The Virginia Education Association has endorsed Ralph Northam for governor of Virginia.
The group’s announcement comes after the lieutenant governor addressed educators around the Commonwealth on Thursday. During a question and answer session, he shared his vision for making a quality education available to every Virginian, no matter who you are, no matter where you are.
As a state senator and as lieutenant governor, Northam has worked to increase investment in early childhood education, in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and maths) education, and advocated for increasing pay for Virginia’s teachers, which falls short of the national average. These are among the provisions included in the education plan Lieutenant Governor Northam unveiled on Thursday.
“Ralph understands the foundational role public education plays in the future of our state,” said VEA President Jim Livingston, who also serves as chairman of the VEA Fund. “He’s the best candidate for our students, schools and educators, and he has an excellent track record of working to meet their needs. We took a good look at the candidates but Ralph is clearly the best qualified to be our next governor.”
Northam issued the following statement in response to the Virginia Education Association endorsement:
“I am truly honored to receive the support of Virginia’s educators. I’m a proud product of Virginia public schools — and I’ll fight for them as governor. Every child in the Commonwealth deserves a shot at success, and that starts with a quality education. But we can’t provide that to our students without ensuring our educators have the support and resources they need. VEA will have a partner in me and a seat at the table and I’m humbled to accept their endorsement.”
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