On the heels of being named the most progressive legislator in Virginia, Alexandria Delegate Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5th) just filed paperwork for a third two-year term in office.
Bennett-Parker says that her recent designation from the Virginia Progressive Legislative Alert Network (VAPLAN) reflects a commitment to Alexandria’s values.
“I was excited to see the result,” she told ALXnow in a recent interview. “The scorecard reflects my votes on a wide variety of bills, not just what I’m putting forward.”
This past session, nine of Bennett-Parker’s eleven proposed measures passed through the General Assembly and await the governor’s signature.
“I want Virginia to be an inclusive, welcoming, great place for families and for all individuals, regardless of their background, regardless of whom they love,” she said. “We have a lot of work to do, and so that’s why I want to continue to keep fighting for our community and our values particularly in light of what is happening across the river.”
Bennett-Parker says that her constituents are struggling.
“I hear from people regularly who have lost their job,” she said. “In the last week of session, we basically amended our special session resolution to include responding to the federal actions so that we can call ourselves back into Special Session in order to respond.”
Bennett-Parker said she’s most proud of a proposed constitutional amendment to provide for the automatic restoration of voting rights after incarceration making it through both chambers. It doesn’t require the governor’s signature, and will have to be approved in a second session before being voted on by Virginia residents.
“It would be a very important step for Virginia to take,” Bennett-Parker said. “We are the only state in the country that permanently disenfranchises everyone with a felony conviction unless they individually petition the governor for rights restoration. Leaving that up to the discretion of a single individual does not give anyone clarity around the steps they need to take, and this would create a fair, transparent process that would apply equally to everyone.”
Two of her proposals didn’t move forward — a bill to provide free breakfasts to all public school students in Virginia, and a bill providing free child care to child care providers.
Bennett-Parker was unsuccessful in getting a bill approved for both free breakfast and lunch last year. This year, she compromised by removing free lunch from the bill’s language, but it wasn’t enough. She also said she intends on bringing the free-breakfast bill forward next session, hopefully with support from a Democratic governor.
“I think it’s a continued push for at least breakfast, and I think it’s just continued advocacy and education and hope,” Bennett-Parker said. “Also of a different governor in the governor’s mansion, who I know this is a priority for, and that will help us get it in the budget as well.”
Bennett-Parker first announced her reelection campaign at a meeting of the Alexandria Democratic Committee in January.
She was elected Alexandria’s vice mayor in her first-ever campaign for office in 2018. After a single term on Council, she beat incumbent Democrat Del. Mark Levine in the June 2021 primary and then defeated Republican Justin “J.D.” Maddox in the general election. She faced no opposition when she was reelected in 2023. As of Dec. 31, 2024, she had $82,000 in her campaign war chest, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
