I’m no stranger to the struggles of working Virginians. I’m a thirty-year member of the Virginia State Bar, a proud graduate of Virginia public schools, and a card-carrying union member for three decades; more than a decade of that as a local union president. I’m running for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia because we can’t keep marching down the same path that’s left so many of us behind.

I’m running because the same Democratic leaders who failed to stop Trump from taking the White House and Youngkin from walking into the Governor’s mansion cannot be trusted with our future. I’m running because for too many Virginians, starting a family has become a luxury item, something only the wealthy can afford. I’m running because workers’ productivity has skyrocketed over the last 40 years, but their paychecks have barely budged.

I’m running because, in this day and age, the defense of greed is dressed up and called moderation, while the fight for decency and fairness is dismissed as extremism. I’m running because we live in a world where corporations are treated like people, and people—real people—are treated like expendable cogs in the machine.

As we approach 250 years of American independence, I say it’s time to grant working Virginians the same freedoms our lawmakers have handed out to corporations. That’s why I’m running. As your next Lieutenant Governor, I will champion the Virginia Workers Freedom Act, a bold agenda to give workers the dignity, respect, and rights they deserve. By America’s next birthday, a milestone built on the blood, sweat, and sacrifice of so many Virginians, we will restore justice and fairness to this Commonwealth. It’s time to put people first again. 

The question isn’t why would I run for office at this stage in life; it’s why wouldn’t I? After 34 years of public service, some might say it’s time to enjoy my golden years. But I’ve never been one to rest on my laurels. Like my mama used to say, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” And let me tell you, I haven’t even begun to serve the hard-working people of this great Commonwealth. I am running on bold solutions for big problems.

I’m running for the majority of Virginians who’ve been left behind—the folks who struggled through COVID, who don’t have $500 in the bank for an emergency, who work hard and still come up short. I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to feel forgotten, to feel like the deck is stacked against you. This election isn’t about me, it’s about you. It’s about the rest of Virginia, the best of Virginia.

I’ll never forget the paralyzing fear of being in debt, of dreading the phone ringing because it might be a collector. And while I never served in uniform, I’ve seen how our veterans are treated; pushed into early retirement because of the very disabilities they earned defending this country. That’s not right, and it’s not who we are.

I’ve campaigned for my union, for my party, and for working people who’ve asked, “What’s the point in voting? Neither party gives a damn about us.” They’re right to feel that way. But I’m here to tell them this campaign is different. I’m here to fight for them, for the Forgotten Virginia that deserves a seat at the table.

Virginia still bears the scars of a war fought over 150 years ago. But today, we’re fighting a new war between the prosperous few and the many who understand that being poor is not cheap and it is hard work. This isn’t about sending everyone to college; it’s about building an economy where struggling is the exception, not the rule. We must make Forgotten Virginia our priority.

Here’s where we start:

First, student debt relief: Not just for college graduates, but for those who went to trade schools and union apprenticeship programs. This isn’t charity it’s common sense. Debt relief will unlock pent-up demand for housing, boost our communities, and let thousands of young people start families and live their lives.

Second, veterans: We shouldn’t celebrate another Veterans Day while even one Virginian veteran is unemployed. We’ll make the state the employer of last resort and offer incentives for private-sector hiring. It’s not radical it’s just right.

Third, bring the working class back into government. Right now, the halls of power are filled with people who don’t understand the lives of everyday Virginians. That’s why so many people without college degrees feel like government doesn’t work for them. I’ll use the bully pulpit to make sure Virginia’s government fights for the people who built this commonwealth.

Government isn’t some alien force out to get us. It’s neighbors helping neighbors. It’s about cooperation and community; the very things that made Virginia great. Somewhere along the way, we forgot that. We started seeing the government as nothing but a tax collector and a bureaucrat. It’s time to change that and make it work for the people.

It’s time to fight for the rest of Virginia, the best of Virginia. If you give me your vote on June 17, 2025, I’ll take on the corporate wolves at your door and use every ounce of this office to fight for you. Let’s build a Virginia where no one is forgotten.

I grew up in Northern Virginia, attending public schools from kindergarten all the way through T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria. That’s where I earned my letter playing football; a lesson in teamwork, discipline, and grit that’s stayed with me my whole life. From there, I went on to Boston University, where I double-majored in Economics and Political Science. I didn’t stop there. I worked as an Economist at the United States Department of Labor while going to law school at night at George Mason University. When I passed the Virginia State Bar on my first try in 1994, it wasn’t just a personal victory it was a testament to the value of hard work and perseverance.

For 34 years, I served the federal government, and along the way, I even found time to coach the freshman boys’ crew team at Yorktown High School in Arlington. Coaching wasn’t just about rowing; it was about teaching young people the power of discipline and teamwork.

But my real fight has always been for working people. As a union leader and attorney, I represented workers in arbitration, fought for fair negotiations, trained the next generation of legal minds, lobbied for workers’ rights, handled press relations, recruited members, and managed a non-profit with a half-million-dollar annual budget. I’ve seen the deck stacked against workers, and I’ve spent my career fighting to level the playing field.

When the Bush administration tried to privatize 300 federal jobs at the Department of Labor, I didn’t sit on the sidelines; I fought back, and we won. I’ve led campaigns like that time and again because I know what’s at stake for working families.

During my eleven and a half years as president of my local union, I doubled the cash reserves from $130,000 to $285,000. I tackled an arbitration backlog that stretched to 220 cases and brought it down to just 12. And when it came to growing the union, we didn’t just meet the national growth rate; we smashed it. Between February and September of 2017, we increased membership by 14.5%, far outpacing the national average of 2.5%.

That’s the kind of fight I bring to the table. I’ve spent my life standing up for working people, and I’m not stopping now. Whether it’s on the factory floor, in the courtroom, or at the statehouse, I believe in rolling up my sleeves and getting the job done. That’s who I am, and that’s what I’ll keep doing for the people of Virginia.