Hannah Risheq was a 2017 Democratic candidate for District 67 of the Virginia House of Delegates.
Biography
Risheq was born in North Carolina. She received her bachelor's degree from American University, her master's degree in public health from George Mason University, and her master's degree in social work from Columbia University. Her professional experience includes working on Barack Obama's (D) 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns and Hillary Clinton's (D) 2016 presidential campaign.[1]
2017
Risheq’s campaign website highlighted the following issues:
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Healthcare
As a health professional, Hannah has advocated for and researched the benefits of Medicaid expansion. She will stand with healthcare advocates and fight for improved health. More specifically, she is passionate about keeping comprehensive coverage in Virginia. Easily accessible and affordable healthcare saves lives and improves the economy through job creation and keeping people healthy. Hannah will fight to keep our Medicaid program one of the most efficient in the country.
Protecting Virginia's Youth
In VA, suicide is the third leading cause of death for individuals aged 10-24 years old. In Loudoun County, the youth suicide a rate is higher than the state average and is up 500% over the previous year. In Fairfax County, 16 young people committed suicide in 2014 and in 2015 6% of 12th graders had attempted suicide. Suicide is one of the most preventable causes of death—but only if we take action. As a Delegate, Hannah will advocate for in-school suicide prevention curricula and more accessible, less stigmatized, mental health services. Governor McAuliffe has already pushed for an increase of $31 million to fund behavioral health programs. She will work with this budget expansion to improve the services we provide in Virginia District 67.
STEM Pay Equity
In 2015, Virginian women were paid only 80 cents for every dollar paid to men, amounting to an annual wage gap of $10,419. Hannah will work to strengthen Virginia’s equal pay laws so that women are better able to fight back against pay discrimination. She will also promote opportunities for better paying jobs for women by removing barriers to entry into male-dominated fields and promoting women in STEM training and educational programs. STEM jobs pay 26% more than other fields and are growing at 1.7 times the rate of non-STEM jobs. In Fairfax County, the greatest amount of job growth can be seen in STEM-related fields. To truly close the wage gap, we must close the gender gap in STEM.
Epidemic Solutions
Dr. Marissa Levine, the state’s health commissioner, declared a public health emergency in November 2016 because of the opioid epidemic. Fairfax County has the second-highest rate of fatal opioid overdosesin the state and in Loudoun, there were at least 78 total opioid overdoses in 2016. This issue is close to Hannah's heart; She has lost many high school classmates to the opioid crisis that faces our country. Hannah has innovative ideas to solve this issue including safe injection sites, which are being implemented in Ithaca, NY and of course, stronger regulations on prescriptions.
Values
Hate crimes and threats against Muslims, Arabs, Jews, Latinos, and all other minorities have been on a sharp increase. However, cultural and religious diversity is part of the very fabric of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Hannah's own family reflects these values: She was raised by an immigrant Arab Muslim father and a Jewish mother. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the sharp increase in Islamophobia that followed, her family moved to Virginia after facing discrimination. South Riding and District 67 welcomed Hannah and her family with open arms. Hannah is a patriot who will will fight against hate and bigotry in District 67, Virginia, and the United States of America.
Transportation
As an environmentally conscious representative, Hannah will work with the budget to find ways to increase public transportation accessibility as well as increase affordability and quality. We can do this through Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). She will also work with traffic engineers and experts to develop one of the most robust plans to solve congestion especially on Route 28 and I-66. Hannah will fight against new and raised tolls and push for flat fees in the HOV/HOT lanes.[2]
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| —Hannah Risheq, [3]
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Elections
2017
- See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2017
Elections for the Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2017. All 100 house seats were up for election. The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election took place on June 13, 2017. The filing deadline for primary election candidates was March 30, 2017. The filing deadline for non-party candidates and candidates nominated by methods other than a primary was June 13, 2017.[4] Karrie Delaney (D) defeated incumbent James LeMunyon (R) in the Virginia House of Delegates District 67 general election.[5]
Karrie Delaney defeated Hannah Risheq and John Carey in the Virginia House of Delegates District 67 Democratic primary.[6]
Incumbent James LeMunyon ran unopposed in the Virginia House of Delegates District 67 Republican primary.[7]
Ballotpedia will publish vote totals here after they become available.
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 67 Republican Primary, 2017 |
| Candidate |
 James LeMunyon Incumbent |
Endorsements
2017
In 2017, Risheq’s endorsements included the following:[8]
- Sterling District Supervisor Koran T. Saines
- Run for Something[9]
See also
External links
- ↑ Hannah for Delegate, "Meet Hannah," accessed May 12, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Hannah for Delegate, "Issues," accessed May 12, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Candidacy Requirements for the November 7, 2017 General Election," accessed March 21, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 November General Unofficial Results," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 June Democratic Primary," accessed July 6, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 June Republican Primary," accessed July 6, 2017
- ↑ Hannah for Delegate, "News," accessed May 12, 2017
- ↑ Run for Something, "Our first Run for Something candidates," May 2, 2017
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Don Scott
Majority Leader:Charniele Herring
Minority Leader:Terry Kilgore
Representatives
Democratic Party (51)
Republican Party (49)
