Above map is from this site.
Yesterday I received some campaign flyers in my mailbox. It was from a man running as a Democrat for Virginia Senate seat in State District 22.
I looked at the flyer and realized, I’d met this man once, albeit in passing.
Mr. Ryant Washington from Link. Democratic Candidate for Virginia’s State Senate District 22.
Generally speaking, people living in rural America have the same concerns as urban America. Really.
Concerns of parents in rural america are the same as parents anywhere else in the country.
Rural parents want to see their kids do well in school, get a good education, live a good life and support themselves. What parent does not want this for their children?
Well, here in Virginia’s State Senate District 22, we are having a Special Election because the previous occupier of that office was elected into Virginia’s 5th Congressional District and will be going to Washington to obstruct government, exactly as his predecessor did.
I live in the heart of Virginia State Senate District 22. It is a rural district. If you look at that Wikipedia page, you will see that the boundaries have been changed a few times. In this incarnation, the power center — the urban power center — in this district is the City of Lynchburg, Virginia.
Caucusing. Goochland County represents at @vademocrats 22nd Senate District Caucus here in packed room at Moton Museum in Farmville, VA. Found on Twitter page of Goochland County Democrats.
Sometime in early December, the Republican Party of Virginia (RPVA) chose Lynchburg attorney Mark Peake as their candidate in a party convention.
Around the same time the Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA) was holding a caucus in the town of Farmville. I was sent an invitation for that but was unable to attend. Out of a 145 votes cast, Ryant Washington won with 108 caucus votes.
Over the years of living in this district, I’ve met many of the candidates, usually in passing. I have friends from both sides and when I’ve been invited, I’ve gone to various events held in homes of people I know, and have met the candidates. As I said, this is a rural district. We know each other and try to get along, even if we vote differently.
In 2012, when a friend invited me to phone-bank with her in the OFA office in her area, I met then Sheriff Ryant Washington. I doubt he remembers me. It was a quick handshake as he came by the OFA office to make sure that everything was going well and that the OFA coordinator for the district was not in need of any help.
Let me make that point again — in 2012, Ryant Washington was in the trenches with all of us Democrats, helping to garner a win for President Barack Obama’s second term, and for Senator Tim Kaine. He may not have done it with canvasing etc. But he was there with advice for the campaign coordinators for OFA and Tim Kaine.
While he was there, shaking our hands and wishing us well, he also went around the offices and talked to the other businesses in that area. He’s that kind of guy. He talks across the board, to people. Regardless of who people vote for. He was the sheriff of Fluvanna County and he was reaching out not only to us inside that OFA office, but to the others in the area. It was apparent to me that this was someone who liked people.
For Ryant Washington, there are a few things he feels strongly about and those are the things he is running to fix in this district.
Education: I think I’d be safe in saying that this is probably one of the causes closest to Mr. Ryant Washington’s heart. Coming out of Buckingham County and Buckingham High School, Ryant Washington has a very clear understanding of rural schools and how much in need of funding they really are, and how much rural school teachers do with very little. Also, his wife is the chair of the Fluvanna School Board.
Ryant Washington also served in the Fluvanna Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. This affiliation gave him a very good idea as to the economic needs of this district. Particularly the rural parts, and the small market towns like Dillwyn, Farmville, Cumberland, Palmyra and yes, the small cities like Lynchburg.
Map from this Link.
I’m certain that Mr. Ryant Washington will provide leadership for Democratic causes in the Virginia Senate.
Mr. Ryant Washington is a member of 90for90.org, which was created in honor of Dr. William Ferguson Reid Sr. It is an organization which actively encourages voter participation by registering voters.
Update to republish:
I see that there has been some enthusiastic writing on behalf of Virginia Democrats running in this special election — Cheryl Turpin and Ryant Washington. I will be writing more about Ryant Washington in the upcoming days, until election day — January 10, 2017.
Here is one more tweet, because there can never be enough!
