 2020 session Rip introduced the historic Virginia Clean Economy Act to advance the Commonwealth's clean energy sector and promote energy efficiency and a lifesaving "Red Flag" law to curb gun violence before a single shot is fired, among other significant pieces of legislation. Rip worked diligently with stakeholders and his colleagues to ultimately ensure that these landmark bills became law.
Rip and Beth, his high school sweetheart, have four children, all of whom graduated from our public schools. Rip graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College and received his law degree from the University of Virginia. He is a partner in the law firm Bean Kinney & Korman, P.C., in Arlington."
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Alfonso Lopez is a lifelong Democrat and activist with nearly 30 years of federal and Virginia legislative experience on issues critical to the people of Arlington and Fairfax counties. He has served as an Obama Administration political appointee, Kaine Administration cabinet-level appointee, and a five-term member of the Virginia House of Delegates representing the people of the 49th District. Alfonso also serves as the Majority Whip of the Virginia House Democratic Caucus.
As the son of a formerly undocumented father from Venezuela, Alfonso has been a leader in advocating for the rights of the immigrant and New American communities in Virginia. Since his first campaign for the House of Delegates, Alfonso’s signature issue has been expanding educational opportunity to undocumented and mixed-status families in Virginia like his own. In 2021, Alfonso continued his work championing the Virginia Dreamers agenda by introducing and passing legislation expanding financial aid eligibility to undocumented Virginia students.
Alfonso has represented the 49th District in the Virginia House of Delegates since 2012, which is one of the most diverse in Virginia. Since becoming a Delegate, Alfonso has successfully championed legislation creating the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, establishing the Small Business Investment Grant Fund, allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote, creating the Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory Board, and raising the cap on nonresidential solar net metering in Virginia.
Alfonso is also a lifelong environmentalist and is helping lead the fight to protect our environment for future generations. He has strongly supported the growth of Virginia’s clean energy industries so that we can build a new Virginia economy. In 2015, he founded the Virginia Environment and Renewable Energy Caucus in the Virginia General Assembly and served as its founding co-chair. In 2020, Alfonso served as one of the chief negotiators of the Virginia Clean Economy Act, a landmark bill that put Virginia on the pathway to a 100% carbon-free economy for the first time.
In 2018 Alfonso also fulfilled an ambition—seven years in the making—to create the Virginia Latino Caucus, the first legislative caucus representing Virginia’s Latinos in the General Assembly's history. The Caucus deals with issues within the Latino, immigrant, and New American communities from in-state tuition to driver's licenses to at-risk student funding. He currently serves as the Caucus Co-Chair.
County Candidates
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I’m running for School Board because I know we can do more than simply “get back to normal”--we can create a system where every single student thrives and where all families have the opportunity to be true partners in school and district improvement.
I've worked for more than 25 years in education. I’ve seen what’s working in public education across the country and I have creative solutions to improve our schools. I would bring to the job my experiences as a former classroom teacher, a curriculum developer, a nonprofit education executive, a parent of two students in APS and a community volunteer, most recently as an officer of the County Council of PTAs.
In addition to my experience, I’d bring my values to the School Board.
I value honesty and transparency--showing my work and explaining my positions on the issues.
I value curiosity and humility--listening carefully to all voices, continually learning, and being ready to admit when I have made a misstep or learned something that changes my point of view.
I value healthy skepticism and continuous improvement--always questioning, reflecting, and working tirelessly to get better at everything we do.
I value accountability--our elected leaders’ accountability to the public they serve, and public education’s accountability to our students and families, believing that a great education can indeed change the course of students’ lives.
Last but certainly not least, I value equity--which involves ensuring that every single student has the right level of support and challenge in their learning, and dismantling the policies and practices that have routinely disadvantaged certain students and their families.
My priorities include:
- Supporting our highly competent, committed educators with competitive compensation and a real voice in school- and district-level decision making
- Good governance and data to guide planning, investments and improvement: information, not assumptions
- Authentic, respectful community engagement with all voices heard and no predetermined outcomes
- Healthy, inclusive school culture that boosts student achievement and student and staff well-being
- Honest assessment of our equity gaps and transparent reporting of progress so that every child at every level of income is known, loved, challenged, and inspired, and where every child graduates with the knowledge and skills they’ll need to thrive in their adult lives.
To learn more about me and my ideas for strengthening our schools--and to share your own ideas--please reach out to mary@maryforschoolboard.org or visit www.maryforschoolboard.org.
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During last year’s campaign, I pledged to remain rooted in civic engagement and to bring our community’s diverse voices to the County Board. Fifteen years of community leadership and deep-rooted civic activism in Arlington motivated and informed my pledge. Those real-world experiences prepared me for the many difficult decisions in the midst of a pandemic and my quest for social justice. My vision for Arlington, my actions and my voting record are firmly centered on equity, inclusivity, transparency, fairness and responsiveness.
I believe that Arlington will be a fully successful community when we strive for
- Health and Safety for ALL, especially those lacking access;
- Economic Resilience, especially for Small Businesses and working families;
- Social and Racial Justice and Fairness on all fronts — from policing to housing to education to access to natural and recreational resources and more;
- Actions to urgently confront our world’s Climate Emergency.
To achieve this result — an Arlington community of safe, walkable neighborhoods; excellent public schools; great public places and facilities; accountable, ethical and fiscally sound governance; ethnic, cultural and socio-economic diversity; resilient climate policies; and an unwavering commitment to community involvement — we MUST work together and leave no community member behind.
If re-elected, I will,
- Use the pandemic lessons to address the inequalities revealed in our social safety net; securing food and housing; accessing health and mental health services; and accessing critical services like broadband.
- Accelerate our local response to the Climate Emergency, declaring it a “whole of government policy” that holistically addresses transportation choices, new construction and retrofitting of older buildings, stormwater management, tree canopy and invests in our natural resources.
- Ensure that racial equity and accountability permeate all activities and policies of our government, and are transparently measured and reported.
- Prioritize support for Small Businesses with a revolving micro-loan and technical assistance program and reductions in costly red-tape.
- Address our housing crisis through investments in the Affordable Housing Investment Fund and Housing Grants, as well as the thoughtful re-development of our transportation corridors focusing on housing choices.
I am excited to continue bringing my personal and professional experiences to bear on Arlington’s biggest challenges. An immigrant myself, I have lived and worked in many countries and speak 8 languages, allowing many Arlingtonians to speak in their native language to a County Board member. My 25 years of work experience in economics and urban/regional planning have prepared me well for the fiscal and physical challenges that Arlington must address. As a former Civic Association president, Executive Director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, and active non-profit board leader, I bring first-hand experience to Arlington’s robust civic conversation.
To learn more about my priorities please visit TakisforArlington.com
The Democratic endorsee for school board was selected during the 2021 School Board Caucus.
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