‘I want to make Virginia a more inclusive place’

A first-time candidate, Elizabeth Guzman is the Democratic nominee for the House of Delegates 31st District, located in southern Prince William County and eastern Fauquier County.

She’s running against longtime incumbent Scott Lingamfelter, a Republican.

This election season, we’re asking candidates who wish to reach our readers a “why you should vote for me” email by Oct. 27, 2017. 

Guzman sent us this email below: 

I am a social worker and 15-year public servant living in Prince William County. I am a mother of four wonderful children, and a concerned citizen who feels Richmond is not listening to families like mine here in my district. That is why I decided to run for the House of Delegates. I want to bring their voices to the table in our General Assembly and fight for their issues.

I am an immigrant from Peru, who came to this country looking for my oldest daughter, Pamela, who is 25 today. I worked three jobs to afford a one bedroom apartment. With help from friends and co-workers, I took steps to get the education and skills I needed to provide for my family. I worked through college and graduate school, earning two master degrees; one in public administration, and one in social work. I currently work for the City of Alexandria, where I serve as Division Chief for Administrative Services for the Center of Adult Services. I oversee a budget of 7 million dollars and lead a workforce of 300 employees. I am responsible for the administrative operations of programs that help people in need with mental and intellectual disabilities, substance abuse disorders, and senior citizens.

I am married to my wonderful husband, Carlos, and the mother of three other wonderful children: Ivanna, Hannah, and Carlos. As a mom, I work hard to be a constant presence in my children’s life. I am a Committee member for my son’s Cub Scouts troop, and a Cookie Mom for Girl Scouts. I am involved in the PTA for Penn Elementary. I am also an active member of my church, Harvest Life Changers, as well as Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

I want to make Virginia a more inclusive place. I want our commonwealth to live up to its values, and show that anyone can achieve the American Dream if they work hard and play by the rules. Through my work as a public servant and my experience as a mom and dedicated community leader, I believe my values represent the kind of Delegate we are looking for this November. As your Delegate, I will make these values part of every law we pass in the General Assembly, and hold my colleagues accountable to my community.

Being a Delegate is not, and should never be, a representative of one party over the other. It’s about being a representative for every family that lives here in Prince William and Fauquier Counties. The issues that face our community and across Virginia are bigger than any one party, such as affordable healthcare, high-quality schools for our children, a high-quality job that allows parents to spend more time with children, and good public transportation that creates new jobs and protects our environment. Working with hardworking Virginians throughout my professional career, I believe that we can do better.

I am proud to be endorsed by a broad range of different people and groups, some here in the district, others across Virginia, and nationally. Starting with former Vice President, Joe Biden; then, John Jenkins, the longest-serving members of the PWC Board of Supervisors, was the first elected official to endorse my campaign. My union, AFSCME, which represents public employees, has supported my campaign. And my own Senator, Tim Kaine, who has stood for the rights of minority families across Virginia, has endorsed me. They join the broad coalition of grassroots donors, friends, and colleagues in supporting my candidacy, an honor I cannot repay but be a strong representative for my district.

You can learn more about my campaign at elizabethguzmanforvirginia.com, on Facebook at @elizabethguzmanva, and Twitter at @guzman4delegate.

Thank you so much, and I encourage everyone to get out and vote on November 7th.

At Potomac Local, we will never tell you for whom to vote for but if you have strong feelings toward a candidate and want to tell our readers who to vote for, you may submit your post for publication.