Jennifer Carroll Foy

Jennifer Carroll Foy 2

Summary

Current Position: Public defender
Former Positions:  Magistrate Judge, Delegate for 2nd District 2017 to 2020.
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: Senate District 33

“I have never been able to ignore a call from my community to serve”

As one of the first African-American women to graduate from Virginia Military Institute, a former foster mom, magistrate judge, public defender, and Delegate, I’ve dedicated my life to the service of others. And that lifelong experience has driven my determination to get results for Virginians — ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment, expanding Medicaid to roughly 500,000 Virginians, raising the minimum wage, expanding broadband, cleaning up toxic coal ash and providing opportunities for veterans to start businesses — I am incredibly proud to have helped lead the charge for bold progress here in Virginia with Governor Northam, Speaker Filler-Corn, the House and Senate Caucuses, and outstanding activists in my district and across Virginia.

But we are at a critical juncture for our Commonwealth, where so much of our progress has the potential to be reversed. That’s why I’m again stepping up to serve my community and move Virginia forward as a candidate for state Senate in Virginia’s 33rd District. My commitment to Virginia has never wavered, and I will work hard to build a better Virginia for everyone.

Source: Campaign site

OnAir Post: Jennifer Carroll Foy

News

Jennifer Carroll Foy wins Democratic District 33 nomination
Prince William Times, Hunter Savery – June 25, 2023

About

Jennifer Carroll Foy was born and raised in Petersburg, Virginia — a community with heart that also fell on hard times.

Petersburg has one of the highest poverty rates and one of the highest rates of unaccredited schools. The city was named one of the most dangerous places to live per capita in all of Virginia. Jennifer was raised by her grandmother, Mary Lee Carroll — a powerhouse and a leader in the community.

Her grandmother would say, “Jenn, if you have it, you have to give it.” Jennifer saw her grandmother give all she had — even when she didn’t have much to give.
She watched her grandmother go to work every day as a health aide in Petersburg. And when she came home at night, she usually came home to a house full of people from church who fell on hard times and needed a helping hand.

When Jennifer was a young woman, her grandmother suffered a stroke that made her a quadriplegic. Suddenly the strongest woman Jennifer knew needed to be taken care of herself. Hard choices followed, as they do for so many Virginia families. Jennifer and her aunt had to make the difficult decision to cut Mary Lee’s lifesaving prescription drugs in half some months so they could afford both the medication and their mortgage.

This experience, and growing up in a community where people worked multiple jobs to barely make ends meet, her friends were victims of gun violence, and students didn’t have books to take home, led Jennifer to commit herself to a life of service.

In high school, she joined the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC). And upon watching the Supreme Court make the landmark decision to open the door for women to attend Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Jennifer knew she had to attend. Jennifer was one of the first women to graduate from VMI. Having spent four years at Virginia Military Institute, Jennifer learned to address problems head-on and never back down from a fight — and she deepened her commitment to put service above self.

After graduation, Jennifer went on to receive a master’s degree from Virginia State University and a law degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Jennifer started her career as a magistrate judge. But she quickly saw how people in her courtroom were being treated differently based on their race, economic status, or zip code. Jennifer became a public defender to help give a voice to the voiceless — children, people suffering from addiction, those experiencing houselessness, those with mental illness, and the poor.

In 2017, she took her commitment to service to the Virginia House of Delegates.
She ran for office while pregnant with her twin boys and flipped a historically red district blue. In the House of Delegates, she led the charge to clean up toxic coal ash ponds across the Commonwealth and was a part of the successful push to expand Medicaid to over 500,000 Virginians. During the 2020 General Assembly, Jennifer advanced a pro-woman, pro-labor, and pro-environment agenda, and led the charge to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in Virginia as the bill’s chief sponsor.

Senate District 33

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Web Links

Issues

Economy & Jobs

The past year has been one of the most challenging in our Commonwealth’s history. The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated our communities and our economy, throwing hundreds of thousands of us out of work, shutting the doors of thousands of businesses, forcing our children to learn remotely, and most tragically, causing dire health consequences for over hundreds of thousands of Virginians who have fallen sick. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Virginians have faced record rates of unemployment, our small businesses have struggled to survive. And no one has been hit harder than women and people of color. With more than 800,000 unemployment claims filed in Virginia since March 2020, it’s clear that we must do everything we can to get our economy back up and running safely and that starts by electing leaders with a proven record of results.

I have earned a reputation in Richmond for working across the aisle to get things done. My training at Virginia Military Institute has instilled in me an ability to work with everyone to execute the mission at hand, including people from different backgrounds and with different ideologies. And, groups across the political and ideological spectrum have recognized my work.

​​As a legislator, I was proud to work with both my Republican and Democratic colleagues and Governor Northam to maintain our AAA bond rating, increase our rainy day fund, achieve the lowest unemployment rate in recent history, and attain the recognition by CNBC as the number one state in the nation for business. In 2018, I received the Champion of Enterprise Award from the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and in 2020, I was named 2020 Policymaker of the Year by the Virginia Association for Career and Technical Education.

As Delegate, I:

  • Fought to maximize job creation and give small businesses access to capital and resources they need to succeed.
  • Passed bipartisan legislation to give veterans greater access to the capital they need to start and grow a business
  • Co-sponsored a bill that rewards companies for creating jobs in underserved communities
  • Passed legislation to give small minority-owned businesses more opportunities to secure contracts with utilities
  • Passed legislation to provide greater access to coding courses in high school, preparing our students for the 21st Century economy
  • Passed a bill allowing local school divisions to enter into College and Career Access Pathways Partnerships with community colleges. Because of these efforts, I was named 2020 Policymaker of the Year by the Virginia Association for Career and Technical Education, and received a Free Enterprise Award from the Virginia Chamber of Commerce in 2018.

Unions and Working Families

The feeling of living paycheck to paycheck is one I know well. Growing up in Petersburg, we scraped to get by, budgeting every penny that we earned, working hard day after day. Members of my family still make the minimum wage, and I know how difficult it is for them to survive on what’s in their bank account. My story isn’t unique. Virginia’s working families aren’t getting a fair shake. In fact, Oxfam ranks Virginia the worst state in the country for workers. And the issues we’ve always faced have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Working families deserve a living wage, benefits, and a voice.

That’s why I’ve never been shy in standing with working families. I’ve stood on the picket line with bus drivers on strike and attended rallies with our airport workers. In the last legislative session, Jennifer led the charge to reverse decades of anti-working family, anti-teacher legislation and passed the biggest expansion of labor rights in decades.

As Delegate, I:

  • Passed groundbreaking legislation instituting a prevailing wage on all state-funded construction projects
  • Co-sponsored legislation repealing the “Comstock rule” that banned the use of Project Labor Agreements, which will help thousands of construction workers get quality health coverage
  • Sponsored legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour
  • Passed a bill that cracks down on companies that don’t pay their workers
  • Sponsored legislation to ensure that firefighters who contracted cancer on the job were covered by workers compensation

Education

In my first year at the Virginia Military Institute, I had tutors in almost every class because I was unprepared for college. Growing up in Petersburg, we didn’t have textbooks to take home, certified teachers in our classrooms, and counselors who kept up after us. I was an exception to the rule: the vast majority of my high school classmates didn’t graduate or go to college. Many of the inequities we faced persist today, and it shouldn’t be luck that gets a kid like me into college.

The coronavirus pandemic has further exposed the systemic inequities within our system. In the transition to online learning, we witnessed significant disparities with respect to technology and the internet by our most vulnerable learners.

We need to ensure that all Virginia students don’t just have a chance at success, but a likelihood of success. First, we must work to strengthen our public schools by preparing and supporting our teachers. I believe that if we get teachers the benefits and wages they deserve, and the tools they need to help our kids succeed, we will revitalize our classrooms. Second, we must prepare our students for the global economy and meet the growing demand by employers for skills to power a modern workforce. Third, having a diverse set of educators is vital to creating a compassionate and understanding student body, and will make for a stronger Commonwealth.

As a Delegate, I:

  • Proudly supported efforts to give teachers a five percent pay increase and passed legislation removing politically-motivated, anti-teacher tenure rules and was named a Legislative Champion by the Virginia Education Association in 2019 and 2020 as a result
  • Passed legislation making it easier for students to take computer coding courses in high school
  • Spearheaded efforts to help teachers secure credentials to teach computer coding
  • Passed a bill allowing local school divisions to enter into College and Career Access Pathways Partnerships with community colleges. In recognition of this work, I was named 2020 Policymaker of the Year by the Virginia Association for Career and Technical Education.
  • Passed my Dress Code Equity Act, ensuring that all school dress codes promote a safe school environment that respects students’ religious and ethnic backgrounds.
  • Advocated for reducing the number of days a child can be suspended, and ensuring that discipline infractions are dealt with in-schools rather than in the courtroom.
  • Dedicated years to breaking the school to prison pipeline — so that students of color spend less time in the courtroom and more time in the classroom
  • Passed my Diversifying the Teacher Workforce Act, helping to eliminate unnecessary barriers to gaining a teacher certification that disproportionately hurt minority educators
  • Supported bills to increase teacher mentorship programs and Grow Your Own recruitment efforts that recruit more teachers of color
  • Sponsored legislation to prioritize school safety measures
  • Put forward an amendment to the state budget to restore all of the K-12 direct aid funding initiatives that were unallotted due to the pandemic and eliminated in the introduced budget.

Human Rights

Gender Equity and Reproductive Rights

Women can do all things if given the opportunity. I was in high school when Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote the majority opinion that allowed women to attend Virginia Military Institute, the previously all-male institution. It was that opinion that allowed me to attend VMI, where I eventually became one of the institute’s first women graduates; it was that principle that drove me to lead the fight to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and refuse to take no for an answer.

Alongside my work leading the charge and cementing Virginia as the 38th and final state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, I’ve made concrete changes to advance equality for all Virginians. As Delegate, I:

  • Worked to protect reproductive freedom, helping to lead the Reproductive Health Protection Act which removed medically unnecessary, politically-motivated restrictions on a patient seeking a safe and legal abortion.
  • Pushed forward legislation to establish equality in our school dress codes, ensuring restrictions that promote a safe, disciplined school environment that respects students’ religious and ethnic differences
  • Boldly advocated for paid family and medical leave
  • Passed the Pregnant Worker Fairness Act, requiring all employers to offer commonsense accommodations to pregnant workers

But let’s be clear, there are still far too many barriers in the way for women, particularly women of color, to achieve their dreams. Women are still treated as second class citizens, especially in Virginia, where we face attacks on our ability to plan a family, get paid equally, and be treated with respect in the workplace. So while I’m proud to have served on the frontier fighting for gender equity here in Virginia, our work is far from over.

Energy & Environment

Transportation and Infrastructure

Let’s be blunt: transportation in Virgina feels like a daily disaster. Northern Virginians face some of the worst traffic in the entire country, public transportation experiences constant setbacks, our infrastructure is wildly out of date. These challenges aren’t just a frustration working families must confront on the way to a job or school – they can cost Virginians thousands of dollars in lost productivity. At the same time, we must look towards the future. The nature of work is changing with the rise of technology and computer science industries — and increasingly so as more Virginians work from home during this pandemic. As Virginia urbanizes and grows, we need policies that can keep up.

As Delegate, I:

  • Voted to create a dedicated source of funding for WMATA in 2018
  • Supported the Major Transportation Plan patroned by Speaker Filler-Corn, which includes robust improvements to our transportation system and reinvestments in our communities to raise public safety
  • Voted to keep Virginians safer by establishing a Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program and “prohibiting the use of handheld cell phones while driving, banning open containers of alcohol in vehicles, making failure to wear a seatbelt a primary offense, enhancing speed enforcement, and allowing localities to lower speed limits.”
  • Voted to modernize Virginia’s transportation funding model by cutting vehicle registration fees in half, raising the gas tax, and indexing it to inflation
  • Voted to increase funding for:
    • Smart Scale, the data-driven model for new capacity transportation projects;
    • Interstates, secondary and city streets to meet safety and performance targets;
    • Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, to ensure resources and staff to address regional priorities
  • Voted to establish the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, an agency responsible for promoting, sustaining and expanding the availability of passenger- and commuter-rail service in Virginia. Moving forward, the VPRA will also administer all capital expansion projects, infrastructure, and land acquisitions related to Governor Northam’s $3.7 billion Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative, which will double Amtrak and VRE service in Virginia over the next decade
  • Voted for the issuance of bonds to assist with the construction of a new rail next to Long Bridge and crossing the Potomac River
  • Voted to allow the issuance of transportation bonds to complete the final section of Corridor Q of the Appalachian Development Highway System, and improvements in the Interstate 81 and Interstate 66 corridors

Environment

As a mother and former foster parent, I believe that protecting our environment is one of the most important things we can do for the future of our children. Climate change is not a distant threat, but rather an immediate danger that’s impacted the lives of all Virginians. When I learned in 2017 that water in my district was being contaminated with lead and arsenic from a Dominion Energy plant, I vowed to lead the clean-up effort — for my two boys, Xander and Alex, and for my neighbor’s children. My bipartisan legislation forced Dominion Energy to clean up the coal leaks in my district and across the Commonwealth.

In Virginia, a changing climate has meant more frequent storms and flooding that wreak havoc on our communities, and vulnerable communities, especially communities of color, are often hit hardest by environmental stressors that can have devastating effects on our health.

That’s why as a Delegate, I proposed legislation to protect our environment, and by extension, the health and safety of Virginians. Since elected to the House of Delegates, I:

  • Passed legislation to clean contaminated water ponds around the Commonwealth
  • Helped to secure $8mil+ funding to protect Widewater State Park
  • Co-sponsored legislation to reward businesses and homeowners for investing in renewable energy.
  • Co-sponsored legislation to reward property owners who switch to renewable energy
  • Pushed for the creation of new, green jobs on wind farms

Healthcare

Healthcare

I believe that every Virginian deserves access to quality, affordable healthcare. But for decades, prescription drugs and healthcare premiums have been out of reach for far too many. When I was young, my aunt and I had to cut my grandmother’s life-saving prescriptions in half because the cost was simply too high. When I lived in Petersburg, I saw too many lives overtaken by drug addiction and mental healthcare issues that went untreated.

Many of the issues I saw up close still persist today. Virginia has some of the most expensive healthcare costs in the nation, putting quality care out of reach for too many. The opioid crisis is ongoing and drug companies keep profiting while everyday Virginians struggle to make ends meet. And the coronavirus pandemic has only further exposed the inequalities that are staring us in the face. Black and Brown communities are suffering higher rates of infection and mortality due to disparate access to information, testing, and treatment. In May, nearly three of every five hospitalized due to coronavirus were Latinx in Prince William County.

We cannot ignore the significant and systemic flaws in our healthcare system. That’s why as Delegate, I:

  • Successfully supported the expansion of Medicaid to 500,000 newly insured Virginians
  • Advocated for a paid family and medical leave program in our Commonwealth
  • Led efforts to eliminate the 40-quarter rule, an unnecessary barrier that denies some immigrant populations from accessing basic healthcare services
  • Passed legislation to assess the feasibility of medicaid reimbursement for doula care — an effective practice to combat the alarmingly high Black maternal mortality rates — and ensuring that donated breast milk is covered by all private insurance.
  • Voted to ensure safer opioid dispensing practices, and to provide immunity to those community members who courageously report overdoses and help citizens get the aid they need
  • Sponsored legislation asking the Department of Social Services to better track opioid usage among parents to better understand and target solutions for the foster care system.
  • Led the call for comprehensive paid sick leave so our low-wage and frontline workers can get the care they need without fearing a loss of income
  • Encouraged Governor Northam to expand Spanish-langauge access to COVID-19 information and contact tracing

COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has changed life for all Virginians. It goes without saying that this crisis has exposed what was just beneath the surface: that too many don’t have what they need to get by. The time is now to support our neighbors, our workers, and our families.

Additionally, we know that minority communities bear the brunt of this unprecedented pandemic, facing higher rates of infection and mortality. Fewer than one in five Black workers and nearly one in six Hispanic workers are able to work from home, putting these Virginians at higher risk. We are also facing a crisis of housing insecurity. Many are struggling to pay their rent and mortgages, and without relief, they fear eviction. Now is not the time for families to be homeless or moving into overcrowded spaces with family or friends.

As Delegate, I:

  • Proposed a comprehensive Working Families Bill of Rights, offering fresh ideas to improve workplace safety standards and ensure stronger benefits for workers and the unemployed during the pandemic and beyond
  • Advocated on behalf of many of our dedicated frontline workers — including grocery store workers, bus operators, and airline service personnel.
  • Led the call for comprehensive paid sick leave so workers and their families can get the care they need, which is more critical than ever during COVID-19
  • Led the Prince William County Delegation to submit a letter to Chief Judge Coleman extending the moratorium on eviction proceedings in my district
  • Introduced an amendment to the state budget to restore funding for additional civil indigent defense attorneys to represent individuals in eviction cases
  • And after listening to my constituents and Latinx community leaders, I called on Governor Northam to ensure greater outreach on Spanish radio and television and bilingual contact tracers

Public Safety

Criminal Justice Reform

The fight for social and criminal justice reform is very personal to me. As the first public defender ever elected to the General Assembly and as a former magistrate judge, I’ve witnessed the systemic flaws that define our criminal justice system, flaws that disproportionately impact Virginia’s most vulnerable communities. For years, I have advocated for those who could not advocate for themselves, and on behalf of those for whom our justice system is broken. But the impact isn’t limited to the courthouse — these inequities set too many up for a lifetime of being left behind. We see the impact in our schools, in the jobs available to Virginians, in access to housing and healthcare, and so much more.

So I found my protest is passing legislation – I ran for Delegate to fix our broken criminal justice system and create a Virginia that treats all people equally. While serving in the House of Delegates I:

  • Sponsored legislation to address cash bail reform, the ban on parole, and the issue of “driving poor” — all of which contribute to mass incarceration and cyclical patterns of joblessness and poverty within minority communities
  • Sponsored a bill prohibiting the use of neck restraints, such as chokeholds, by law enforcement.
  • Passed legislation to repeal the Habitual Drunkard law, which unfairly punishes the homeless and those struggling with substance abuse, and
  • Led the charge to create a much-needed public defender’s office in my district, which includes Prince William County
  • Introduced legislation to legalize marijuana, which is key to putting an end to the mass incarceration of Black and Brown communities
  • Created an initiative to recruit and train minority judge candidates so residents of our Commonwealth face qualified and thoughtful legal minds of various backgrounds
  • Launched an initiative to clarify the process of applying, to create a network of mentors and champions for the applicants, and to inform our legislators about the importance of diversity and inclusiveness
  • Introduced legislation requiring school authority officials to handle minor disciplinary issues at school instead of referring students to the police
  • Co-sponsored a bill to limit the maximum number of days of school suspension from 365 to 45.
  • Successfully sponsored the Dress Code Equity Act, the first bill in the nation to codify protections in school dress codes against religious and ethnic discrimination to combat school pushout for Black girls

Global Affairs

Supporting Immigrant Communities

Immigrants are what make our Commonwealth great. In Prince William County nearly 25% of the population are Hispanic and over 17% in Fairfax County. Virginia’s immigrant families strengthen our communities, undergird our local economies, and bring incredible diversity and dynamism to our Commonwealth.

The ways we leave immigrant families behind are unconscionable. This is evident in the significant disparities in COVID-19 outcomes, with Latino communities among the hardest hit. These disparities stem largely from longstanding systemic inequities such as disparate access to healthcare, inadequate housing, and jobs that don’t have paid medical leave or an option to stay home to stay safe during this pandemic (roughly one in six Hispanic workers are able to work from home compared to nearly 1 in 3 white workers).

As Delegate I:

  • Called on Governor Northam to ensure broader outreach to Latino families during COVID-19
  • Called for greater rent support for all Virginians, regardless of their immigration status
  • Fought for increased funding for rent relief programs and representation for eviction proceeding cases
  • Worked to pass the Virginia Dream Act, bringing higher education to all our Virginians regardless of their immigration status
  • Supported legislation to make it possible for undocumented residents to acquire driver’s licenses
  • Proposed a budget amendment to repeal the 40-Quarter rule, an outdated work restriction that prevents many from accessing the healthcare that they need

Veterans

As a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, I have the utmost respect for our veterans and their commitment to putting service before self. With nearly one in ten Virginians being a veteran, our Commonwealth is a proud home to many returning to civilian life. We must do all that we can to support our veterans like they do for us.

In the House of Delegates, I:

Passed legislation allowing service disabled veteran-owned businesses to purchase property (i.e. computers, desks, and other equipment) that the government no longer needs. This effort, inspired by feedback from veteran-owned businesses in Prince William County, made it possible for nearly 311 certified service-disabled Veteran-owned small businesses in Virginia to access the capital needed to launch their businesses confidently.
Proposed amendments to the state budget to restore two key workforce development programs that help veterans enter the workforce — Virginia’s Job Investment Program and Virginia’s Talent Accelerator Program.
Co-sponsored legislation expanding access to alternative treatment options for those experiencing PTSD and related conditions.
Led efforts to raise funding for programs and initiatives geared towards women veterans
Supported a bill to name the last full week of March as Women Veterans Week, highlighting the unique challenges women veterans face, especially around pregnancy and childbirth

Endorsements

Fairfax County Endorsements

  • Delegate Karrie Delaney (VA-67)
  • Delegate Dan Helmer (VA-40)
  • Delegate Paul Krizek (VA-44)
  • Jeff McKay, Fairfax Board of Supervisors Chair
  • Walter Alcorn, Fairfax Board of Supervisors Hunter Mill District
  • John Foust, Fairfax Board of Supervisors Dranesville Supervisor
  • Rodney Lusk, Fairfax Board of Supervisors Lee District Supervisor Elec
  • Daniel Storck, Fairfax Board of Supervisors Mount Vernon District
  • Ricardy Anderson, Fairfax County School Board Member, Mason District
  • Laura Jane Cohen, Fairfax County School Board Member, Springfield District
  • Karl Frisch, Fairfax County School Board Member, Providence District
  • Melanie K Meren, Fairfax County School Board Member, Hunter Mills District
  • Stella Pekarsky, Fairfax County School Board Member, Sully District
  • Rachna Sizemore Heizer, Fairfax County School Board Member, Member at large
  • Elaine Tholen, Fairfax County School Board Member, Dranesville District
  • Steve Descano, Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney
  • Linda Sperling, Former Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Candidate and Local Activist
  • Paul Friedman, Fairfax County Community Leader
  • Alicia Plerhoples, Fairfax Community Leader & Former Candidate for Fairfax County Chair
  • Shyamali Roy Hauth, Community Organizer & Former Candidate for Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
  • Peter Weyland, Transportation Chair for South County Federation, LCAC Board Member, Mason Neck Citizens Association Board Member, South Fairfax Chamber of Commerce Board Member and Co-Founder
  • Maritza Zermeno, Former Mt. Vernon Democratic Committee Chair & Community Organizer

Prince William & Manassas Endorsements

  • Atif Quarni, Former Virginia Secretary of Education
  • Delegate Michelle Maldonado (VA-50)
  • Babur Lateef, Prince William County School Board Member, Chair
  • Ann Wheeler, Prince William County Board of Supervisors, Chair At Large
  • Victor Angry, Prince William County Board of Supervisors, Neabsco District, Vice Chair
  • Kenny Boddye, Prince William County Board of Supervisors, Occoquan District
  • Margaret Angela Franklin, Prince William County Board of Supervisors, Woodbridge District
  • Adele Jackson, Prince William County School Board Member, Brentsville
  • Lillie Jessie, Prince William County School Board Member, Occoquan District
  • Diane Raulston, Prince William County School Board Member, Neabsco District
  • Justin Wilk, Prince William County School Board Member, Potomac District
  • Loree Williams, Prince William County School Board Member, Woodbridge District, Vice Chair
  • Lisa Zargarpur, Prince William County School Board Member, Coles District
  • Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger, City of Manassas
  • Selonia Miles, Councilwoman – Town of Dumfries
  • Rob Perry, Planning Commissioner – Occoquan District
  • Mayor Earnie Porta, Town of Occoquan
  • Ralph Smith, Manassas City Councilman
  • Karl Becker, Vice Chair of Prince William County Coles District Democratic Committee
  • Tiziana Bottino, Prince William County Soil and Water Conservation District Director
  • Evelyn I. BruMar, Prince William County Human Rights Commissioner, Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory Board Member
  • George Hampton, Prince William County Community Leader and Activist
  • Richard Jessie, Prince William County Community Leader & Democratic Political Consultant
  • Mansimran S. Kahlon, Prince William County Soil & Water Conservation Board Member & Community Activist
  • Idris O’Connor , Coles District Committee Chairperson
  • David Pala, Former Prince William County Democratic Committee Executive Director
  • Collin Robinsonm Former Prince William County Democratic Committee Chair, Democratic Committee Chair 2012-2018
  • Raheel Sheikh , Prince William County Community Leader and Activist
  • Aeshah Sheikh, Community Activist
  • Siddique Sheikh, Prince William County Community and Business Leader
  • Harry W. Wiggins, Occoquan Democratic Committee Chair 2019-2021 & Prince William Democratic Committee Chair 2012-2018

Federal Endorsements

  • The Late US Congressman Donald McEachin (VA-04)

Virginia Endorsements

  • State Senator Lionell Spruill (VA-05)
  • Delegate Nadarius Clark (VA-79)
  • Delegate Joshua G. Cole (VA-28)
  • Delegate Kelly Convirs-Fowler (VA-21)
  • Delegate Sally Hudson (VA-57)
  • Delegate Chris L. Hurst (VA-16)
  • Delegate Sam Rasoul (VA-11)
  • Delegate Rodney Willett (VA-73)
  • Herb Jones, US Congressional Candidate (VA-01)
  • Alyia Gaskins, Alexandria City Councilmember
  • Phyllis J. Randall, Loudoun County Chair at Large
  • Koran T. Saines, Vice Chairman of Loudoun Board of Supervisors – Sterling District
  • Pam Yeung, Stafford Vice Chair Board of Supervisors – Garrisonville District
  • Maya Guy, Stafford County School Board Member – Aquia District
  • Stephanie Rizzi, 5th District School Board Representative – Richmond Public Schools
  • Tinesha Allen, Stafford County Board of Supervisors
  • Buta Biberaj, Commonwealth’s Attorney – Loudoun County
  • Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Commonwealth’s Attorney – Arlington County & City of Falls Church
  • Kenya Gibson, Vice Chair Richmond City School Board
  • Sylvia Glass, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors – Broad Run District Supervisor
  • Tavorise K. Marks, Civil Rights Leader and Small Business Owner
  • Mayor Samuel Parham, City of Petersburg
  • Vice Mayor Annette Smith-Lee, City of Petersburg
  • Donte Tanner, Board of Zoning Appeals Member
  • Gwendolyn Bell, Former Candidate for Stafford County Board of Supervisor – Rock Hill
  • Veronica Coleman, Pastor and Community Leader
  • Kecia Evans, Former Candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates
  • Irina Khanin, Child Advocacy Attorney, Vice President of Winchester Education Foundation, Community Activist, and Former Candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates
  • Atiba Muse, Former Petersburg City Public School Board Member – Ward 2
  • Susan Platt, Former Chief of Staff to Sen Joe Biden and Former Candidate for Lt. Governor
  • Anika Rahman, Community Leader
  • Qasim Rashid, Human Rights Lawyer and Former Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress
  • LaVeesha Rollins, Community Activist
  • Gene Rossi, Former Career Federal Prosecutor & Candidate for VA Lt Governor
  • Yolanda Roussell, Community Leader
  • Lisa Sales, Sexual & Domestic Violence/Women’s Rights & Equity Advocate
  • Mo Seifeldein, Former Alexandria Councilmember
  • Vangie Williams, Former Congressional Candidate & Business Owner

Labor

  • ATU Local 689
  • Baltimore-D.C. Metro Building Trades
  • Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters
  • IBEW Local 26
  • Iron Workers Local 5
  • International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers
  • Mid Atlantic Pipe Trades
  • Operating Engineers Local 77
  • Prince William Education Association
  • Sara Nelson, President of Association of Flight Attendants
  • SMART Union
  • Teamsters Local Union 639
  • UNITE HERE Local 25

Organizations

  • CASA in Action
  • Clean Virginia
  • FCPS Pride
  • Freedom Virginia
  • Lead Locally
  • MPower Action
  • The Next 50
  • VoteMama
  • #VOTEPROCHOICE
  • Working Families Party

Wikipedia

Edit links

Jennifer Denise Carroll Foy (born September 25, 1981) is an American politician and public defender serving in the Virginia Senate from the 33rd district since 2024. A Democrat, Carroll Foy previously served in the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 2nd district from 2017 until 2020. She resigned from the position in order to focus on her campaign for governor in the 2021 primary election, which she ultimately lost to Terry McAuliffe.[1][2][3]

Early life and education

Jennifer Carroll Foy was born and grew up in Petersburg, Virginia.[4] Raised by her grandmother,[5] she graduated from Petersburg High School, where she participated in Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps.[6] She received her bachelor's degree from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in 2003.[4] Part of the third class of female cadets to attend the university, she received a full scholarship.[7] Carroll Foy received her master's degree from Virginia State University and a Juris Doctor degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego.[8]

Career

After graduating from law school, Carroll Foy spent time teaching and worked in Los Angeles as a litigation associate. She moved back to Virginia and opened a private practice that focused on criminal defense.[9]

Virginia House of Delegates

In February 2017, Carroll Foy entered the race for the Second District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.[9] In her 2017 campaign, Carroll Foy ran on expanding Medicaid, raising the minimum wage, increasing teacher pay, and criminal justice reform.[10] In November 2017, Carroll Foy beat Republican Mike Makee, and became delegate of Virginia's Second district.[11]

In the House of Delegates, Carroll Foy sat on the Courts of Justice, Finance, and Public Safety Committees.[12]

2021 gubernatorial campaign

In 2020, Carroll Foy filed paperwork to seek the Democratic nomination in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election.[13][5] On December 8, 2020, she announced plans to resign from the House of Delegates in order to focus full-time on her gubernatorial campaign.[1] Her resignation came into effect on December 12, 2020.[14] She, like fellow candidate Jennifer McClellan, would've been the first female governor of Virginia, the second African-American governor after Douglas Wilder, and first African-American female governor of the United States if elected.[15] However, former governor Terry McAuliffe won the Democratic primary.[16]

Virginia State Senate

In 2023, she was elected to the Virginia Senate, defeating former delegate Hala Ayala in the Democratic primary with 62.85% and Republican candidate Michael Van Meter with nearly 63% of the vote in the general election.[17]

Political positions

Healthcare

Carroll Foy voted to pass Medicaid expansion in the General Assembly in March 2018, expanding health insurance coverage for 400,000 Virginians.[18]

Women's rights

Carroll Foy proposed and passed the Equal Rights Amendment, making Virginia the 38th state to ratify the constitutional amendment.[19]

Criminal justice

A public defender, Carroll Foy has advocated for the reform of cash bail, criticizing what she called Virginia's "justice-for-profit system".[20]

Carroll Foy initially abstained from voting on a 2020 proposal to reduce prison sentences, bringing Virginia's "earned sentence credit" program in line with other states.[21] She eventually voted in favor of a significantly more conservative version of the bills.[21][22]

Redistricting

Carroll Foy supports third-party, commission-drawn legislative maps but opposed the amendment to the state constitution as proposed in 2020, saying she felt it was wrong to inscribe a “substandard” proposal in the constitution.[20]

Labor

Carroll Foy has been an advocate for paid family and medical leave for all workers.[4]

Infrastructure

Carroll Foy supports efforts to expand broadband access, particularly to southwest Virginia.[6]

Environment and climate change

Carroll Foy was a chief co-patron of the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which aims to shift Virginia's energy reliance to solely renewable sources over the next few decades[23][24]

Personal life

She is married to Jeffrey Foy, whom she met at VMI.[5] In July 2017, she gave birth to twin boys.[25]

Electoral history

DateElectionCandidatePartyVotes%
Virginia House of Delegates, 2nd district
June 13, 2017[26]PrimaryJennifer Carroll FoyDemocratic2,18250.14%
Josh KingDemocratic2,17049.86%
Nov 7, 2017[27]GeneralJennifer Carroll FoyDemocratic13,36663.04%
Mike MakeeRepublican7,80336.80%
Nov 5, 2019[28]GeneralJennifer Carroll FoyDemocratic11,82860.92%
Heather MitchellRepublican7,56338.95%
Democratic primary for Governor of Virginia
June 8, 2021 [29]PrimaryTerry McAuliffeDemocratic300,23662.17%
Jennifer Carroll FoyDemocratic95,87319.85%
Jennifer McClellanDemocratic56,25811.65%
Justin FairfaxDemocratic17,1063.54%
Lee J. CarterDemocratic13,4462.78%
Virginia Senate, 33rd district [30]
November 7, 2023Primary
Jennifer Carroll FoyDemocratic 9,62762.85%
Hala AyalaDemocratic5,69136.85%
November 7, 2023General
Jennifer Carroll FoyDemocratic35,00362.85%
Mike L. Van MeterRepublican20,52536.85%

References

  1. ^ a b "Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy stepping down to focus on race for Virginia governor". 8News. 2020-12-08. Archived from the original on 2020-12-08. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  2. ^ Mattingly, Justin. "Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy files paperwork to run for governor". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  3. ^ Rankin, Sarah. "Democrat Carroll Foy files to run for Virginia governor". Fredericksburg.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  4. ^ a b c Leonor, Mel (May 27, 2020). "Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy begins run for governor, says she is the 'right leader' for Virginia". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  5. ^ a b c Vozzella, Laura (2020-05-27). "Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy announces bid in Virginia governor's race". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  6. ^ a b Nicholson, Brooke (2020-07-01). "Jennifer Carroll Foy Wants to be Virginia's First Female Governor". RVA Mag. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  7. ^ Feld, Lowell (September 17, 2017). "Video: Rising Star Jennifer Carroll Foy's Amazing Story Shows Women Can Do Anything]". Blue Virginia.
  8. ^ Jennifer Foy at ballotpedia.org
  9. ^ a b Vicinanzo, Amanda. "Democrat Jennifer Carroll Foy enters race for Second District seat". Fredericksburg.com. The Free Lance-Star. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  10. ^ "Internet Archive Jennifer Carroll Foy Campaign Website". Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 2017-10-17.
  11. ^ Koma, Alex. "Foy wins open seat to represent 2nd District; part of sweeping Democratic victories". insidenova.com. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  12. ^ "LIS > Bill Tracking > Member > 2020 Session > Jennifer Carroll Foy". lis.virginia.gov. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  13. ^ Moomaw, Graham. "Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy files paperwork to run for governor". Virginia Mercury. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  14. ^ "Virginia Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy Steps Down to Focus on Governor Campaign". NBC4 Washington. December 8, 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  15. ^ Moomaw, Graham. "Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy files paperwork to run for governor". Virginia Mercury. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  16. ^ "DDHQ Election Results". results.decisiondeskhq.com. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  17. ^ Staff Reports (2023-11-07). "Jennifer Carroll Foy wins 33rd District Senate seat". Prince William Times. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
  18. ^ Moomaw, Graham (March 30, 2018). "For Va. House Democratic freshmen, Medicaid expansion vote is payoff to 2017 campaigns". Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  19. ^ Chappell, Bill (January 15, 2020). "Virginia Ratifies The Equal Rights Amendment, Decades After The Deadline". National Public Radio. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Hitchcock, Ben (2020-08-19). "Aiming high: Jennifer Carroll Foy wants to fight for the little guy". C-VILLE Weekly. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  21. ^ a b Oliver, Ned (2020-10-26). "Thousands of Virginia prisoners could be released early under new earned sentence credit program". Virginia Mercury. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  22. ^ "LIS > Bill Tracking > > 2020 session: HB 5148 Earned sentence credits". lis.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  23. ^ Janfaza, Rachel (22 March 2021). "Sunrise Movement endorses Jennifer Carroll Foy for Virginia governor". CNN. CNN Politics. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  24. ^ HB 1526 Electric utility regulation; environmental goals. Virginia General Assembly. April 11, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  25. ^ Linda Feldmann. In Trump era, a sudden flood of women candidates. Christian Science Monitor. 10 Nov 2017.
  26. ^ "House of Delegates District 2". www.vpap.org. Virginia Public Access Project. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  27. ^ "Elections: House of Delegates District 2". www.vpap.org. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
  28. ^ "Elections: House of Delegates District 2". www.vpap.org. Virginia Public Access Project. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  29. ^ "New York Times". Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  30. ^ "Virginia Department of Elections". Retrieved 9 October 2024.
Virginia House of Delegates
Preceded by Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
from the 2nd district
2018–2020		Succeeded by
Senate of Virginia
Preceded by Member of the Virginia Senate
from the 33rd district
2024–Present		Incumbent
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Carroll_Foy

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