Jennifer Carroll Foy seeks to make history with run for Virginia governor
The 38-year-old Virginia delegate wants to be the first Black woman to govern any of the 50 states in the U.S.
Jennifer Carroll Foy wants to make history and become the first Black woman to be the governor of the birthplace of American slavery, Virginia.
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In fact, the 38-year-old Virginia delegate wants to be the first Black woman to govern any of the 50 states recognized in this country. But as Stacey Abrams can attest, it won’t be an easy feat.
Carroll Foy will be entering into the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial race with the hopes of not only breaking a political glass ceiling but also pushing forward an inclusive agenda that will empower all people—regardless of race, religion, gender or creed.
“I look forward to being more bold in what we get done here in Virginia,” she told the HuffPost, “especially dealing with every day, kitchen table issues.”
However, the state’s constituency wants to know “Who is she?” and “Why should she have the highest office the state?”
In her own words, she describes herself as a fighter.
“Being born in Petersburg and raised by my grandmother. I remember at a young age, sitting down at my dining room table with my aunt after my grandmother had a stroke and became a quadriplegic, having to decide if we were going to pay for our mortgage that month, or for the medications keeping my grandmother alive,” she said.
“And as a mother of twins, I don’t want my children or anyone’s children to have to make those type of impossible decisions,” she continued, adding, “I’ve dedicated my entire life to fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves, and I will continue to fight as the next governor of Virginia.”
While that gives texture and context to her personage, people want to know what this rising Democratic political star believes and what has she done.
In 1996, when the Virginia Military Institute started accepting female cadets, Carroll Foy received a full ride to continue her education to college. She later earned her masters degree from Virginia State and her law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. After passing the bar, she became a public defender and was elected to the General Assembly in 2017.
Her career-defining moment was when she led the charge to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment as the chief sponsor in Virginia’s House.
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This success only put a mark on her back. Carroll Foy will be jumping into a wide pool of opponents: Attorney General Mark Herring, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, state Sen. Jennifer McClellan, and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, who all want to be the Democratic nominee for governor.
Trumper Sen. Amanda Chase has declared candidacy and is the only Republican to throw her hat in the ring.
Regardless of the competition, the sister is focused on change and believes so are the people, as evidenced by the historic presidential primary turnout on March 3 for Democrats.
“What that says to me is that people are motivated and people want change,” Carroll Foy said. “They want to do something different than what is currently happening in the White House, and they will come out in historic numbers in order to make that happen.”
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