Community Corner

Letter: Manassas Native to Attend Democratic National Convention

EJ Scott is the first person from Manassas or Prince William County ever selected to attend the Democratic National Convention as a delegate. The 2012 convention is on Sept. 3 in Charlotte.

On (May 12), I was elected the first-ever Democratic national delegate from Manassas or Prince William.

I want to first thank all of the delegates to the 10th Congressional Convention for electing me as a delegate to the (2012)Democratic National Convention in North Carolina. I am honored to have been selected to represent you. Please share your thoughts and any messages you’d like me to take with me from Virginia.  

Next, congratulations to all the members of the 10th National Delegation that were elected.

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This is a special group. The four males, three females and one female alternate put forward to represent this district at the national convention denote the most diverse ever from the 10th Congressional District.

This distinguished crew is not just diverse in race, including a male Asian American and two (one of each) African Americans, but also diverse in regards to the locations from which they hail.

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It was assumed that since Loudoun County had almost 50% of the delegates in attendance that they could sweep the convention and fill all the delegate seats. It was rumored that a plan had been hatched to do just that.

The next largest contingent of delegates was from Fairfax County with over a quarter of the delegates from all of its various magisterial districts in attendance.

The rest of the Delegates came for numerous small cities and counties in the 10th  CD like Winchester, Frederick, Fauquier County, Clarke, Warren,  Prince William County and of course my little corner, Manassas and Manassas Park.

Being from Manassas and Manassas Park, there was little hope that I could even ‘show’ in this contest.

Our two cities together accounted for only 13 Delegate votes out of over 200. The members of the Manassas/Manassas Park Democratic Committee came to represent.

Our group fielded all 13. I was so grateful that they all came to vote. Thank you my friends. While hopeful, we all knew it would be a tall mountain to climb! I sat back, ready to graciously congratulate the winners.

I can’t say how incredibly surprised I was when my name was called as the first female! I threw my hands to my jaws, al la Macaulay Culkin in ‘Home Alone’, in utter amazement. I was even more astonished when I was told that I’d gotten the highest number of votes.  

I’d like to say a special thanks to Loudoun and Fairfax for understanding that diversity doesn’t only mean race. It means not just allowing smaller localities to participate in the delegate selection process, but to also include them in the representation.

The Delegates selected a majority of Delegates from Loudoun, as expected. The delegation will also include a Delegate from Fairfax and the small localities of Winchester and Manassas City.  

This is the first time that anyone from Manassas City or Prince William has been elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. I’m humbled and honored to be the first.

Thank you 10th convention Delegates for electing me Democratic National Delegate. I will go to Charlotte, North Carolina and proudly cast my vote for Barack Obama for President. Thanks for the privilege.   

EJ Scott
10th Congressional District National Delegate


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