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Calling Gen Z to Run [1]

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Date: 2022-12-18

Logo for Jason Melendez for Dale District Supervisor.

My name is Jason Melendez and I am a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Dale District Supervisor in Chesterfield County, VA.

Chesterfield is a suburban locality that is part of the Richmond Metro Region here in Central Virginia. At last estimate, we are home to just over 370,000 residents and growing! According to some estimates, Chesterfield is expected to surpass Virginia Beach in population by 2050, making it one of the top three largest localities by population size in the Commonwealth.

With a five seat Board of Supervisors divided among magisterial districts representing a roughly equal number of citizens across the county, you could imagine that it would be a tough challenge to lodge a bid for one of these seats, let alone a bid that involves challenging an incumbent that has held elected office—unchallenged within his party—for 14 years, a majority of my lifetime. Some folks may brand me crazy or ambitious, but I intend to meet the challenge.

According to the 2020 Census, our population alone has grown 16% between 2010 and 2020. And the number of residents here born outside of the United States has grown roughly by 9% between 2017 and 2021. Put simply, this county is not the same as it was even a decade ago, and it is continuing to change and become more diverse. Our county leadership and elected offices should evolve with it.

The challenges we are facing with our growth as we continue to exhibit signs of a major population center in Virginia demands fresh, innovative, and energetic leadership that is forward-thinking, not the same style of thinking that has failed to solve critical problems along the way like school capacity, traffic, and transportation safety.

Moreover, I continue to feel as though certain members who sit on our current Board of Supervisors have become complacent and fail to exhibit the advocacy that is required to meet the moment on issues like the environment, gun violence prevention, social justice, and affordable housing. That’s at the heart of why I made the decision to seek the Democratic nomination for Dale District Supervisor against an incumbent.

I’ve always looked at primaries as beneficial processes for advancing our political parties and slotting in new voices that will continue to move the issues forward. Generation Z has finally entered a phase where it can seek elected office all the way up to the House of Representatives, and we’ve seen a host of great candidates who have been elected to those offices like Representative-elect Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL). Frost and others remind us that in order to see the change you want to see, it can’t always be found in electing the same people.

Just as Generation Z showed up at the ballot box to stem a red wave in November, we need to show up on the ballot as candidates whether you’re challenging an incumbent in your own party or you are flipping a seat: you need to run.

Connect with me at jasonforsupervisor.com/connect. Donate via ActBlue at jasonforsupervisor.com/give.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/12/18/2142668/-Calling-Gen-Z-to-Run

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