Let’s MONEY BOMB the Democratic candidate in HD-62. Here’s why …
Sheila Bynum-Coleman doesn’t give lip service. When it comes to helping local residents, she acts on their behalf even when it’s not technically her job. I should know because when I put out the call for help, she answered.
Before I share my personal story, let me tell you about the prospects for Virginia’s HD-62 and why this is a seat we have a real chance to turn BLUE and win. The incumbent is Riley Ingram-R, who has held the seat since 1992. The active registered voters are 44,431 out of 80,010 residents. The total number of voters in 2015 were 12,153, representing a 27% participation rate. There are 21 precincts in HD-62 covering the localities of Chesterfield County, Henrico County, Hopewell City and Prince George County. In 2015, Mrs. Bynum-Coleman challenged Delegate Riley and lost the seat by 2,325 total votes.
Last election with limited financial assistance, she spent $21,244 compared to $228,027 by the incumbent and achieved 40.43% of the total vote. This year, the eyes of the nation are rightfully on Virginia because the temperature here, is HOT! The ground game is organized and along with the support system of local groups like Liberal Women of Chesterfield County & Beyond (LWCC), she is better situated for success. In recent elections many Republicans ran unopposed. This year the Republican free ride to the General assembly is over. The Chesterfield County Democratic Committee and the LWCC have worked hard to insure every Republican incumbent is facing a Democratic challenger. The candidate is on the ground visiting communities and spreading her message. This will indeed be a very different race compared to 2015.
This year, Republicans have reason to be concerned. Anti-Trump sentiment is strong as Virginians are vehemently opposed to the GOP campaign to dismantle healthcare, environmental protections and human rights protections. Longstanding liberal policies and advancements made during the Obama administration are in peril. However, invigorated interest and support for Virginia Democrats is on the rise. But, we cannot do it without financial assistance.
As promised, here’s why I know Sheila will work tirelessly for her constituents. My parents are retired and reside in Chesterfield County. Their home was built in the 1960’s. These days, the highlight of their day is watching their flowers bloom and enjoying the vast array of visiting wildlife. Or, it should be. Four years ago, a developer purchased wooded property for development behind their neighborhood. As expected, there were public meetings however current landowners felt they were not given an opportunity to voice their concerns. Considering their land has a creek (previously rerouted by the State) identified with a 100-year flood zone, they were particularly concerned with any modifications to adjacent property. Especially when considering it had a tendency to flood quite frequently during hard rains. The County received many phone calls of inquiry (what else would retired persons do?) and my parents were told everyone understood the complexities of the drainage situation. The general response was ‘Everything will be fine. Your property will be improved, not worsened by any action by the developer.’ After the permits were issued, all of the trees were removed. Did I mention they have a gigantic hill behind their house? So with every rainfall, and no natural barrier to protect them, the deluge of rain flooded their oasis of beautifully manicured grass. The only protection from a river of mud, was a rubber barrier fencing previously replaced multiple times due to failure. The shrubs began to die off and the perennials did not reappear. Topsoil was non-existent and the trees were suffering. The birds stop visiting the dozen or so 5-star quality feeders, instead opting for the neighbors across the street. You can imagine their dissatisfaction with the view while trying to enjoy a morning cup of coffee. To add salt to an already festering wound, this went on for three years! The contractor and the County eventually stopped returning phone calls. The developer mysteriously failed to build a single home and stopped all work, and moved on to another project in the County a few miles away. No one could give them a straight answer WHY the project halted and WHO was going to remove the 3-story high mound of bare dirt directly behind their home wreaking havoc on what should be retired bliss. Eventually, we would discover the project was sidelined due to financial problems and a splendid discrepancy over proffers. When I discovered my father, in his eighties, was literally pacing during the night and losing sleep, I called in the cavalry.
I’d recently joined LWCC and knew Sheila was considering a run for office again. I sent a lengthy message detailing our tales of woe with the following question: “can you please point me in the right direction in Chesterfield County?” My goal was to simply identify the right person in authority, in hopes of finding some sort of helpful information. Within minutes, I had a response. She had contacted their Board of Supervisors member. Within a few days, suddenly we had real action! The County sent out the environmentalist and by weeks end, to his credit, their BOS member visited too. Heavy equipment magically appeared at the site after three long years. Finally, my senior citizen parents were being taken seriously and not ignored. In fact, it wasn’t just one home impacted, it was ten homes. Ten families were finally getting repairs made to their properties. Ten families who had fought this battle alongside my parents. Throughout this process, Sheila remained in contact with me. She also remained in contact with the powers-that-be who were equally concerned. I’m convinced their backyard would look like a mud pit to this day without her intervention. It certainly wasn’t her job. Even if she had won the seat in 2015 in HD-62, it would not have been her problem to solve. She got involved because she cared about complete strangers. These are qualities of leadership and grassroots community involvement.
My story has a specific set of circumstances, but I assure you there are plenty of others. When there is a need in the community, Sheila sometimes gets a phone call. She has a reputation for getting things done and these acts of kindness didn’t begin when she decided to run for Delegate. They certainly didn’t end when she lost her race in 2015 either. Somehow, I don’t anticipate she will ever turn her back on those random calls for help. She is someone who honestly cares about her community and will excel in a broader role as Delegate for the constituents in these localities.
Financial assistance is crucial and LWCC has chosen Mrs. Bynum-Coleman as their spotlight MONEY BOMB CANDIDATE this week. Donations of $100, $50, $25, even $1…we’ll take whatever we can get. Imagine if each DK member contributed just $1? It would open up new opportunities to reach the public not previously available to this campaign.
She can WIN! HD-62 is prime to turn BLUE! With a detailed ground effort underway, the campaign has clearly identified key areas to focus on. Yes, it takes a village of volunteers but it also takes donations. The Republican machine is financing Delegate Ingram and we need to finance the winning campaign of Mrs. Sheila Bynum-Coleman, Delegate of HD-62.
About Sheila:
“Sheila Bynum-Coleman is a native of Chesterfield County, where she graduated from Monacan High School where she was a member of the track and basketball teams. Sheila attended Virginia Commonwealth University, where she received her B.A. from the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, with a major in Political Science and a minor in International Studies.
Sheila Bynum-Coleman is a wife and mother of five. Her children attend Chesterfield County Public Schools, with her oldest child received her B.A. from Virginia Wesleyan College and will be attending Eastern Virginia Medical School in the fall. On February 28th, 2017, Sheila was sworn in as a member of the Board of Contractors the first African American woman to hold a position on the board.
Sheila began her career as a licensed real estate agent. She expanded her real estate services and founded R.H. Coleman Enterprises LLC, headquartered in Chesterfield County which operates in fifteen states around the country providing services for bank foreclosures and default properties. She has worked on many campaigns to help elect candidates she supported by organizing field teams, providing rides to the polls and registering voters.
Sheila has volunteered as a mentor with at risk youth along with providing counseling services. She has worked to help citizens being released from prison with job placement and housing recently Sheila and her husband opened a transition home offering housing for men that are homeless coming from the prison system. Their program involves housing, job training, credit repair and counseling services. Sheila works to connect services to help assist with becoming a productive member of society. Sheila volunteers with Veterans Helping Veterans, Guardians and several civic and several other community and civic organizations linking the needs of the community to people and programs providing assistance. Sheila is an active member of a number of civic and community organizations and volunteers her time teaching classes for first time home buyers, entrepreneurial development workshops, contracting with the Federal Government and fiscal management. She has also worked as a children’s advocate for over ten years and has partnered with several organizations to improve the conditions in local area schools.
Sheila Bynum Coleman’s unique skill-set will translate into an efficient and effective Legislator that provides viable solutions to everyday problems. She will be an effective agent of change for our Commonwealth.”