With this announcement (see below) from Norfolk City Councilmember Andria McClellan – who was widely expected to throw her hat in the ring after her announcement back in July that she was “exploring” – there are now seven Democrats running for Lt. Governor, the others being Del. Hala Ayala, Del. Elizabeth Guzman (see her Blue Virginia interview here), Sean Perryman (see his Blue Virginia interview here), Del. Sam Rasoul (see his announcement video and press release here), Paul Goldman (see here for his announcement) and Xavier Warren (see here for his announcement).
As for Andria McClellan’s announcement, the video is very well done, and I like the priorities she lists, including combating the climate crisis (something she clearly has a passion for, given the time and energy she’s spent on it), supporting rapid growth of the clean energy economy, expanding high-speed internet access, etc. We’ll see how her campaign goes – endorsements, fundraising, expanding her name ID, etc. – as we move into 2021 and away from thinking about the presidential election, the orange menace in the White House, etc.
P.S. Also worth noting is that McClellan is the only Democratic Lt. Governor candidate from the Hampton Roads area, with the others residing in Northern Virginia (Perryman, Guzman, Ayala, Warren), Roanoke (Rasoul) or Richmond (Goldman).
ANDRIA MCCLELLAN ANNOUNCES RUN FOR LT. GOVERNOR
Norfolk City Councilmember Running on Platform of Access to Opportunity for All Virginians
Norfolk, Virginia —Norfolk City Councilmember Andria McClellan announced today that she is officially entering the Democratic race to be the next Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.
An experienced public official, businesswoman, community leader and University of Virginia graduate, McClellan believes that every Virginian deserves equal opportunity for a safe, equitable, and prosperous future.
“The last four years have seeded a divide in our country and in our Commonwealth. Every day more families in Virginia are hurting from the physical, emotional and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationally, we are on a new path to bring our country together and rebuild our economy in a way that works for everyone, not just a select few. That same hope for opportunity for all must be a top priority in Virginia,” said McClellan. “We need a Virginia that provides access to opportunity for everyone — no matter the color of your skin, your zip code, who you love or how you identify. This is why I am running to be the next Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.”
McClellan is basing her campaign on five key issues:
- access to affordable health care,
- access to a good paying job,
- access to quality education,
- access to high-speed internet; and,
- access to a clean & sustainable environment.
“The fundamentals of opportunity and success are in some ways very different from my mom’s generation, but also strikingly similar,” concluded McClellan. “And just as my mom worked to give me more opportunities than she had and I have done the same for my boys, I want to work to give all Virginians a bright future.”
McClellan has served as a member of Norfolk City Council representing Superward 6 since 2016. Throughout her tenure on the council, she has served her 125,000 constituents by focusing on a pro-growth, innovation platform that includes:
- Leading the regional effort to invest in high-speed internet infrastructure, with the goal of expanding internet access, lowering costs and increasing speeds for residents and business;
- Fighting to build a flood-resilient Norfolk and secure more than $120M in federal resources to address the effects of climate change now, and to make investments in sustainable energy — including supporting off-shore wind and more than 5K clean energy jobs — to combat climate change long-term.
- Championing increased access to capital for small business, including investments of more than $64M in startup companies through one of the fastest growing angel investment groups in the country.
- Securing funding for public transit that will allow for more reliable and more frequent bus service.
- Ensuring greater transparency and public engagement along the way, creating Engage Norfolk, a unique civic one-stop-shop that lets residents turn their passion into action and meet their elected officials, making our democracy more accessible for everyone.
For more information on Andria for Virginia, please visit: www.andriaforvirginia.com
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About Andria
Raised in Hampton Roads and educated in Virginia Beach Public Schools, McClellan received her bachelor’s degree in 1991 from the University of Virginia. While working a full-time job, McClellan graduated from the Wharton Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania in 1996 and went on to run two small start up companies before returning fulltime to Hampton Roads in 2000 to raise her family and become an active community leader, serving on numerous boards and commissions at the regional, state and national level.
McClellan was first elected to represent Norfolk’s Superward 6 in 2016 and was recently re-elected in 2020. She currently serves as the Chair of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission and chairs its Coastal Resilience Subcommittee. Andria is also Vice Chair of the Hampton Roads Transit District Commission (HRT) and chairs its Smart Cities & Innovation committee. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Southside Network Authority, the governmental body that is leading the 5-city regional broadband internet ring
From 2018-2019, Andria co-chaired the Norfolk Mayor’s Commission on Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation, creating the region’s first ever Climate Action Plan. She was also recently appointed to the National League of Cities 2020 Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources federal advocacy committee. McClellan serves as the national co-chair of the Climate Working Group for The NewDEAL, along with Wisconsin Lt. Governor, Mandela Barnes, and she was recently appointed as a citizen member to the Virginia Joint Subcommittee on Coastal Flooding.
She served as the Vice Chair for Finance for the Democratic Party of Virginia from 2014-2015 and is a founding board member of the Democratic Business Alliance of South Hampton Roads.
Her passion for Virginians has been recognized by a variety of statewide leaders, most notably through gubernatorial appointments to the Virginia Small Business Advisory Board, the Virginia Family & Children Trust Fund, and the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Local Government Advisory Committee.
Andria currently resides in Norfolk with her husband Mike, their three sons and two beloved dogs.
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