SPRINGFIELD, Va. – Today, Delegate Alfonso Lopez, former Arlington County Board Chair Walter Tejada, and CASA in Action President Gustavo Torres kicked off the first canvass launch of the Kathy Tran for Delegate campaign's Get-Out-the-Vote weekend. During the event, they announced endorsements from a coalition of Latino leaders, who know that Tran is the best choice for Delegate in the 42nd District to represent all of Virginia's working families and stand against divisive policies and rhetoric that threaten to undermine a welcoming and inclusive Virginia.
“I am honored to have the support of these leaders from the Latino community,” said Kathy Tran of the endorsements. “They know that I will continue my lifelong commitment to advancing bipartisan solutions to help all working families get ahead. I look forward to working with them to lift up the voices of every family and community, strengthen our public schools, expand access to affordable health care, honor our veterans and military families, and stand up for women's rights.”
Statement from civil rights leader Dolores Huerta:
“Kathy Tran has been a champion for our community and I’m proud to endorse her. She’s always stood up for Latinos, immigrants, and working families, and I know she’ll do the same thing in Richmond. A vote for Kathy Tran is a powerful way to send a message to Donald Trump and to all of America that Virginia won’t stand for bigotry and dishonesty. Sí se puede!”
Statement from former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro:
“Kathy is the only candidate in the 42nd District who we can depend on to fight for public schools, to work to expand access to affordable health care, and to stand up for women's rights. At a time of such divisiveness, and when the most vulnerable among us face attacks at the federal, state, and local levels, Kathy Tran is the voice we need in Richmond, now more than ever."
Statement from Delegate Alfonso Lopez:
"There is a very clear contrast in the race for the 42nd House District. On the one side, Kathy's opponent referred to Donald Trump as her 'ideal presidential candidate' on the day he announced his candidacy by calling Mexican immigrants 'rapists' and criminals. On the other, Kathy Tran has spent her career fighting for all working families to achieve the American Dream, from encouraging entrepreneurship in Detroit’s Latino community to running after-school programs for immigrant children in San Jose. At the Department of Labor, Kathy helped increase job opportunities for veterans and military spouses, and in her most recent role at the National Immigration Forum, she advocated for immigrants in the workforce. Kathy Tran is the clear choice for the 42nd District, and I look forward to her joining us in the House of Delegates."
Statement from former Arlington County Board Chair Walter Tejada:
"Of the two candidates in the race for the 42nd House of Delegates seat - Kathy Tran is the only one who will stand up every day to support the needs of the Latino community in Virginia. From education to immigration and from jobs and the economy to protecting our environment, Kathy has stood by our community throughout her career. She understands our aspirations and our dreams for the future. She has always had our back and we will have her back on Election Day."
Statement from CASA in Action President Gustavo Torres:
"Kathy Tran is the clear choice for Delegate in the 42nd District. While Kathy's opponent seeks to push an extremist agenda that could lead to devastating cuts to public school funding, block Virginians' access to affordable health care, and push our most vulnerable communities further into the shadows, Kathy has spent her career working to help grow pathways to prosperity so that all working families, including immigrants, can thrive. In Richmond, she will continue to work to make sure that all Virginians can share in the American Dream that first brought her family here. CASA in Action, the largest electoral organization fighting for immigrant rights in the Mid-Atlantic region, is proud to stand with Kathy Tran in her campaign for the Virginia House of Delegates."
Statement from Elizabeth Guzman, candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates' 31st District:
“As Delegate, Kathy Tran will stand up for the rights of all Virginians and fight for the values that make Virginia and this country great. As an immigrant herself, Kathy understands many of the challenges faced by the Latino community today. Now more than ever, we need leaders like Kathy. She has been committed to running an inclusive campaign, and I look forward to working with her in the House of Delegates as we continue to fight for every Virginian.”
###
Kathy Tran is running to ensure all Virginians can share the same hope and opportunity that brought her family to America. As a public servant at the U.S. Department of Labor, Kathy helped veterans and military spouses acquire the employment services they needed to realize their own American Dream. As president of her local PTA, she volunteers her time to keep our public schools strong and our children's futures bright. As Delegate, Kathy will work to strengthen our public schools, honor our veterans and military families, expand access to affordable health care, and stand up for women by fighting for equal pay for equal work and the right for women to make their own health care decisions.