FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 23, 2023
Contact: Sheri Shannon, [email protected]
This is the third round of endorsements for the domestic worker organization
RICHMOND – Today, Care in Action, the national policy and advocacy home for 2.5 million domestic workers, announced its endorsement of the following eight candidates for Virginia’s House of Delegates and State Senate:
This brings Care in Action’s total number of endorsements for the General Election to 25 women of color. With early voting starting on September 22, the organization remains focused on turning out Black and Brown voters across the entire commonwealth as part of its electoral strategy.
“The breadth and diversity of candidates running for Virginia’s state legislature is incredible,” said Hillary Holley, Executive Director of Care in Action. “This year, there’s more than 50 Black candidates and 30 Black women running. More than half of the Democrats running for the General Assembly are women, and nearly half are people of color. From our perspective, this is not a coincidence. Care in Action has laid the groundwork to help make this happen for Black women and other women of color candidates to successfully run for office. We’re in a critical moment where the care crisis is continuing to strain our caregivers, care workers, and our families – and we’re ensuring that Virginia voters have the opportunity to vote for candidates that intimately understand the challenges facing them, especially as it relates to care.”
“Virginia voters know what is at stake in November; Care in Action entered early with robust operations in the state, and will continue to endorse Black, Latinx and Asian women who share our values because it will lead to all workers receiving a fair wage, benefits and access to opportunities that make life better for themselves and their families,” Holley added.
Virginia is an important bellwether state for the 2024 Congressional and presidential elections and this year’s races will be a roadmap for Democrats looking to win in battleground states. Domestic workers see this year’s election as an opportunity to elect more women of color in the statehouse, especially with abortion access at stake.
“State government desperately needs to be more representative of our communities,” said Yanet Limon-Amado, Virginia State Director for Care in Action. “That means we need more care workers, bilingual speakers, younger voices, LGBTQ+ individuals and immigrants in public office. We are very intentional about backing women of color candidates because they have a proven track record of moving us forward – including the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, Voting Rights Act and Reproductive Health Protection Act.”
Care in Action is building a bench of candidates that spans every corner of Virginia, including the Southside and Southwest, to reach Black and Brown voters beyond urban centers. Since the June primary, organizers have had 17,250 conversations with voters.
Recently, domestic workers met with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) to discuss challenges they face in the workforce and the need for Congress to enact a National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. Virginia is one of 10 states, and the first in the South, to pass a bill of rights that grants the same rights and protections as other workers to domestic workers. In the last two years, the state has made substantial strides for workers’ rights. Other states are looking to Virginia to see what happens next.
“Virginia cannot go backwards. It’s really that simple,” said Limon-Amado. “Current attempts by Republicans to oppress families and roll back rights cannot be tolerated. Our team is out in the field talking to voters about our endorsed candidates, even in the summer heat, because we cannot take any chances on the future of working families. These care champions will take up the mantle to build healthy and safe communities for everyone.”
Care in Action’s investment in Virginia started in 2019, helping flip the General Assembly with 12 endorsements of women of color running for the Senate and House of Delegates. By 2021, the organization was successful in passing the first-ever Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights in the South.
Care in Action is the policy and advocacy home for women who care, working on behalf of more than two million domestic workers and care workers across America. Among the fastest-growing sectors in our economy, domestic workers are also among the most vulnerable and undervalued. As a mostly women and majority women of color workforce, this growing constituency consistently and overwhelmingly supports progressive values in American political life. Learn more at www.careinaction.us.