by Danica Roem
All hands on deck!
There will be a special election in Prince William County, the City of Manassas and the City of Manassas Park for Clerk of the Circuit Court on April 18. This is our chance in Northern Virginia to channel the same enthusiasm for a strong, progressive Democratic woman running in a competitive race as Delaware Democrats did this past weekend to resounding success for Sen. Stephanie Hansen (D). That means we need Democrats from across the commonwealth to help us out in Prince William County.
Jacqueline Smith (D), an attorney who was the 2015 Democratic nominee, is running again in the special election. As of this writing, no other Democrat has declared for the race and the deadline is this week. Virginia Del. Jackson Miller (R-50th) is likely to run for the Republicans, though he has not officially declared his candidacy yet.
Jackie’s campaign kickoff is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 2 in Manassas at City Tavern.
Likewise, my House of Delegates campaign is co-hosting a canvass with Jackie in western Prince William County on Saturday, March 11 and we need volunteers to help us knock on doors and spread the word.
We’re meeting at 1 p.m. at the Haymarket Gainesville Community Library meeting room, reviewing our plans for the day, breaking for lunch and then heading out at 2 p.m. to knock on doors of Democratic voters in the Town of Haymarket and the Heathcote Boulevard corridor of Gainesville to tell them about the April 18 special election for clerk and the June 13 Democratic primary.
Jackie impressed me when I interviewed her for the Gainesville Times as a reporter in June 2015, just before the Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling. The prior year, our now-late Clerk Michele McQuigg defended Virginia’s constitutional ban on marriage equality in federal court and Jackie told me she would be happy to preside over a marriage ceremony for any couple who asked her, gay or straight, in her capacity as clerk.
LGBTQ rights is absolutely an issue for the clerk’s race and that’s a big reason why I’m all-in to support Jackie as the first transgender person to run for the General Assembly. Jackie is a strong advocate for equality. She also supports modernizing the courthouse through increased digitization so it runs more efficiently and making the courthouse a more inclusive, welcoming place.
So please spread the word and let people know Democrats don’t have to wait until 2018 or even this fall to flip a seat from red-to-blue; we can do it April 18!
Website: www.smithforclerk.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SmithForClerk2017
ActBlue: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/smithforclerk
