Delegate Elizabeth Guzman is Our Hero

Hero or Zero?
February 2nd

Welcome to Progress Virginia’s Hero or Zero, a weekly, unapologetically progressive take on this week’s heroes and zeros in Virginia politics. Check out this space every Friday, and Tweet us or post to our Facebook to nominate your own heroes and zeros.

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Hero: Delegate Elizabeth Guzman

Tuesday was Donald Trump’s State of the Union address (we know, UGH). It was also the night Virginia Delegate Elizabeth Guzman took center stage and provided the Spanish-language Democratic response.

Delegate Guzman is an immigrant, a mother, and the first Latina elected to the House of Delegates. Needless to say we were giddy to have such a strong woman represent Virginia—and the country—on Tuesday.


Zero: Delegate Buddy Fowler

In a House Privileges and Election subcommittee this week, Delegate Buddy Fowler seemed to think that there are two different types of American citizens, and that each should not have equal opportunity to register to vote.

In a discussion of HB171, which would allow a person to register to vote if that person became a citizen after the voter registration deadline passed, Delegate Fowler said, “It looks to me like this would set up an unequal situation where in actual legal citizens who were eligible to vote couldn’t register and people who’d just become citizens could [register to vote] and for that reason I think we ought to pass by indefinitely this bill.”