Running for Statewide Office – NewDEAL

Aaron Rouse

Andrea Cruz — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 04:00:45 +0000

Aaron Rouse

Senator | Virginia Beach, VA

Senator Aaron R. Rouse currently represents State Senate District 7, which includes parts of the cities of Virginia Beach and Norfolk. Aaron was born and raised in Virginia Beach. He attended First Colonial High School and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). Rouse was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 2007 NFL Draft and also played for the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals. After retiring from the National Football League, Rouse returned home to Virginia Beach to begin his career in public service. He served as a coach and a mentor before founding Rouse’s House, a nonprofit organization that serves to establish education as the foundation for today’s youth, with a primary goal of exposing youth and families in the community to a broader world of learning. On November 6, 2018, Rouse was elected to the Virginia Council as an at-large member. On January 10, 2023, Rouse was elected to the Virginia State Senate. He enjoys outdoor activities and currently resides in the heart of Virginia Beach with his wife, Virginia Beach Councilwoman Jennifer Valentine-Rouse, and son and daughter.

Amanda Gonzalez

Rachel Walsh — Tue, 30 May 2023 15:05:11 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez

Clerk & Recorder | Jefferson County, CO

Amanda Gonzalez is a dedicated professional known for her instrumental work in promoting civic engagement through policy development. She is currently the Clerk and Recorder in Jefferson County where she is the first Latina in the role. Gonzalez previously served as the Executive Director of Colorado Common Cause, a nonpartisan organization committed to advancing good governance. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in formulating and advocating for policies that expanded ballot access, curtailed the influence of money in politics, created Colorado’s independent redistricting commission, and ensured an accurate count in the 2020 Census.

Throughout her career, Gonzalez has held diverse roles, including policy analyst, staff attorney, small business CEO, nonprofit executive director, and Chicano Studies adjunct professor. The first in her family to go to college, holding degrees from Occidental College and the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

Libby Schaaf

join.us — Wed, 13 May 2020 14:25:39 +0000

Libby Schaaf

Former Mayor | Oakland, CA

Former Mayor Libby Schaaf was born and raised in Oakland, which she proudly describes as, “The most unapologetic Sanctuary City in America.” During her tenure, Oakland underwent an economic revitalization and building boom, as well as cut gun violence in half.

Her “17K/17K Housing Plan” helped increase Oakland’s affordable housing production, stabilize rents, and decrease evictions. Her innovative public-private partnerships Keep Oakland Housed and Cabin Communities are credited with preventing 1,800 families a year from losing their housing while resolving some of Oakland’s most unsafe street encampments. In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Mayor Schaaf to California’s first Council of Regional Homeless Advisors.

She created Oakland’s first Department of Transportation, whose equity-based paving plan is the first of its kind in the nation and will make previously underserved neighborhoods safer while addressing the city’s decades-old infrastructure backlog.

Mayor Schaaf is most proud of launching the Oakland Promise, a bold cradle-to-career initiative to send more low-income Oakland kids to college. The Oakland Promise gives every baby born into poverty a $500 savings account at birth. The Oakland Promise has sent more than 1,400 Oakland students (and counting) to college with scholarships and mentors.

Fiona Ma

actualize — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 11:30:06 +0000

Fiona Ma

Treasurer | California

Fiona Ma served as a member of the California Board of Equalization from 2015 to 2019. Ma served in the California State Assembly from 2006 to 2012 and on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors 2002 to 2006.

Fiona Ma received a bachelor’s degree in Accounting at Rochester Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in Taxation from Golden Gate University, and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University. She is a CPA and member of the Aspen Institute’s 2009 Class of Aspen-Rodel Fellows.

Currently Ma, a Certified Public Accountant, has been serving as the California State Treasurer since January 7, 2019. She was elected to this post on November 6, 2018, with more votes than any other candidate for Treasurer in the state’s history.

Josh Fryday

actualize — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 11:29:59 +0000

Josh Fryday

Former Councilmember | Novato, CA

Josh Fryday is a former City Councilman. He served from 2015 to 2019. Since joining the City Council, Fryday championed successful efforts to establish Novato’s leadership in the North Bay on issues of sustainability and climate action. In his professional capacity, he serves as President of Golden State Opportunity, working to provide financial security to millions of low-income working people throughout California. Prior to his current position, he served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for NextGen Climate, founded by Tom Steyer, a leading national organization focused on climate change and clean energy.

Fryday also served in the military as an Officer in the United States Navy (‘09-‘13) as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG). He served overseas in Yokosuka, Japan, and was also stationed in the Office of Military Commissions, working on the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba detainee cases. He testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on the closing of Guantanamo. He is a former Term-Member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and currently serves as Board Co-Chair of Demos, a national think-tank focused on issues of democracy and economic equality.

Michael Tubbs

actualize — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 11:07:59 +0000

Michael Tubbs

Former Mayor | Stockton, CA

On November 8, 2016, Michael Tubbs was elected to serve as the mayor of his hometown – Stockton, California. Upon taking office in January 2017, Mayor Tubbs became Stockton’s first African-American Mayor and the youngest mayor of any major city in America. Mayor Tubbs’ leadership paired with an ambitious progressive agenda has received national recognition. He has been recognized as one of Politico’s Top 50, Fortune’s 2018 Top “40 under 40,” Forbes’ 2018 list of the “30 Under 30”, and received the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award in 2019. In his first year, Mayor Tubbs secured $20 million to launch Stockton Scholars, a place-based scholarship that aims to dramatically increase the number of Stockton students entering and graduating from college. Mayor Tubbs also brought Advance Peace to Stockton, a data-driven program that works to reduce gun violence in communities. With an innovative public-private partnership supported by a $1 million grant, Tubbs launched the nation’s first-ever mayor-led guaranteed income pilot known as Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED). Based on the success of SEED, Tubbs’ latest initiative is Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI). MGI is a coalition of mayors advocating for a guaranteed income to ensure that all Americans have an income floor. Under his leadership Stockton has been named an All-America City three times, in 2018 was named the second most fiscally healthy city in the country, and homicides have been reduced by 40%.

Before becoming mayor, Michael Tubbs earned a B.A. in Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity and an M.A. in Policy, Leadership & Organization studies from Stanford University with honors. He started his political career at age 22 when he was elected to serve as Stockton’s District 6 City Councilmember in 2012. While holding this position he founded the Reinvent South Stockton Coalition, a private-public-non-profit that aims to empower South Stockton residents to help eradicate cycles of intergenerational poverty. He was also a part of the council that led the city out of bankruptcy as Chair of the Audit and Legislative Committee. As a result of his dedication to innovative solutions to real problems, Tubbs has been a Fellow Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, known as the d.school, at Stanford, the Emerson Collective and MIT Media Lab. Mayor Tubbs is married to his Partner Anna Nti-Asare-Tubbs and is a proud new father as of 2019.

Levar Stoney

actualize — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 11:07:56 +0000

Levar Stoney

Former Mayor | Richmond, VA

Levar M. Stoney is serving his second term as the 80^th mayor of the City of Richmond and is the youngest person to hold the office. He is an Advisory Board member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, where he chairs the Children, Health and Human Services committee. He also serves as President of the Democratic Mayors Association.

Mayor Stoney served as the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Virginia in 2008. He went on to serve as the deputy campaign manager for Terry McAuliffe’s successful gubernatorial campaign in 2013 and became the first African-American Secretary of the Commonwealth and youngest member of Governor McAuliffe’s cabinet in 2014. As Secretary, he was the driving force behind the Governor’s efforts to restore the civil and voting rights of more than 150,000 returning citizens. Under Stoney’s leadership, the McAuliffe administration restored more rights to Virginians than the previous seven gubernatorial administrations combined.

During his term, Mayor Stoney has made the largest individual budget investment in public education of any mayor in a generation, putting more funding into the classroom and the maintenance of school facilities. His administration has constructed three new schools in Black and Brown neighborhoods and built a partnership with local out-of-school time providers and the philanthropic community to create access to quality afterschool programming for every RPS child enrolled in elementary and middle school.

Additionally, his administration’s historic investments have resulted in newly paved roads in often neglected neighborhoods, and the dedication of $78 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the rehabilitation and construction of four community centers that will provide access to recreation and city services within walking distance of 100,000 city residents. Under his leadership, the Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA) approved a $113 million regional investment that will enable the completion of the Fall Line Trail and bus rapid transit system, the GRTC Pulse, in order to have mass transit in the city be free for all riders. Moreover, in 2020, he ordered the removal of all confederate iconography in Richmond.