On The Issues

Medicaid Expansion:
Expanding Medicaid in Virginia and fully enacting The Affordable Care Act is a top priority for Clarence. Current estimates show that Virginia loses $3.5 million dollars every day for the next fiscal year. In the next fiscal year, that estimate will grow to $4.5 million dollars. Clarence is committed to being a strong ally to Governor McAuliffe and will work to expand Medicaid so that 400,000 more Virginians – including over 2,500 in the 45th District – have access to affordable healthcare.

 

Jobs:
Leveraging his expertise in energy and environmental advocacy, Clarence wants to continue to grow Virginia’s economy by focusing on sustainable energy development. Attracting renewable energy and energy efficiency technology industries to Virginia is not only good for the environment, but good for our economy.

 

Educational Opportunity:
Clarence believes that all Virginians deserve a fair shot, which starts with access to a high quality education. His grandmother, who immigrated to the United States to do domestic and factory work, was never formally educated, but knew education is the key to bringing social and economic mobility. In Richmond, Clarence will fight to keep tuition costs down at our public universities, partner with community colleges to emphasize STEM coursework, and be an advocate for universal Pre-K. Clarence’s education has empowered him to success as an appointee by the Obama and McAuliffe administrations, and he will be a strong voice for educational opportunity.

 

Environmental Advocate:
Clarence has dedicated much of his career to advocating for a clean energy future. As an Obama appointee to the Department of Energy, and today as a Legislative Affairs Manager at the Environmental Defense Fund, Clarence is passionate about preserving our environment for the next generation. Locally, as a Board Member of the North Old Town Independent Citizens Association  (NOTICe), he is involved in the community efforts to clean up the GenOn power plant site in Old Town Alexandria, so that it can be used as a productive community space.

 

Women’s Health:
Protecting and supporting women’s access to healthcare is essential to securing a strong future for all Virginians. From access to reproductive health care services and birth control options, to empowering women to make their own deeply personal health care decisions, Clarence will advocate to protect women’s health in Richmond.

 

Equality:
Whether it is equal work for equal pay or marriage equality, Clarence is committed giving all Virginians a fair shot to succeed. He also strongly believes in expanding voter participation as a participant in Dr. Fergie Reid’s ’90 for 90′ project. As the Chair of the Alexandria Democrats, Clarence has sought to support these ideals by electing strong Democrats locally and across the Commonwealth.