Prince William, Manassas leaders endorse Terry McAuliffe for governor

Leaders from Prince William and Manassas endorsed Terry McAuliffe for governor on Thursday.

The endorsements for McAuliffe, who served as governor from 2014-2018, include Prince William County School Board Chairman Babur B. Lateef, former Prince William County Supervisor Frank Principi, Occoquan Mayor Earnest “Earnie” Porta Jr., Manassas City Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger, Manassas City Vice Mayor Pamela Sebesky, Manassas City Treasurer Patricia Richie-Folks, and Manassas City Councilors Mark Wolfe, David Farajollahi and Ralph Smith.

They join State Sen.John Bell, Del. Luke Torian and a growing coalition of support from across the Commonwealth.

“Our Commonwealth has faced unprecedented challenges in the last year with compounding crises in the pandemic and economic fallout. Now more than ever, we need the bold, experienced leadership that Terry McAuliffe brings to the table,” Davis-Younger said. “I’m supporting Terry because he has the bold vision and proven experience to rebuild the post-COVID economy. He will use this opportunity to move us forward and make our economy work for all Virginians.”

“As our children have faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic that have exacerbated disparities in education, our next governor needs to act boldly to build on this administration’s effort make sure every Virginia child has access to an equitable, world class education,” Lateef said. “I’m proud to support Terry McAuliffe and his bold education plan to push Virginia forward as we recover from this pandemic by empowering our students and our teachers. He will make an unprecedented effort to continue the work of the Northam administration with a $2 billion annual investment in K-12. Now is the time to invest in our students.”

“As Virginia’s 72nd governor, Terry McAuliffe secured a record $1 billion investment in education in the Commonwealth. I know Terry and I know just how much he cares about our educators,” Porta Jr. said. “Under Terry’s bold leadership, Virginia will finally treat our educators with the respect they deserve. He will increase teacher pay so that it’s above the national average for the first time in Virginia history. I’m proud to support Terry for governor because Virginia’s teachers desperately need and deserve a raise.”