MCLEAN, VA– More than 160 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from across Virginia today endorsed Terry McAuliffe for governor, citing Terry’s strong record of support for the AAPI community and his demonstrated leadership and vision to lift up all Virginians. As Governor, Terry will create good paying jobs, make health care more affordable, invest in education, and continue his commitment to ensuring that all Virginians are treated with dignity and respect.
As Virginia’s 72nd Governor, Terry held the first Asian American and Pacific Islander Summit at George Mason University in September 2017, bringing together members of his administration, members of the Virginia Asian Advisory Board, and AAPI community and business leaders to discuss issues of importance to the AAPI community. Terry also signed a law to strengthen anti-bullying protections for students in Virginia schools. Earlier this year, Terry hosted a virtual conversation with Virginia’s Asian-American leaders on combating the recent rise of anti-AAPI hate.
Earlier this year, Terry was endorsed by more than twenty AAPI elected officials and community leaders across the Commonwealth, as well as the AAPI Victory Fund, Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia, They See Blue, and South Asians for America (SAFA). More than 750,000 Virginians identify as part of the Commonwealth’s AAPI community, making up nearly 7.1% of Virginia’s total population. From 2012 to 2018, the number of eligible AAPI voters in Virginia grew 37%, with the AAPI community growing by 45% over the past 10 years.
“I endorse Terry McAuliffe for governor because Terry has plans to create good jobs, invest in education, and address the needs of the AAPI community. He has released a meaningful agenda to create greater opportunity for all Virginians and create a stronger, more welcoming Virginia going forward,” said Senator Ghazala Hashmi, the first Muslim woman elected to the Virginia General Assembly. “The COVID-19 pandemic has created real challenges across the Commonwealth and we need our next governor to be a strong leader who will take steps to address these challenges. I know that Terry will take practical steps to stand up against hate and make our communities thrive and that’s why I am proud to endorse him for governor.”
“Terry McAuliffe has a record of commitment to and accomplishments for Virginia’s AAPI community,” said Delegate Mark Keam, the first Korean American state legislator in Virginia. “Terry fights for the needs of all Virginians and that’s the kind of leadership that we need. I’m happy to endorse Terry McAuliffe, and I urge all AAPIs in Virginia to join me in voting for Terry as Governor.”
“Virginia’s AAPI community has been faced with economic hardships, increased discrimination and hate over the past year and a half, and we will need our next governor to provide steady leadership in partnership with our community as we recover from these challenges,” said Praveen Meyyan, Chair of Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia. “As a Virginian and a member of Virginia’s AAPI community, I have full faith in Terry McAuliffe as our next governor to listen to our concerns and work with leaders to meet the needs of AAPI Virginians.”
“I am honored to have the support of so many AAPI leaders from across our great Commonwealth. As Virginia’s 72nd governor, I was committed to making Virginia open and welcoming to all, and I promise to always uphold that commitment again as our next governor,” said Terry McAuliffe. “Together, we are going to move Virginia forward and build an even stronger economy that lifts up all Virginians. That means giving every Virginia child a world-class education, making health care more affordable, creating good paying jobs, and keeping our Commonwealth strong.”
Terry has released 18 detailed plans to strengthen Virginia’s education system and dramatically increase teacher pay, help secure Virginia’s economic recovery from COVID-19, ensure Virginians have access to regular nutritious meals, address the broken, predatory system of prescription drug pricing, confront the gun violence epidemic, make Virginia the best state in the nation for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Health Care (STEM-H) and computer science education, tackle the housing crisis in the Commonwealth and invest in Virginia’s workforce in the post-COVID economy, ensure Virginians have access to high-quality, affordable health care, tackle climate change and secure Virginia’s clean energy future by 2035, lift up Black Virginians as the Commonwealth rebuilds from the COVID-19 pandemic, further advance LGBTQ+ rights, reform Virginia’s criminal justice system, create a flourishing rural economy, support entrepreneurial ecosystems and tackle rising costs and meet the health care needs, make higher education more affordable and boost Virginia’s agriculture and forestry industries.
Terry’s List of More than 160 AAPI Leaders Includes:
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