Ayala is one step closer to becoming the first Afro-Latina and first woman elected lieutenant governor of Virginia
Washington, D.C. – Latino Victory Fund congratulates Hala Ayala for winning the Democratic primary election for lieutenant governor of Virginia, moving one step closer to becoming the first Afro-Latina and first woman elected to this seat. The organization first endorsed Ayala in the 2017 election when she made history by becoming one of the first Latinas and the first Afro-Latina elected to the Virginia General Assembly.
“Hala Ayala is closer to shattering one of the highest glass ceilings in Virginia elected office, which would be a triumph for the entire Latino community,” said Nathalie Rayes, Latino Victory Fund president & CEO. “With Hala as lieutenant governor, Virginia’s state government will have a leader in its ranks who is committed to making the government work for the people. She has been an effective leader in the House of Delegates, and she’ll expand her bold vision for a more prosperous Virginia as lieutenant governor. As the state grapples with the disparities exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, Hala will work to root out these inequities by focusing on priority issues such as expanding access to affordable health care and creating an economy that works for all Virginians. Latino Victory is thrilled to congratulate Hala Ayala for becoming the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, and we will work diligently to ensure she makes history in November.”
Meet Hala Ayala
Delegate Hala Ayala formed part of Latino Victory’s Virginia slate in 2017 and 2019, and with our support made history as one of the first Latinas elected to the oldest governing body in our country, the Virginia House of Delegates. Delegate Ayala is the daughter of an El Salvadorean father and a Middle Eastern mother and has been a member of the Prince William County community for over 35 years. Delegate Ayala has personally experienced the challenges of single motherhood and lack of access to affordable health insurance. Even before being elected to the House of Delegates, Delegate Ayala fought for raising the minimum wage, equal pay, and affordable health care as the founder and former president of the Prince William County chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW). She worked her way up from a service job without health insurance to become a cybersecurity specialist with the Department of Homeland Security.
For over 17 years, she worked to protect our nation’s information systems, enforce security measures, and prevent attacks by safeguarding computers, networks, and data from criminal intrusion and security breaches. In her second term in the House of Delegates, Delegate Ayala was appointed chair of the Data Protection & Privacy Advisory Committee, in addition to chairing this committee, Delegate Ayala also served on the Children’s Online Protection Advisory Committee. Ayala also served as the Chief Deputy Whip in the House of Delegates.
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The Latino Victory Fund is a progressive political action committee with the mission of growing Latino political power by increasing Latino representation at every level of government – from the school board to the Senate to the White House.
