Rachel for DelegateMother. Teacher. Leader.
I’m a mother, a teacher, and a community leader.
In 2021, I ran for the 55th District seat of the Virginia House of Delegates. We ran a great campaign and built for this one. I personally visited every precinct and my campaign knocked nearly 9500 doors. We increased Democratic turnout from 2019 by 30 percent!
Post redistricting, I’m now in the 59th District and I’m running again as the Democratic candidate! The 59th District includes most of Louisa County, the western half of Hanover County and the Town of Ashland, and parts of the Fairfield and Brookland Magisterial Districts in Henrico County. Rural, suburban (inner and outer ring), small and big towns–the 59th is a dynamic, diverse district that has it all. As a longtime resident of the Town of Ashland, I’m on the threshold between rural and suburban and well positioned to represent the district.
The daughter of two civil rights lawyers, I was brought up to be civically engaged and to be a contributor. My parents raised me to vote in every election and to use the advantages I have to help others. After graduating from college, I felt that sense of civic engagement when I decided to become a public school teacher. Eventually, I was driven to get my doctorate in educational leadership and policy at VCU. Preserving and improving public education became my life’s work. But I know, more than most, how legislative policies have real-life, real-time consequences on our educators, on our citizens, on our children, and on our families. I know what it is to be on the receiving end of the policies that are created.
As a teacher, I keep in mind that every student is worthy of dignity and respect. I care about my students and their learning unconditionally. I keep in mind that I serve the community and that I am tasked with the sacred responsibility of educating members of our community. That encapsulates my approach to public service: Every constituent, whether they voted for me or not, deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. Every constituent deserves to be helped to the extent that I can help them. My work is to help people, to make their lives better, and to make our community a better place to live for ALL of us.
And now as a long-time resident, as a mother, as an educator, and as a passionate and hard-working community leader for the 59th District and the state of Virginia, I bring that same sense of responsibility to help make my sacred community–the 59th District–stronger everyday, not just for me and my family, but for you and your family. In fact, if you recognize me, you probably met me on the campaign trail before or maybe you’ve seen me running around the district, supporting my children at their soccer games or theater performances, representing one of several civic organizations, or speaking up for the needs of our community at School Board and Board of Supervisors meetings.
I am a longtime member of the Hanover Democratic Committee, a leader of the group Together Hanover, and a member of the Hanover NAACP. I am the Jury Commissioner for the Ashland District of Hanover and serve on the Hanover County Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission. I have served on various local school district committees, on Governor-elect Ralph Northam’s PK-12 policy council, as a local Education Association president, and as a local PTA unit leader. I’m active in my synagogue where I have taught Religious School, served on the Education Committee, and serve on the Board of Directors. I was honored to be recognized as one of six Vox Populi (“people not afraid to speak up, and act out, for local causes they believe in”) by Richmond Magazine. And I was equally honored to be a leader in the most recent movement to finally change the Confederate-named schools and mascots in Hanover. And as a private citizen and a parent of a child with Type 1 diabetes, I fought with other parent advocates to successfully reduce the price of insulin and cap it at $50, not just for my own child, but other people’s loved ones too. I’ve been proud to advocate for the rights of transgender and nonbinary students in my community.
I run because I believe that Virginia’s 59th District deserves independent-minded, principled, service-oriented, and competent representation. I believe that the people of the 59th district deserve to be treated fairly and with respect, no matter who you are, what your background is, what the color of your skin is, who you love, what your gender identity is, what your abilities are, how much money you have, or how you vote.
You deserve to be heard, you deserve respect, and you deserve a representative who shows up and who works and who feels a sacred responsibility to serve you. I run not just for my family, but for what would benefit all of us. I run for the public good. I run to make our communities stronger. I run to help people and to improve their lives.
I run for us.
Thank you for your support.
