New Power Endorsement: Katrina Callsen for Virginia's 54th State House District
WASHINGTON D.C.—New Politics today endorsed Teach for America alum Katrina Callsen for Virginia’s 54th State House district. Emily Cherniack, Founder and Executive Director of New Politics released the following statement:
“Katrina Callsen’s personal story of overcoming adversity and her commitment to creating a better future for her community make her an ideal candidate to represent Virginia's 54th State House district. She understands how discriminatory policies can impact the quality of life for marginalized communities and seeks to amplify the voices of those who are underrepresented. New Power is proud to endorse Katrina and we look forward to supporting her campaign.”
About Katrina Callsen
Katrina Callsen is a Deputy City Attorney for Charlottesville and the Chair of the Albemarle County School Board. Her father was born during a time when interracial marriage was illegal in Virginia, resulting in her grandparents being unable to marry and their family roots being cut. This had a generational impact on her family’s relations. In 2016, Katrina and her father’s family were reunited, who surprisingly lived near her.
Katrina’s parents, who were a teenage, interracial, pregnant couple in Virginia in 1984, both dropped out of high school. They got married, but were not welcomed in school. Her father joined the military, which led Katrina to grow up as a proud military brat. Despite the serious financial struggles of growing up in a large enlisted family, Katrina’s parents stressed the importance of education, which inspired her to attend Yale University and UVA Law on academic scholarships. She worked fast food and customer service jobs to support herself during her time there.
Today, Katrina’s dual roles as an elected leader for Albemarle County and Deputy City Attorney for Charlottesville have given her the unique experience of witnessing the impact of state laws on her community daily. She works tirelessly to improve academic achievement and empower students with skills and opportunities. Having experienced firsthand the consequences of having fundamental rights denied, Katrina knows how vital it is to have a hard-working representative advocating for the future.
Katrina’s priorities are protecting women’s reproductive rights, enacting meaningful gun legislation and ensuring that every child has access to an equitable and well-funded public education.
About New Politics
New Politics is a bipartisan organization that revitalizes American democracy by recruiting, developing, and electing leaders who have committed their lives to serving our country, either through the military or national service organizations like AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps. New Politics support includes strategic advising and training in all aspects of a candidate’s campaign, such as fundraising, communications, organizing, hiring, and team building. New Politics has raised more than $8.5 million for their candidates, electing more than 30 of them to office, from Congress to School Board.
About New Power
New Power helps candidates overcome the barriers that so often prevent people like them from seeking and winning public office, barriers similar to those faced by women and working class candidates such as lack of social capital, absence of a fundraising base, lack of the “right credentials,” and many more. The New Power Project’s mission is to break down these barriers and expand the pathways into elected office for a new generation of servant leaders.
