Meet The Candidate: Andria McClellan For Virginia Lt. Governor

VIRGINIA — Norfolk City Councilmember Andria McClellan is one of six candidates running for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor of Virginia in 2021.

McClellan, who has served on the city council since 2016, was previously appointed chair of the Virginia Small Business Advisory Board by former Gov. Mark Warner. She also served on the board of the Hampton Roads Technology Council and formed Tidewater Venture Mentors, an organization to support budding entrepreneurs.

In the primary, McClellan is running against Del. Hala Ayala, Del. Mark Levine, Sean Perryman, Del. Sam Rasoul and Xavier Warren.

Early voting in the Democratic primary is currently underway and continues until June 5 for the June 8 Democratic primary that will include candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Learn more about Andria McClellan and why she is running for lieutenant governor of Virginia in 2021:

Position Sought

Lieutenant governor

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Town of Residence

Norfolk

Family

Michael (Husband), Aidan (age 22), Lachlan (age 19) and Roark (age 16).

Education

Bachelor of Arts, Asian Studies/Economics, University of Virginia

Wharton Management Program, University of Pennsylvania

Occupation

Norfolk City Councilmember, businesswoman and community volunteer

Previous or current elected or appointed office

Norfolk City Councilmember

Campaign Website

andriaforvirginia.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for Lieutenant Governor to continue my work of expanding equitable access to opportunity and breaking down barriers for all Virginians who are struggling to get ahead. I know what it’s like to be there. I was raised by a single mom who juggled multiple jobs to make ends meet. After graduating from Green Run High School, my family had no money for my college tuition, but thanks to scholarships, Pell Grants and four years of work study jobs, I was able to graduate from the University of Virginia.

After graduation, I worked for two Fortune 500 companies, attended Wharton and ran two small businesses. I got into politics in 2008 when I became a precinct captain for the Norfolk Democratic Committee. And, in May of 2016, I unseated a 16-year incumbent for the Norfolk City Council, and now serve 125,000 Virginians, the largest constituency of anyone running for Lieutenant Governor.

I have a proven track record of building coalitions and getting things done. In addition to my role on the Norfolk City Council, I serve as Chair of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, representing all 17 municipalities of Hampton Roads. In this capacity, I created our Coastal Resilience Committee, which brings local elected officials from throughout the region to address one of our most pressing issues: flooding. Additionally, I am helping to create our regional broadband fiber ring, which will bring more affordable, high speed internet options to the region through the Southside Network Authority. I’m also proud of the work I’ve been able to accomplish as Vice Chair of Hampton Roads Transit, which brought the first all-electric transit buses to the state and is creating more frequent, convenient regional bus routes to decrease congestion and reduce our carbon footprint. When elected, I will use my local government experience, my business knowledge and my community engagement skills to ensure we are serving the needs of Virginians and building a stronger, more equitable and more resilient Commonwealth for all.

And, as the only Lieutenant Governor candidate from Hampton Roads, I bring an important perspective and will give a voice to the 757 and other communities who too often feel forgotten in our commonwealth.

If elected, I am committed to becoming a full time Lieutenant Governor that works for the people to create more access to opportunity. I am focused on 2021 and what Virginians need and what we must do to thrive as we come out of this pandemic.

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

A lack of access to opportunity and economic inequality are some of the greatest issues facing Virginians. Outside of presiding over the Virginia Senate, I plan to work full-time the remaining ten months of the year to use my statewide platform to tackle our most pressing issues. I will convene the best and the brightest resources, from our federal partners to local government; the business, philanthropic and faith communities; and, academia to address: 1) ensuring reliable, affordable high-speed internet access for all to bridge the digital divide; 2) supporting access to capital for small businesses, especially women and minority-owned businesses; and, 3) enhancing our “talent pipeline” from youth to adults, through better early childhood and K-12 educational funding and support for much needed workforce development training.

First, affordable, high-speed internet is critical to every Virginian for work, education, healthcare, and running a business. This pandemic has shown that the digital divide has now become a chasm which is very real and ever growing. If we want to address economic inequality, we need to ensure that all Virginians can get online to ensure they have access to jobs, education, healthcare and government services.

Second, as a former entrepreneur, I know that small businesses drive our economy, create jobs, and generate wealth. As Lieutenant Governor, I want to work to empower our small businesses so we can come back stronger than ever from COVID-19. To build a stronger economy and a more dynamic commonwealth, we need to go beyond addressing access to capital; programs like mentoring, marketing support and a host of other robust services will ensure Virginians can build their dreams into a business that creates jobs and empowers communities.

Third, we need to prepare our workforce for the new jobs that are being created in our commonwealth, especially in our trades, technology and the green economy. After my dad left when I was young, my mother had to figure out how to make ends meet for my brother and me. She took classes at Tidewater Community College and became a draftsman at a local government contractor. I want all families to have access to quality, professional education as my mom had. In Norfolk, I worked with Centura College to expand their electrical and building trades program to include offshore wind and solar training. This and other local programs will train local residents for the thousands of new jobs coming to the Hampton Roads region because of Virginia’s efforts to expand access to clean, renewable energy sources.

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

My 30 years of business, nonprofit and local government experience make me uniquely qualified to tackle Virginia’s problems and seize our opportunities. I will work with the Governor, the General Assembly, and with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure Virginia emerges from this pandemic stronger than ever. I am a pragmatic problem solver and will work tirelessly to ensure every Virginian has access to opportunity and a path to success. And more importantly, if I am the nominee, I will win in November and will work hard to ensure that Democrats retain the majority in the House of Delegates. I have defeated a Republican before, and I will win again.

How would you assess Virginia's handling of the coronavirus, and why? *

Virginia has done a good job responding to the pandemic but I think an area in which we could have done better was in the initial vaccine rollout. Hampton Roads was the last region to enter the 1B phase of vaccine rollout earlier this year. As the Chair of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission representing all 17 municipalities in the region, I sent a letter to the Governor in January outlining the problems we were facing and suggesting solutions, including the need to set up a statewide call center, improving coordination with localities and improving the challenging online pre-registration system. While that didn’t make me many friends in the Governor’s office, it was the right thing to do for my community.

What laws or policies will you pursue to help the state recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?

As we emerge from the pandemic, it is critical that we help our businesses recover. Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, providing goods and services, but also accounting for nearly half of all employment. Improving the ability for small businesses to weather the current crises, enhance their capability to rebound and thrive, and build their long-term resilience is imperative for our communities and our economy. Please read more about my plan to help entrepreneurs and small businesses here.

Additionally, it is imperative that we support our school systems, teachers and students who have suffered greatly this past year. We need to ensure that our educators receive the support they need to address the learning loss of this past year, as well as invest in mental health for both our students and teachers who have dealt with significant stress and trauma that we have yet to fully understand.

Lastly, I want to make sure that our state agencies are best equipped to efficiently get resources and funding to individuals and businesses. I’m very concerned that the Virginia Employment Commission is ranked nationally in addressing unemployment claim disputes and that there is a backlog of more than 50,000 claims that have yet to be addressed. I’ve heard from numerous constituents who have not been able to access these critical funds. This situation is due in large part to underinvestment in technology infrastructure and antiquated systems that cannot handle the call volume. We must partner with the private sector to correct this immediately and ensure that we fix the problems we have and prepare for future challenges, not only within this state agency but throughout all state government divisions.

How would you assess the General Assembly's work in the latest session, which saw passage of a host of bills on racial equity and criminal justice reform?

The Democratic majorities in the General Assembly have done incredible work with regards to racial and criminal justice, gun violence prevention and expanding voting rights to more Virginians. While there is more work to be done, I am concerned that the extraordinary progress that has been made recently may be erased if we lose any of our statewide seats or the Democratic majority in the House of Delegates in 2021. With three of the most competitive House of Delegate seats located in Virginia Beach, where I grew up, and all three statewide Republican nominees having roots in Hampton Roads, nominating a LG candidate from this region will be imperative to helping the Democratic Party to defend their hard-fought majority.

What is your position on the effort to repeal the state's right-to-work statute, and what changes, if any, would you make in the law?

Virginia has been a great state for business and we must continue to support our business community, because they are the source of good paying jobs. But, we need to also be a great state for workers. And, like every other person running for LG in the Democratic primary, I support repealing Virginia’s so called “right to work” law.

The history of this law in Virginia is a classic example of systemic racism, and we need to address this and ensure that our workers have access to fair and equitable pay and rights. I support paying Virginians a living wage and ensuring access to paid family and medical leave.

As the candidate with the most business experience in this Democratic primary, I will be able to best strike that balance and ensure we support both businesses and workers.

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

Virginia has challenges to be tackled and opportunities to be seized. I can do both. I have done both in my 30 years as a leader in business, non-profits, the environment, broadband and local government, and I can hit the ground running on day one as the next Lieutenant Governor, with no on-the-job-training required.

After working for two Fortune 500 companies, graduating from the Wharton Management Program and running two small businesses, I have been very active in supporting Virginia’s small business community and entrepreneurs, including serving as Chair of the Virginia Small Business Advisory Board (appointed by Governor Mark Warner) and now serving as a current board member of 757 Angels, 757 Accelerate and the Democratic Business Alliance, where I am mentoring small businesses who are creating jobs in Virginia.

I have served in leadership roles with amazing non-profits, including Samaritan House, the Virginia Family & Children’s Trust Fund, and The Up Center to find resources to help victims of domestic violence, homeless families and individuals who had been recently incarcerated learn job skills.

I am passionate about the environment and mitigating flooding. I wrote the region’s first Climate Action Plan, and I currently serve on the Virginia Joint Subcommittee on Coastal Flooding, the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Local Government Advisory Committee, and the Virginia Municipal League’s Environmental Policy Committee.

And, I am proud of the work I have done to promote civic engagement and look forward to becoming Virginia’s “Chief Engagement Officer” as Lieutenant Governor. I currently serve on the boards of WHRO public radio and TV, Civic Leadership Institute, and UVa’s Sorensen Political Leadership Institute, and I created the annual Engage Norfolk event to encourage our citizens to “turn their passion into action” through civic engagement and volunteerism.

I was an original stakeholder in our region’s Southside Network Authority, now serving as Vice Chair for this entity which oversees a 110-mile regional broadband ring that is supported by five municipalities and will bring more high-speed, affordable internet to a million Virginia residents.

I have executive experience. I have managed budgets. I have hired and motivated employees. I have secured hundreds of millions of dollars and implemented bold, innovative projects on the ground. God forbid something should happen to the next Governor, I am the best candidate to step into that role.

And, I am the only candidate from Hampton Roads, Virginia’s second largest voting bloc. No party has had a one-region ticket since 1961, and we can’t start now. We must have geographic diversity on our statewide ballot — to ensure we can win in November, maintain our statewide offices AND our majority in the House.

I am a proven pragmatic problem solver. And I will work tirelessly for all Virginians to ensure they have equitable access to opportunity and a path to success.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Help others. You never know when you will need the help yourself, and you will enrich your life in ways you will never know when you use your talents and treasures to assist those who need a little help.