Kathy Tran and her parents fled Vietnam as boat refugees when she was just seven months old.* Although many other countries offered them asylum, they waited 13 months for the United States to accept their application. For Kathy’s family, this country has always represented hope, opportunity and freedom. She has devoted her career to ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream. She began her civil service career at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2003. During her 12 years of service, she served in numerous leadership positions. She went on to work at the National Immigration Forum, one of the nation’s leading immigration advocacy organizations. There, she advocated for policies that prepare immigrants in the workforce to reach their full career potential.

Virginia Guzman came to this country from Peru as a single mother looking for a better future for her daughter. She found exactly that. Her story is an American immigrant success story. If elected she would be the first Hispanic woman in the Virginia House of Delegates. Initially, she worked three jobs. With enough English to pass as bilingual, she moved on to private and public sector jobs requiring both languages. She earned a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree and became Division Chief for the Department of Community Human Services in Alexandria. She became involved in politics, devoting herself to changing the public perception and legislators and law enforcement's perception of immigrants.

Eight or twelve years ago, Danica Roem would have been an impossible candidate -- not just because of the way Virginia's voting habits have changed, but even more profoundly because she is transgendered. She would be the first transgendered person elected who was open about her status. A former journalist, she won awards from the Virginia Press Association seven times for her writing in two small newspapers. She describes two former Prince William representatives, one a Democrat, the other a Republican as her ideal of how legislators should do their work: You didn't have to agree with them on every issue to see that they worked hard to build consensus, govern with a results-oriented approach and reach across the aisle to build a better Manassas.. .

Kelly Convirs-Fowler's story begins in the Philippines. Both her grandfathers were Filipinos. Both served in the U.S. Navy. Both became US citizens by virtue of their service. Both were buried with honors as veterans, one of them in Arlington. She was a Virginia Beach public school third grade teacher for five years and now heads a group of real estate agents who specialize in military relocation. Her campaign for office germinated with her role leading a counter demonstration against a post 2016 election a March 4Trump rally.

Rodman is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director of Women's Studies at Randolph-Macon College. She is a former Fulbright Scholar and serves an expert witness in U.S. Federal Immigration courts assisting migrants seeking political asylum. She describes herself as committed to diversity and inclusion, economic development, reproductive rights, and affordable healthcare. She is also a member of the North Carolina-based Lumbee tribe of Native Americans.

Cheryl Turpin ran in the special election for this open seat and lost to a deputy sheriff by six points or a little more than 300 votes. She is trying again against the same opponent in the regular election of 2017. is a local high school science teacher. She received a BS from Virginia Commonwealth University and an MEd from the University of Virginia. For the past 8 years, she has taught Advanced Placement Environmental Science. She also spent much of her career working with at-risk students, serving as a partner in an organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap by preparing all students for college.