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Briana Sewell

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Not to be confused with Brian Sewell.

Briana Sewell
Briana Sewell (left) with fellow Delegate Mike Cherry in 2024.
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 12, 2022
Preceded byHala Ayala
Constituency51st district (2022–2024)
25th district (2024–present)
Personal details
Born1990 (age 33–34)
Woodbridge, Virginia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
RelativesTerri Sewell (cousin)
Education

Briana D. Sewell (born 1990) is an American politician serving as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 25th district.[1] A member of the Democratic Party, she was first elected in 2021 to succeed retiring Democrat Hala Ayala.[2] Sewell represents parts of Prince William County, including the towns of Lake Ridge and Nokesville.[3]

Early life and education

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Sewell was born in 1990 in Woodbridge, Virginia. Both of her parents were members of the United States Air Force; at retirement, her father held the rank of senior master sergeant, while her mother attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. Her family was stationed in Panama for three years before moving to Lake Ridge, Virginia.[citation needed]

Sewell earned a Bachelor of Arts in public policy from the College of William & Mary. She later attended American University, where she earned a Master of Public Administration.[4][better source needed]

Political career

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Sewell began her career in politics as district director for U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly. In 2018, she established the Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy, an organization that advocates for paid parental leave, paid sick leaves, and affordable healthcare.[5][non-primary source needed] Before becoming a legislator, she served as chief of staff to Ann Wheeler, the chair of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.[4][better source needed]

Virginia House of Delegates

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Sewell announced her candidacy for the 51st district in December 2020, shortly after incumbent Hala Ayala announced her retirement to run for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.[6] She received multiple endorsements, including from U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, Congressman Gerry Connolly, and various state legislators, including Ayala herself.[7][better source needed] Sewell defeated her opponent, Republican U.S. Navy veteran Tim Cox, in the November 2021 general election by a margin of around 6.9 percentage points.[8] She took office, along with the rest of the 162nd Virginia General Assembly, on January 12, 2022.[9]

Committee assignments

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  • Committee on Communications, Technology and Innovation[10]
  • Committee on Counties Cities and Towns[11]
  • Committee on Education[12]

Congressional campaign

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See also: 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia § District 7

In November 2023, shortly after winning re-election to the redrawn 25th district, Sewell announced her candidacy for Virginia's 7th congressional district. The incumbent Congresswoman, Abigail Spanberger, announced her intention to retire in order to run for Governor of Virginia in 2025, creating an open race for her seat.[13]

Personal life

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She is the cousin of Terri Sewell, a U.S. Representative from Alabama.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Delegate Briana D. Sewell". Virginia House of Delegates Member Listings. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  2. ^ "Newcomer Briana Sewell comes out on top of 51st District House of Delegates' race". Prince William Times. November 2, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  3. ^ "Who's My Legislator?". whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Meet Briana". Briana Sewell for Delegate. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  5. ^ "About Us". Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy, Virginia. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  6. ^ Berti, Daniel (November 2, 2021) [December 16, 2020]. "Woodbridge resident Briana Sewell announces bid for 51st House of Delegates' seat". Prince William Times.
  7. ^ "Endorsements". Briana Sewell for Delegate. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  8. ^ "Nov. 2, 2021 General Election Statewide Candidates". Virginia Department of Elections. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  9. ^ "With judges' ruling in recount, GOP cements two-seat majority in Virginia House of Delegates". www.msn.com. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  10. ^ "Communications, Technology and Innovations Committee 2023". Virginia General Assembly. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  11. ^ "Counties Cities and Towns Committee 2023". Virginia General Assembly. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  12. ^ "Education Committee 2023". Virginia General Assembly. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  13. ^ Sforza, Lauren (November 20, 2023). "Virginia Delegate Briana Sewell enters race for Spanberger's House seat". The Hill. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  14. ^ @Sewell4Congress (November 3, 2021). "Congrats to my cousin Briana Sewell for winning a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates! 👏🏾👏🏾 A bright spot in the Virginia elections last night! Go Briana!! 💕" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
[edit]
Virginia House of Delegates
Preceded by Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
from the 51st district
2022–2024 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
from the 25th district
2024–present 		Incumbent


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