Full Name: Victoria Virasingh


Nick Names:
 

 

Office Sought: Congress,
8th Congressional District

 

Party Affiliation: Democrat

 

Campaign Website:
www.victoriaforcongress.com/

Campaign POC:

Phone Number: TBD

Campaign Email: media@victoriaforcongress.com

Structured Interview Request Sent: 
33 Dec 2021, 20 Dec 2021, 29 Dec 2021, 16 Jan 2022, 25 Jan 2022, 27 Jan 2022, 31 Jan 2022, 1 Feb 2022, 11 Feb 2022, 17 Feb 2022, 2 Mar 2022, 4 Mar 2022

Structured Interview Response and Date:
Refused

Vetting Panel Selected: NA

Structured Interview Completed: Refused

Biography: I was born and grew up right here in Arlington, the heart of Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, and as the daughter of immigrants, my family’s story is one of both struggle and opportunity.

My mom grew up in Ecuador and my dad was born to Punjabi Sikh refugees in Thailand. They both came to America in hopes of a better life — but every day was a struggle, a fight.

The Spanish word “luchar” describes what it was like for me to watch my parents make it in America. Because child care cost too much, my mom would bring me to the salon where she worked as a manicurist. And as I watched her work for a $2 tip, I talked with the customers — doctors and lawyers who showed me there was a bigger world than the one I was living in, as well as the path from where I was to there: education.

I hit the books. My parents enrolled me in St. Agnes Catholic School in Arlington, VA and then Georgetown Visitation in Washington, DC, made possible by the generosity of a financial sponsor. I went on to earn a full scholarship to Stanford University through a combination of Pell Grants and Stanford funding. The scholarship enabled me to attend college — paying for my education would have been impossible without it.

Throughout my summers, I gained invaluable experience working in the office of Senator Dianne Feinstein. She inspired me to stand out and to speak up on important issues, like the lack of representation of women in Congress. “2 percent was fine for the fat content in milk. It was not good enough for the Senate,” she said, iconically. Today, women make up 27% of Congress and the Senate.

Once I graduated college with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a master’s degree in Latin American studies, I joined the tech workforce. I believed that technology would play a large role in our government institutions and I wanted to learn about the industry. I was making enough money that I didn’t need to worry about paying the rent or buying groceries. That’s when it hit me: I had achieved the American Dream. But this dream had the same distorted, warped quality my asleep dreams had. Something here was not right.

Because, really, if I was born in Arlington now, under the same circumstances that I was born into in the 1990s, my story would no longer be possible. Now, homeownership is out of reach, we do not have a living wage in VA, and healthcare costs can consume up to 60% of a household’s income.

In light of these challenges, I felt moved to act. I volunteered with Communities in Schools to help with family and education services during school re-opening, was recruited to become an Arlington Democrats Precinct Captain, volunteered with the Virginia Turnout Project, and served as the Arlington Democrats Outreach Vice Chair, where I managed 11 caucuses to engage underrepresented communities. Additionally, I am currently a County Board-appointed member of the Economic Development Commission. These experiences deepened my call to help make changes that our community so badly needs. I am ready to do more.

That’s why I’ve made the decision to run for Congress — to serve the community that raised me, to expand access and opportunity for the store owner, the refugee, our elders who are struggling, the high school student trying to afford college, and all the families throughout VA-08. (Source: https://www.victoriaforcongress.com/issues)

Why you? No information available.

What are your priorities?

CAMPAIGN REFORM
EDUCATION
HEALTHCARE
RACIAL JUSTICE
CLIMATE
FOREIGN POLICY
HOUSING
WOMEN’S RIGHTS
ECONOMY
GUN SAFETY
IMMIGRATION (Source: https://www.victoriaforcongress.com/issues)

Endorsements: No information available.

Education: Received a full scholarship to Stanford University through a combination of Pell Grants and Stanford funding. I graduated college with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a master’s degree in Latin American studies. (Source: https://www.victoriaforcongress.com/issues)

Relevant Employment History: No information available. 

Military Experience / Branch / Years of Service / Rank / Type of Discharge: No information available. 

Past Offices Held and Tenure: No information available.

Community Service: I volunteered with Communities in Schools to help with family and education services during school re-opening, was recruited to become an Arlington Democrats Precinct Captain, volunteered with the Virginia Turnout Project, and served as the Arlington Democrats Outreach Vice Chair, where I managed 11 caucuses to engage underrepresented communities. Additionally, I am currently a County Board-appointed member of the Economic Development Commission. (Source: https://www.victoriaforcongress.com/issues)

Leadership Experience: No information available. 

Personal Strengths: No information available.

What is the most important thing Virginians need to know about you?  No information available.

How would your friends and family describe you? No information available. 

hat are your thoughts on the Constitution as the Law of the Land? Professes values contrary to values and beliefs of Chasing Freedom – Virginia. (Source: https://www.victoriaforcongress.com/issues)

What are your thoughts on religious liberty? No information available.


What are your thoughts on the preservation of our history? No information available.


What are your thought on government transparency? No information available.


What are your thoughts on national defense? Professes support for veterans and their families.

  • Virginia’s 8th is home to tens of thousands of veterans, service members, and people employed in defense-related jobs. Our government needs to do more to help our veterans.

  • We need to stand up for veterans’ healthcare.

    • My policy platform supports Medicare for All. This includes our honored veterans. 

    • Our veterans need quality healthcare, including access to expanded mental health services.

  • We need to end veteran homelessness.

    • It is entirely unacceptable that someone who has served for our country and fought for our freedom should return to their country without a home. We need to provide unconditional, affordable, and stable housing for our veterans. 

  • We need to invest in veterans and help them succeed in civilian life. This includes providing veterans with the education and job opportunities that they need to thrive in civilian life. (Source: https://www.victoriaforcongress.com/issues)


What are your thoughts on the free enterprise system?
Professes values contrary to values and beliefs of Chasing Freedom – Virginia.

1. An $18 minimum wage.

  • The minimum wage should be readjusted more frequently as the standard of living increases.

2. Fighting against wage theft.

  • Stop large corporations and businesses who refuse overtime pay and mis-classify employees

  • Wage theft impacts those working in the service industry, home healthcare workers, and other hourly wage workers who are
    the most vulnerable in our workforce, especially during COVID-19.

3. Unions & collective bargaining.

  • Congress should be taking a worker’s first approach with comparable wage, improvement of benefits, and other protections to  improve a worker’s quality of life. (Source: https://www.victoriaforcongress.com/issues)


1. Social spending to address the link between race and class.

Medicare for All.

  • $18 minimum wage and indexed to inflation.

  • Extending the child tax credit.

  • Introducing a wealth tax on the ultra-rich.

  • Expanding affordable housing.

2. Increased educational opportunities for communities of color.

  • Increasing ethnic studies in school.

  • Universal Pre-K, child care, and paid family leave.

  • Increasing school funding for disadvantaged communities.

  • Student loan forgiveness.

  • Free college tuition for all.

3. Mitigating environmental racism.

  • Mandating that congressional committees creating laws addressing climate change must receive a report and hear testimony from experts on environmental racism.

  • Creating and funding government-wide standards for measuring and reporting implementation of environmental racial justice impact evaluations for all projects.

  • Evaluating local air pollution and fund solutions such as increasing air quality monitoring and building more green spaces. (Source: https://www.victoriaforcongress.com/issues)

What are your thoughts on the protection of the unborn? Professes values contrary to values and beliefs of Chasing Freedom – Virginia.

Women’s rights are human rights. Men in Congress could do more for women policy issues, but they aren’t. Less than 1/3 of Congressmembers are women, leaving critical decisions, including those controlling women’s bodies, left to predominantly men. Electing me would put one more woman in the House who would prioritize the needs of cisgender and transgender women alike with every decision made. 

Victoria supports:

1. Robust reproductive healthcare options.

  • The proportion of expecting or new mothers who die during or shortly after their pregnancies (maternal mortality) is way too high in the U.S. and is disproportionately high for Black women. The sexism, racism, and medical practices informing these numbers must be addressed to save mothers across Virginia and the entire country.

  • Pregnant people deserve access to information about their options such as parenting, adopting, and aborting, as well as legal protection to pursue the healthcare services that best meet their needs. When pregnant people can safely get the information and care that they need, they are empowered to choose what is best for their bodies and therefore have better health outcomes.

  • Education about sex and consent, access to contraceptives, and strong accountability for sexual violence are all worth investing in to shape a future with a more sex-positive culture and fewer undesired pregnancies.

What are your thoughts on the role the family plays in America? Professes values contrary to values and beliefs of Chasing Freedom – Virginia. (Source: https://www.victoriaforcongress.com)

What are your thoughts on equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity, as opposed to equal outcomes? Professes values contrary to values and beliefs of Chasing Freedom – Virginia.

1. An $18 minimum wage.

  • The minimum wage should be readjusted more frequently as the standard of living increases.

2. Fighting against wage theft.

  • Stop large corporations and businesses who refuse overtime pay and mis-classify employees

  • Wage theft impacts those working in the service industry, home healthcare workers, and other hourly wage workers who are
    the most vulnerable in our workforce, especially during COVID-19.

3. Unions & collective bargaining.

  • Congress should be taking a worker’s first approach with comparable wage, improvement of benefits, and other protections to  improve a worker’s quality of life. (Source: https://www.victoriaforcongress.com/issues)


1. Social spending to address the link between race and class.

  • Medicare for All.

  • $18 minimum wage and indexed to inflation.

  • Extending the child tax credit.

  • Introducing a wealth tax on the ultra-rich.

  • Expanding affordable housing.

2. Increased educational opportunities for communities of color.

  • Increasing ethnic studies in school.

  • Universal Pre-K, child care, and paid family leave.

  • Increasing school funding for disadvantaged communities.

  • Student loan forgiveness.

  • Free college tuition for all.

3. Mitigating environmental racism.

  • Mandating that congressional committees creating laws addressing climate change must receive a report and hear testimony from experts on environmental racism.

  • Creating and funding government-wide standards for measuring and reporting implementation of environmental racial justice impact evaluations for all projects.

  • Evaluating local air pollution and fund solutions such as increasing air quality monitoring and building more green spaces. (Source: https://www.victoriaforcongress.com/issues)

What are your thoughts on the 2nd Amendment? Professes values contrary to values and beliefs of Chasing Freedom – Virginia.

I remember watching the news as a child when the D.C. sniper targeted a grocery store parking lot 40 minutes from my home and watching the Virginia Tech shooting on TV when I was a high school junior looking at college prospects. As needless violence continues to saturate schools, places of worship, movie theaters, and music festivals, we need a government that will be at the forefront of the fight for sensible gun laws. It’s time we put a stop to these preventable tragedies once and for all.

When the government invested in research on motor vehicle accidents, it led to innovations like criminalizing unsafe driving, requiring seat belts, and equipping highways with guardrails. These measures helped reduce the fatality of motor vehicle accidents by 78% from 1968 to 2018. Sustained government investment is long overdue for gun violence.

Victoria supports:

1. More background checks to prevent people with dangerous histories from owning and carrying guns.

2. Prohibit the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

 3. Enforce Red Flag Laws.

  • Allow loved ones and law enforcement to intervene by petitioning a court order to temporarily prevent someone in crisis and distress from accessing guns.

4. Enact a nationwide gun registry.

  • It is important to have a record of firearms and their owners.

  • Invest in technology that could host records and be shared across states.

5. Require firearm safety training before buying a gun.

  • A person can often purchase a gun without ever having handled one. There should be a nationwide mandate on educating new gun owners on the risks and best practices for gun ownership.

6. Support gun violence research.

  • This is necessary for the United Stated to investigate the causes and develop solutions to gun violence and repeal restrictions for law enforcement’s ability to investigate and prosecute gun crimes. (Source: https://www.victoriaforcongress.com/issues)

Virginia Constitutional Conservatives Candidate Survey 2022 – CANDIDATE REFUSED TO ANSWER
(https://virginiaconservatives.net/candidate-survey-2022#results_anchor)

   

Additional sources of information on this candidate: 

Virginia Constitutional Conservatives Candidate Survey 2022 – CANDIDATE REFUSED TO ANSWER
(https://virginiaconservatives.net/candidate-survey-2022#results_anchor)

 

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