Shyamali Hauth Running In June 20 Democratic Party Primary: Profile

RESTON, VA — When long-time Del. Ken Plum announced that he would not seek re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates in November, four Democrats put their names forward as candidates to represent the Reston area in Richmond.

Shyamali Hauth, a former legislative director for Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, is running against Paul Berry, Mary Barthelson, and Karen Keys-Gammara in the June 20 primary. This will determine who will be the Democratic Party candidate on the ballot in November.

Early voting for the primary got underway on May 3 and runs through June 17, which is the Saturday before the primary. More information about voting in Fairfax County is available online.

Patch invited each of the candidates in the 7th District House of Delegates race to fill out a questionnaire about their campaign. The following are Hauth's responses.

Name

Shyamali Hauth

Position Sought

Delegate, HD-7

Age (As of Election Day)

57

Campaign Website

www.hauthforva.com

Family: Names, ages and any pertinent detail you wish to share.

Spouse: Christopher Hauth, US Air Force Colonel, retired; Children: Brandon Armstrong, 37; Justin Armstrong, 35; Christian Armstrong, 32; Nyx Hauth, 25. Parents: Dr Mrinal Roy, Professor (deceased) and Dr Ratna Roy, Professor (retired) Sibling: Prodipto Roy Grandchildren: 5

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for.

My spouse is a government contractor.

My eldest son works for the Texas Association of Counties

Education

Master of Science, Human Resource Management; Troy State University (1991) Bachelor of Arts, Psychology with a minor in Management; St Leo University (1990) Associate of Science, Engineering Technologies; Community College of the Air Force (1988)

Occupation - Please include years of experience

Legislative Director, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Hunter Mill District. (3 years) Tenured Faculty, Spokane Community College (4 years) US Air Force, Construction Management & Executive Officer (10 years) Small Business Owner; Mahari Yoga. (21 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Appointed to Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP) for the Hunter Mill District. Appointed to Family Life Education Curriculum Advisory Committee (FLECAC) for Fairfax County Public Schools. Board of Directors, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS). Board of Directors, The Reston Chorale. Regional Director, South Asians for America (SAFA).

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for Delegate because I want to continue to build an inclusive, welcoming Virginia where all can thrive. I bring my many years of experience working in local government and as a former Air Force Officer, as well as my advocacy work at the state level and my small business acumen, to represent and improve the lives of the people of our district.

I’m an immigrant, a community organizer, an Air Force veteran, a cancer survivor, and a mom of four. I attended night school while on Active Duty to earn my degrees. Later, as tenured faculty teaching leadership, team building, speech and communication at a vocational-technical community college, I saw firsthand the need for multiple pathways to success. My lived experience reflects the diversity of our region and this district.

I ran for Hunter Mill District Supervisor in the 2019 Democratic primary. When Walter Alcorn won, he asked me to join his team to work together for the community. I accepted and have worked for the past three years as his Legislative Director for Multimodal Transportation, everything from walking to driving to transit, and Public Safety, from police to fire to first responders, as well as advising on housing, health & human services, the environment and the arts. One of the most important functions of the office is Constituent Services. I took constituents’ calls daily on issues and problems and worked on ways to resolve them. I have worked with VDOT to add ADA accessible crosswalks at schools in record time, collaborated with communities to come to consensus on critical infrastructure needs, and have worked with state and local agencies to meet the needs of our community. I have worked with constituent groups to improve safety and security in communities by improving lighting, removing unsightly and dangerous hazards, and improving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.

I have also been engaged in grassroots efforts to pass legislation at the Virginia General Assembly. I was on the leadership team for the Virginia-wide effort to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). I testified before House and Senate committees, spoke at press conferences, and talked with legislators on both sides of the aisle to gain buy-in and ratification. My advocacy didn’t end there. I talked with legislators and testified before numerous committees on reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, wage parity, gun violence prevention, transit funding, climate change solutions, affordable housing, and education.

My experience and vision have uniquely prepared me to run for Delegate. I swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution and my oath never ends. I have faced challenges with bravery and have always led with integrity, compassion and service-before-self.

The single most pressing issue facing District 7 is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing District 7 is the threat of weakening our public education system. Our schools are the bedrock of American democracy and the building blocks of our great economy. Investing in public education enables all Virginians to thrive. The current administration in Virginia is undermining and creating doubt in our systems and our teachers. The ongoing fear of school shootings, violence toward our LGBTQ+ youth, economic insecurities in the home, and banning books makes learning more challenging than ever.

In order to address these issues, I have several legislative policies I would put forth. Universal pre-K is one of the best ways to provide all of Virginia’s children an equal footing on which to build their academic success. I would support fully funding universal pre-K as it is a direct investment in our economic well being by providing low income families a reprieve from childcare costs and may even improve their economic outlook. When it comes to school security, as a military veteran I am well versed on how to provide security without over policing in our schools. There are effective ways to monitor perimeter security using technology, thereby keeping our children safe.

Eliminating the Disability Waiver waitlist is also a way to provide needed services to families. We have a mental health crisis affecting people in our community from our school children to our seniors. Passing legislation to inform and provide resources on mental health to schools and communities is essential. When it comes to curriculum, teaching accurate history is a must. It is only through knowing our past that we can move towards a brighter and more equitable future.

As Delegate I would also support raising teacher pay. By compensating teachers well, we can retain the best and the brightest and encourage more teachers to apply to work in our schools. It really is unconscionable that Virginia, a state with the 13th highest GDP ranks 25th in teacher pay. Investing in our teachers and our education system is critical to a thriving economy, and frankly the right thing to do.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

We are fortunate to have so many willing to step up to serve. What sets me apart is that I bring both experience at the local government level as the past legislative director for Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn (who has endorsed me), and advocacy work at the state level to, among other things, ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). I also bring national security experience as a former Air Force officer. My life story – being an immigrant, a veteran, a mother, grandmother and a cancer survivor – reflects our community. I live in a townhouse in Reston, and while I’m fortunate to have the endorsement of several Delegates and elected leaders including Del Kathy Tran, Del Irene Shin and Walter Alcorn, I also have support from many local leaders.

I’m endorsed by local and community leaders including Sean Perryman (former candidate for Lt Gov, former President of Fairfax County NAACP), Kofi Annan, (former President of Fairfax County NAACP), Robert Rigby (LGBTQ+ Leader), Willow Woycke (LGBTQ+ Leader), Jennifer Litton Tidd (Neurodivergent & Disability Leader), John Pinkman (Community Leader), Jerry Poje (Affordable Housing Advocate), Jamie Bluth (Community Advocate), Rachel Wood (Small Business Owner), Kripa Patwardhan (Transit Advocate), and Dr Rev Kay Rodgers (Faith Leader).

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

• Preserving women’s rights and reproductive freedom is essential. Every person should have bodily autonomy. I am proud to have the #VOTEPROCHOICE endorsement.
• Addressing climate change. Every decision we make needs to be done through the lens of environmental sustainability.
• Enacting gun safety. As a veteran, I am the strongest voice on gun safety and am a Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate.
• Preserving our democracy to include voting rights. I am endorsed by VoteVets.
• Providing improved access to affordable and timely mental health care in both urgent need and preventive care.
• Ensuring our unions are strong and workers are protected.
• Expanding affordable housing and ensuring people can age in place with ease.
• Improving our transportation infrastructure to include all modes of transportation.
• Taking care of working families through paid sick and medical leave, earned sick days, and affordable long term care. I have the Family Friendly Seal of Approval.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

• I have worked with state agencies like VDOT to make our walking and biking infrastructure safer.
• I worked with our constituents, Nova Parks, VDOT, and FCDOT to get a much needed bridge replacement done. We were able to access and utilize federal dollars while addressing access and safety for residents.
• My attention to detail in Construction Management led directly to holding noncompliant contractors accountable to include winning every court case in which I testified.
• As the higher education lead on the Community Congress for Race Relations, I shaped how we addressed and taught controversial topics.
• I have worked in adverse and hostile conditions while serving as the only female officer in a Fighter Wing. I was not only able to do my job and bring around those who didn't think women should be in the unit, but was given an Outstanding recognition.

I have a proven record of working collaboratively on projects and legislation.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Breathe.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I have been working for our community for many years and will continue to do so as a Delegate. I will represent our Northern Virginia values in Richmond while working collaboratively on legislation. We need a brick wall against the onslaught of harmful legislation coming our way. Whether it's women’s rights, voting rights, equitable transportation, protecting public education or addressing climate change, I have the breadth of experience to do the job on Day 1. I have always been a servant leader and will work tirelessly for our community. My door is always open to you.

Related:

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• Mary Barthelson Running In June 20 Democratic Party Primary: Profile
• Paul Berry Running In June 20 Democratic Party Primary: Profile
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• 2023 Democratic Primary: In-Person Voting Starts Friday In Fairfax
• Meet 4 Democrats Running To Represent Reston In VA House Of Delegates