Campaign Website: https://jenniferboysko.com/

Campaign POC: Unavailable

Phone Number: Unavailable

Campaign Email: info@jenniferboysko.com

Vetting Panel Selected: Refused

Structured Interview Completed: Refused

Biography: Jennifer, a lifelong, relentless problem solver, has spent years representing Loudoun County and delivering for all Virginians, as a State Senator. But her commitment to improving our community started before that – serving as an organizer for groundbreaking Democratic campaigns at all levels, a PTSA leader of parent education efforts to address mental health, wellness, and drug and alcohol abuse prevention, and a community organizer for a number of non-profit organizations.

After winning an against-the-odds campaign for the General Assembly and serving in the House of Delegates, Jennifer was elected to the Virginia Senate in 2019. In Richmond, she’s taken on – and won — Virginia’s toughest fights for women, families, the LGBTQ community, and animals by bringing people together and never giving up. She’ll do the same for us in Washington.

Jennifer Boysko’s commitment to public service and advocacy for her community spans decades. Born in Arkansas and raised primarily in Alabama by her single mother who escaped poverty and abuse, Jennifer learned the importance of standing up for what’s right and giving back to the community from an early age. She moved to Virginia in 1985 to attend Hollins University, the same alma mater as Emily’s List founder Ellen Malcolm, where she became an activist for reproductive rights.

After graduating, Jennifer began her career on Capitol Hill, working for then-Democratic Senator Richard Shelby. In 2003, she became the Virginia State Director for Howard Dean’s presidential campaign, working alongside future Congressman Don Beyer and Representative Bobby Scott. Her experience in political organizing led her to manage a campaign for the House of Delegates in 2007, where she shocked political insiders by coming within 5 points of victory against a 12-year Republican incumbent.

In 2013, she ran herself, coming within 32 votes of defeating the incumbent in a recount. Undeterred, she ran again in 2015 and won, even though her challenger outspent her by $300,000.

As a freshman Delegate, Jennifer took on the responsibility of Fundraising Chair and started the “Run Everywhere” initiative to help raise money for challengers. Her efforts helped win 15 new seats in the House of Delegates. In 2019, newly elected Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton endorsed Jennifer to succeed her in the State Senate in 2019. Jennifer won a special election to represent half of Loudoun County in a super-sized State Senate District that would eventually be split in two.

Since joining the State Senate, Jennifer has continued to break records and make history. She became the first freshman and only the fifth Senator ever to raise $1 million for Senate Democrats as Finance Chair. In the Senate, she has taken on and won Virginia’s toughest fights for women, families, and the LGBTQ community.

Throughout her life, Jennifer has been committed to doing what is morally right and facilitating positive change, rather than seeking self-promotion. From protesting in elementary school to let girls be crossing guards to taking on a massive corporation for animal cruelty, her dedication to her community is unwavering.

Before her elected office, Jennifer served as an organizer for groundbreaking Democratic campaigns, a PTA leader addressing student mental health and wellness, and a key advisor to Fairfax County Democratic Supervisor John Foust. She has spent years representing Loudoun County and delivering for Virginians as a Delegate and State Senator.

As she runs for Congress, Jennifer Boysko brings a proven track record of achieving results for Virginia by bringing people together and never giving up. With her determination and passion for public service, she is poised to make a significant impact in Washington, just as she has always done for her community.

Jennifer lives with her husband Glenn, a drummer, and their cats Jane Eyre, Elizabeth Bennet, and Mr. Darcy. They raised two daughters, Hannah and Sophie Claire, who are best friends and live in New York. Sophie Claire recently got engaged to her long-time girlfriend, and Jennifer and Glenn are excited to walk her down the aisle. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

 

Why you? Refused to answer.

What are your priorities? 

Protecting Our Reproductive Rights
For over three decades, Jennifer Boysko has been a relentless pro-choice advocate and activist. In Richmond, Jennifer has led the fight to protect our right to choose. Jennifer believes in protecting abortion rights and our reproductive freedoms because health care decisions should be between patients and their doctors, not politicians. Before being elected to the Virginia legislature, Jennifer was named a board member at Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL).

In the Virginia legislature, Jennifer has led the effort to keep Virginia the South’s only remaining safe haven for legal abortions, including spearheading the ongoing fight to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in Virginia to protect reproductive freedom.

Jennifer has spent her life fighting for what’s right. In Congress that will mean working to enact Roe v. Wade protections at the federal level, including the right to travel for abortion care, and ensuring everyone has access to affordable contraception. With all that’s at stake for our health care rights and freedoms, Jennifer is the progressive leader we need to take on our biggest fights, no matter how tough, and stand up to the extreme Republican attacks on abortion rights and the right to choose when, where, and how to grow a family. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Restoring Democracy
On January 6, 2021, we saw our democracy come under attack as the direct result of Donald Trump’s dangerous and false claims about the 2020 election. Trump undermined the faith and trust in our democracy that led to a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Jennifer believes it’s critical that we double down on our commitment to democracy by ensuring everyone can make their voice heard at the ballot box. For decades, Republicans across the country have fought to make it more difficult to vote, while Jennifer has been on the frontlines in protecting our democracy and defending fundamental voting rights for all by passing a record number of bills to make it easier and safer to vote. In Congress, Jennifer will work to pass monumental voting rights legislation that puts an end to extreme gerrymandering and ensures no one eligible to vote is discriminated against.

Our democracy has also suffered from out-of-control, dark corporate money in our politics. For too long we’ve seen politicians do the bidding of their rich, corporate donors and special interests, instead of the people, with hard working families paying the price. Jennifer believes we have to get big money out of our politics and end the cycle of politicians who rig the system for corporations and industries that bankroll their campaigns. Jennifer will work for the people, fight to ban Members of Congress from becoming lobbyists, and stop politicians from profiting off insider stock information. She’ll work to build a campaign finance system that ends the ability of corporations to buy and sell influence at the expense of working families. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Making Virginia More Affordable
Jennifer understands that for too many Virginia families, it’s getting harder and harder to make ends meet with costs continuing to go up on everything from groceries, to homeowners insurance, health care, utilities, and more. It’s time that Virginia’s hard-working families see real relief. In Richmond, Jennifer fought to put more money in the pocket of Virginia families by eliminating the state tax on groceries, menstrual products, and diapers. In Congress, Jennifer will tackle rising costs head on by working to cut taxes for the middle class and working people, hold price gouging companies accountable, and take on corporate special interests who only care about getting richer. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Fighting For Paid Family Leave
Fighting for paid family leave is deeply personal to Jennifer. Late in her second pregnancy, Jennifer experienced sudden serious complications, and her health, and the health of her daughter were in grave danger. Her daughter, Sophie Claire, was born two months pre-mature and spent six weeks in the NICU fighting for her life. During this frightening time, Jennifer and her husband Glenn faced challenges too many families face — living paycheck to paycheck with limited time off, recovering from a major health crisis with a baby in the hospital and a toddler, their older daughter Hannah, at home. To add to the Boysko’s stress, their insurance company made clear that their coverage could be dropped at any time – they received a weekly letter from their insurance company threatening to end coverage — which could have cost Jennifer and her family over $70,000 per week.

Jennifer believes that no family should have to face challenges like that when having a new child or caring for a sick family member and has spent years fighting for comprehensive paid family leave In Congress, Jennifer will fight to invest in national permanent, comprehensive paid family and medical leave that will mean critical relief for working families. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Common Sense Gun Safety
Jennifer’s never shied away from the toughest challenges to stand up for what’s right – particularly when it comes to ending senseless gun violence. A former PTSA leader and mom, Jennifer understands the fear and powerlessness of having a child potentially in the line of fire of an active shooter. In Richmond, Jennifer has long fought to require universal, criminal background checks, safe storage for guns, and hold gun manufacturers accountable for marketing to children. Jennifer is one of the few who successfully brought Republicans and Democrats together to move forward a meaningful Virginia state gun safety law. In Congress, Jennifer will work for commonsense efforts that keep our kids safe and end the gun violence epidemic including expanded criminal background checks to prevent criminals and terrorists from buying guns, a ban on assault weapons, and red flag laws. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Protecting Our Environment And Investing In Renewable Energy
From extreme flooding to severe super storms, we’re experiencing the effects of the climate crisis right now. For too long we’ve seen Washington politicians in the pocket of big oil – with extreme Republicans refusing to take any meaningful action to tackle climate change and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. In the Virginia Senate, Jennifer passed a law to invest in renewable energy and protect our environment. In Congress, Jennifer will bring new ideas to take on the climate crisis and work to invest in wind, solar, nuclear, and other renewable energy sources, ensure climate justice for frontline communities, implement sustainable transportation investments, and end billions in tax breaks to the oil and gas industry. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Investing In Education
The mom of two public school graduates and a former PTSA leader, Jennifer knows firsthand what our students, teachers, and parents are facing and how critical it is to fully fund our public schools. Every child deserves access to a first-class education. But Republicans in Washington and Richmond have taken every opportunity to gut school funding, inject culture wars into classrooms, and put curriculum decisions in the hands of far-right politicians — instead of teachers and parents. In the state Senate, Jennifer has secured substantial funding increases for our world-class local school system and successfully raised teacher pay to attract and retain the best teachers to Northern Virginia. In Congress, Jennifer will work to make our classrooms safer and more equitable for students of all backgrounds by fully funding our public schools, investing in recruiting and retaining the best and brightest teachers, improving the infrastructure of crumbling schools, and investing in addressing student loan debt and expanding career and technical education programs. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Endorsements: No endorsements listed on website.

Education: Graduate of Hollins University. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Relevant Employment History: See biography above.

Military Experience / Branch / Years of Service / Rank / Type of Discharge: No mention of military service on website. 

Past Offices Held and Tenure: Member of the Virginia House of Delegates: 2016-2019; Member of the Virginia Senate: 2019-Present. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Community Service: See biography above.

Leadership Experience: See biography above.

Personal Strengths: Refused to answer. 

What is the most important thing Virginians need to know about you? Refused to answer.

How would your friends and family describe you? Refused to answer.
 

What are your thoughts on the Constitution as the Law of the Land? Refused to answer.  No reference to the US Constitution on website. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

    

What are your thoughts on religious liberty? Refused to answer. No reference to religious liberty on website. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

    

What are your thoughts on the preservation of our history? Refused to answer. No reference to the preservation of history on website. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

   

What are your thought on government transparency? Refused to answer. No reference to government transparency on website. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

   

What are your thoughts on national defense? Refused to answer. No reference to veterans or national defense on website. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

   

What are your thoughts on the free enterprise system? Refused to answer. Demonstrated values strongly contrary to the values of Chasing Freedom – Virginia. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Protecting our environment
Passing legislation to invest in renewable energy and protect our environment
Fighting for energy-efficient building codes (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Growing our economy
Eliminating the state tax on groceries, menstrual products, and diapers
Allowing localities to enter into collective bargaining agreements with employees
Providing universal access to affordable broadband throughout Virginia
Balancing the state budget responsibly while maintaining our AAA bond rating
Expanding funding for affordable housing to ensure families can build a future (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Improving health care
Expanding Medicaid to provide health care to thousands of Virginians
Passing Elijah’s Law, which ensures that childcare organizations have EpiPens in all facilities
Expanding services for people with disabilities, people suffering from mental illness, and people dealing with substance abuse and addiction
Passing the Good Samaritan bill to encourage bystanders to call for help when someone witnesses an opioid overdose
Getting Naloxone into the hands of more people in the community to save lives
Supporting frontline workers by establishing EMS personnel leave  (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

What are your thoughts on the protection of the unborn? Refused to answer. Demonstrated values strongly contrary to the values of Chasing Freedom – Virginia. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Protecting reproductive rights
Keeping abortion legal – making Virginia the only remaining safe haven in the South
Safeguarding reproductive healthcare decisions
Expanding access to contraceptives (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Building an inclusive future
Keeping abortion legal – making Virginia the only remaining safe haven in the South
Safeguarding reproductive healthcare decisions
Expanding access to contraceptives (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Protecting Our Reproductive Rights

For over three decades, Jennifer Boysko has been a relentless pro-choice advocate and activist. In Richmond, Jennifer has led the fight to protect our right to choose. Jennifer believes in protecting abortion rights and our reproductive freedoms because health care decisions should be between patients and their doctors, not politicians. Before being elected to the Virginia legislature, Jennifer was named a board member at Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL). (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

In the Virginia legislature, Jennifer has led the effort to keep Virginia the South’s only remaining safe haven for legal abortions, including spearheading the ongoing fight to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in Virginia to protect reproductive freedom. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Jennifer has spent her life fighting for what’s right. In Congress that will mean working to enact Roe v. Wade protections at the federal level, including the right to travel for abortion care, and ensuring everyone has access to affordable contraception. With all that’s at stake for our health care rights and freedoms, Jennifer is the progressive leader we need to take on our biggest fights, no matter how tough, and stand up to the extreme Republican attacks on abortion rights and the right to choose when, where, and how to grow a family. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

   

What are your thoughts on the role the family plays in America? Refused to answer. No reference to the role or importance of the family  on website. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

   

What are your thoughts on equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity, as opposed to equal outcomes? Refused to answer. No reference to equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity, as opposed to equal outcomes on website. Professes values contrary to the values of Chasing Freedom – Virginia. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

   

What are your thoughts on the 2nd Amendment? Refused to answer. Demonstrated values strongly contrary to the values of Chasing Freedom – Virginia. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Tackling gun violence and making us safer
Expanding background checks to prevent criminals and terrorists from buying guns
Passing a measure to keep guns from domestic abusers
Passing meaningful criminal justice reform legislation
Passing anti-hazing legislation Adam’s Law Strengthening public education
Securing substantial funding increases for ourworld-class local school system
Raising teacher pay so we can attract and retain the best teachers to Northern Virginia
Expanding access to in-state tuition for our students by passing the DREAM Act (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Common Sense Gun Safety
Jennifer’s never shied away from the toughest challenges to stand up for what’s right – particularly when it comes to ending senseless gun violence. A former PTSA leader and mom, Jennifer understands the fear and powerlessness of having a child potentially in the line of fire of an active shooter. In Richmond, Jennifer has long fought to require universal, criminal background checks, safe storage for guns, and hold gun manufacturers accountable for marketing to children. Jennifer is one of the few who successfully brought Republicans and Democrats together to move forward a meaningful Virginia state gun safety law. In Congress, Jennifer will work for commonsense efforts that keep our kids safe and end the gun violence epidemic including expanded criminal background checks to prevent criminals and terrorists from buying guns, a ban on assault weapons, and red flag laws. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

  

Additional sources of information on this candidate: 

Other stated accomplishments:

Addressing traffic and transportation
Increasing funding for our transportation system and investing in major improvements on Rte. 7, Rte. 28, and Phase II Silver Line Metro
Expanding access to driving credentials for all residents to make our roads safer, and ensure all drivers have insurance. (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)

Protecting animal welfare
Passing the Humane Cosmetics Act
Freeing 4,000 beagles and regulating the facility that held them to prevent abuse and neglect of animals (Source: https://jenniferboysko.com/)