1. Hala Sophia Ayala was born on April 23,1973 and is an American politician who represented the 51st district in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2018 to 2022.
19 Facts About Hala Ayala
1. 2.
Hala Ayala was the Democratic nominee in the 2021 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election, losing to Republican nominee Winsome Sears on November 2,2021.
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Hala Ayala was a candidate for Virginia State Senate in the 33rd District, losing the Democratic primary to Jennifer Carroll Foy on June 20,2023.
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Hala Ayala graduated from Woodbridge Senior High School, and has an associate's degree in psychology from the University of Phoenix.
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When Hala Ayala was pregnant, her job did not offer any health insurance but she qualified for Medicaid, which provided healthcare for her and her son.
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Hala Ayala formerly worked for the United States Department of Homeland Security as a cybersecurity specialist.
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Hala Ayala formerly led the Prince William County chapter of the National Organization for Women, serving as chapter president in 2014.
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Hala Ayala served on the Virginia Council on Women as an appointee of Governor Terry McAuliffe for a term expiring on June 30,2016.
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Hala Ayala cites the documentary Miss Representation as inspiration for her to become involved in politics, and was a volunteer for Barack Obama's reelection campaign in 2012.
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In 2017, Hala Ayala was an organizer of the Women's March against Donald Trump.
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Hala Ayala ran for the Virginia House of Delegates in the 2017 elections for the 51st district, which covers much of Prince William County.
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In June 2017, Hala Ayala won the Democratic nomination for the 51st district of the Virginia House of Delegates, defeating Ken Boddye in the primary election.
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In July 2020, Hala Ayala announced her candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in the 2021 election.
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In June 2021, Hala Ayala became the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.
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In March 2022, Hala Ayala announced her candidacy for Virginia State Senate for the 33rd District.
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Hala Ayala lost the June 2023 primary election to Jennifer Carroll Foy.
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Hala Ayala's bill requiring tax preparers to report security breaches became law.
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Hala Ayala has introduced bills for creating a state interagency cybersecurity task force, training state employees, increasing security of network-connected devices, and requiring digital services to remove information about minors upon request.
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Hala Ayala served as a member of the Science and Technology Committee and the Finance Committee.