Dear Friends,

I am writing to you to let you know about a very important Democratic primary election coming up on August 23rd. My good friend Alfonso Lopez is running for the House of Delegates and he needs your support.

We need elected officials in Richmond who are friends and allies of the LGBT Community and Alfonso is that person. I have known Alfonso and his wife Sarah since 2006. They are both great people and I personally have been waiting for Alfonso to run for elected office for many years. He is someone who we can rely on to fight for us in Richmond.

When I was the President of the Virginia Partisans and later Chairman of the LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Virginia, I saw firsthand how effective an advocate Alfonso was for our causes and our rights.

In 2006, Alfonso fought hard against the Marshall-Newman amendment. He was a key member of the Commonwealth Coalition formed by Equality Virginia to fight this terrible legislation. Alfonso stood alongside me at the Farmers Market on Columbia Pike and urged citizens to vote against the Marshall-Newman amendment. Regrettably, right-wing bigots garnered enough votes and despite all of our best efforts the amendment passed. Discrimination has now been written into the constitution of Virginia.

Not to be deterred Alfonso worked tirelessly to help establish an LGBT Caucus within the Democratic Party of Virginia. While working towards the formation of the Latino Caucus, Alfonso ensured that the LGBT Caucus was included in any consideration of new caucuses being added to the Democratic Party. 

I personally worked over the years to help get the LGBT Caucus going, but if it were not for the tireless work by Alfonso Lopez the LBGT Caucus may not have been approved by the Democratic Party of Virginia’s State Central Committee in 2010. His impassioned speeches to the State Central Committee Steering Committee were powerful and inspiring.

Alfonso has demonstrated leadership serving at the state level in the administration of Governor Tim Kaine and at the national level in the administration of President Barack Obama. President Obama appointed Alfonso as an Assistant Administrator at the Small Business Administration. Alfonso helped move legislation through Congress that made it easier for small businesses to grow and have access to loans. Alfonso resigned from the Obama Administration in order to run for this position.