Care in Action — the national policy and advocacy home for 2.5 million domestic workers — announced its endorsement of eight candidates for Virginia’s House of Delegates this week.
- Debra Gardner (HD-27)
- Briana Sewell (HD-51)
- Tracie Liguid (HD-84)
- Lashrecse Aird (HD-63)
- Kelly Convirs-Fowler (HD-21)
- Candi Mundon King (HD-02)
- Cia Price (HD-95)
- Kathy Tran (HD-42)
“Virginia is now the first state in the South to sign into law a Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights,” said Alexsis Rodgers, Care in Action Virginia State Director. “Care in Action won historic rights because care champions in the General Assembly partnered with us to raise standards for domestic workers’ lives. Electing women of color leaders who will fight for women of color has proven to be successful for the lives of Virginia’s workers and families.”
Care in Action is already organizing in Prince William and Virginia Beach to ensure Mundon King and Liguid win their competitive primary elections. In order to protect and expand a Caring Majority in the General Assembly, Care in Action will invest heavily to elect Gardner and Sewell, who face competitive general elections and to re-elect Delegates Aird, Convirs-Fowler, Price and Tran, who have all been champions for domestic workers and working women.
The organization’s efforts include a massive field effort which has already made more than 411,000 voter contacts during the 2021 primary season.
Care in Action has endorsed 18 Virginia candidates — all women of color — for state office, helping to elect 10 women to the state legislature in 2019. In the 2020-2021 election season, the organization endorsed 76 candidates across their seven states, including a presidential ticket, winning 55 of their races. In February 2021, Care in Action endorsed Senator Jennifer McClellan as Virginia’s next governor. McClellan carried the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights (SB1310), signed into law in April, to ensure all domestic workers have the right to a safe workplace free of harassment and discrimination.
As part of its mission, Care in Action works to elect candidates who center domestic workers and people of color in their policy decisions. Domestic workers — most of whom are Black, Latinx, and immigrant women — represent the fastest-growing workforce in the American economy. They are among the most reliable voters in the country and are a growing part of the electorate.
“The wins we saw in this year’s session didn’t happen by chance,” Rodgers added. “This was the work of women of color — both on the ground and in the state house — fighting for the rights and protections of those who are often forgotten and left behind. To keep Virginia moving forward, we are building the future we want by electing leaders that represent our values.”