Sara Townsend: A woman with new ideas for the 31st district

The demographic makeup of Northern Virginia is changing. Statistics show that now one in every four people living in the Northern Virginia area is a transplant from another state or country.

Living in the United States – a representative democracy – would lead us to believe that the rich diversity we have in our area would be reflected in our legislature. But that isn’t the case. In the Virginia legislature, women and minorities are vastly underrepresented and while white men only make up 31% of the U.S. population, they account for 65% of all elected officials.

Take Virginia’s 31^st House district for example. 

Delegate Scott Lingamfelter, the Republican incumbent for the district, has been in the seat since 2002. That’s 13 years in his seat, while the demographics in parts of his district are rapidly changing. In fact, some precincts in the 31^st are now actually majority-minority areas.

It’s time to shake things up a bit.

Sara Townsend, a former teacher and PhD student at George Mason University, has stepped up to challenge the status quo in the 31^st, and serve as a female delegate in Richmond – something that is sorely lacking.

The Prince William County Young Democrats just held an event this past weekend to knock doors for Sara, as one of the few young female candidates running in this election cycle.

We chatted with Sara to get her thoughts on why it’s important for young people to run for elected office:

I never thought I would run for political office. I grew up in a non-partisan household where I was taught to vote for the person, not the party. Although I regularly voted in the past, it wasn't until I saw our legislative system at work that I knew I had to become involved and run for office.
As a middle school teacher and then as a PhD student, I've seen how much our state government has affected our educational system. This became even more apparent when I attended some committee hearings in Richmond this past session and saw first-hand the dysfunction of our government. Additionally, many of our legislators were older and male. Those are the perspectives that are being most heard in our government. 

That’s why I stepped up to run for office this year. Becoming a candidate is not for everyone, but unless younger people get involved in the political process we’ll continue electing the same people and perspectives into office, and politicians will continue to ignore young people.
I've knocked thousands of doors, and am pleasantly surprised at how many voters, especially older ones, are encouraged by having a younger person run for office. Trust me- people are ready for new voices and ideas in government! 

Whether it’s volunteering, donating, or some other engagement, I have witnessed the potential impact our generation can make on our community. If we don't get involved and take action, then we don't have a right to complain about the current political climate. 

If you’re in the 31^st district, make sure that you vote – whether in person on November 3, or by absentee ballot. Sara Townsend is giving the district a real shot at getting an honest and hardworking young female into Virginia’s legislature, and she needs our support.