Latino Victory endorsed Guzman in 2017 and her first re-election bid in 2019
Washington, D.C. – Today, Latino Victory Fund announced the endorsement of Elizabeth Guzman, candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates 31st District. Guzman made history in 2017 when she became one of the first Latinas elected to the Virginia House of Delegates.
“Elizabeth has worked diligently for the 31st District. She has been an effective legislator and a fierce champion for working families, people of color, and immigrants in Richmond,” said Nathalie Rayes, Latino Victory Fund president and CEO. “Since being elected in 2017, Guzman has focused on working for the people, including health care access, immigrant rights, the environment, and workers’ rights among the top in her priority list. Throughout her life, she’s faced challenges and her resolve to overcome them has made her the dauntless, compassionate leader she is today. We are proud to continue supporting Delegate Guzman because she has a proven record of service fighting for working people in Virginia.”
Latino Victory endorsed Guzman in 2017 and her first re-election bid in 2019. The organization is committed to helping re-elect Guzman to the House of Delegates and will make an initial five-figure campaign contribution. This announcement is part of Latino Victory’s continued endorsement of Latino candidates running for local and statewide offices in Virginia.
Meet Elizabeth Guzman
Delegate Guzman represents the 31st District in Virginia’s House of Delegates, including parts of Prince William and Fauquier Counties. She is a social worker and public administrator, and she first ran for office in 2017. Latino Victory endorsed her then and in 2019. The organization’s support helped her make history when she became one of the first Latinas elected to the oldest governing body in our country, the Virginia House of Delegates.
In 2020, Delegate Guzman served as the Virginia co-chair of Senator Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign and also went on to serve as a member of President Joe Biden’s National Latino Leadership Council. As the first Latina to represent Virginia as a DNC member, Delegate Guzman has done extensive Latino voter outreach and has worked to build bridges between the progressive and moderate wings of the party.
Delegate Guzman came to the United States from Peru more than two decades ago as a single mother with $300 in her pocket. She worked three minimum wage jobs to afford a one-bedroom apartment for herself and her daughter. She put herself through college, eventually earning two master’s degrees. Now a division chief for the City of Alexandria’s Department of Adult Services, Delegate Guzman oversees a $20 million budget for a 200-person operations staff that serves some of the state’s most vulnerable populations.
Delegate Guzman defeated an 8-term Republican incumbent in Virginia’s 2017 “Blue Wave,” and her peers elected her to serve as freshman class chair. Speaker Pelosi invited her to give the Spanish language response to Trump’s State of the Union address in 2018. In 2020, she became the first Latina elected to represent Virginia as a DNC member. Delegate Guzman serves as Vice-Chair of the Education Committee. She was named 2020’s “Legislator of the Year” by the Virginia Education Association. She is also a co-sponsor of the Virginia Green New Deal and was named a “Legislative Leader” this year by the Virginia League of Conservation Voters.
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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.
