Single mom takes on anti-choice extremist for seat in male-dominated Virginia legislature

[riversedge]

Sunday, July 23rd, 2017

Single mom takes on anti-choice extremist for seat in male-dominated Virginia legislature


http://shareblue.com/single-mom-takes-on-anti-choice-extremist-for-seat-in-male-dominated-virginia-legislature/
By Dan Desai Martin | July 22, 2017




Hala Ayala wants to fight for women's rights, better wages, and equality for everyone. Her opponent wants to oppress women and make life harder for immigrants.
Hala Ayala, Democratic candidate for Virginia's 51st House District


While most of the country has to wait until 2018 to elect new leaders, folks in Virginia head to the polls in just a few months. And Democrats are putting together a roster of strong, progressive candidates, led by women.

In Prince William County, Hala Ayala is hoping to bring her values of empowerment for women and equality for all to Richmond, and at the same time, send home one of Virginia’s leading anti-choice, anti-immigrant delegates.

Ayala has long been involved in local politics. She volunteered for President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012. And in 2014, she helped revive the National Organization for Women (NOW) chapter in her community, becoming its president.

While Ayala has been speaking up for equality, Republican Richard Anderson spent that time kowtowing to the fringe elements of the GOP by fighting against basic rights for women and girls across Virginia.

He has voted multiple times to defund Planned Parenthood, and in 2012 was the leading voice in Virginia for restricting reproductive freedom, sponsoring a ban on abortion at the 20-week mark. The effort was defeated, but it didn’t stop Anderson from supporting similar legislation time and again.

The election of Donald Trump further galvanized Ayala. She’d had enough, and like hundreds of thousands of fellow activists, Ayala attended the historic, massive Women’s March in Washington, D.C.

“Right after, I felt I needed to do more,” Ayala said, declaring that Trump’s election inspired her to “walk the talk.”

“It’s time to get off the sidelines,” she decided, because “enough is enough.”

When she was younger, Ayala was on Medicaid for several years while working in retail. Republicans are now trying to drastically cut Medicaid and leave folks with no option for affordable care.

And Ayala, who is of South American and Middle Eastern decent, is appalled at Trump’s bigoted Muslim ban.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” she said of Trump’s presidency. “I’ve felt upset before. But this was just very heavy.”

So Ayala threw her hat in the ring. She entered a contested primary, and in mid-June, she won the opportunity to face Anderson in the general election in November.........................

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[lsewpershad]

1. About time

We need good people to run against what seems to have always been. Time for change.

[ProudLib72]

2. Ok DNCC, pony up

When a good candidate comes along, she MUST have the financial backing!