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Danielle Walker (politician)

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Danielle Walker
Vice Chair of the
West Virginia Democratic Party
In office
June 18, 2022 – April, 2023[1]
Preceded byWilliam Laird IV
Succeeded byTeresa Toriseva
Member of the
West Virginia House of Delegates
In office
December 1, 2018 – April 11, 2023
Preceded byCindy Frich
Succeeded byAnitra Hamilton
Constituency51st district (2018–2022)
81st district (2022–2023)
Personal details
Born (1976-08-18) August 18, 1976 (age 48)
New Iberia, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Residence(s)Morgantown, West Virginia, U.S.
Alma materTeche Area Technical Institute
University of Southwestern Louisiana
OccupationPolitician, community activist
Websitedaniellewalkerwv.com

Danielle Walker (born August 18, 1976) is an American politician and community activist, who served as a Democratic member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from 2018 until her resignation in 2023. Through her tenure, Walker was the only Black woman serving in the West Virginia Legislature.[2] In June 2022, Walker was elected vice chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party,[3] she later resigned as vice chairwoman after her selection as the leader of the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia.[1]

Career

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Political career

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In response to the terrorist attack perpetrated on counter-protesters of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Walker attended a vigil with her oldest son, which was held on the campus of West Virginia University. Her son, then a student of WVU, had previously considered attending the University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville. Walker has stated that she felt compelled to speak out against the alt-right movement at the vigil, after thinking of the potential that her son could have been a victim of the attack, should he have chosen to ultimately attend UVA.[4] Members of the local Democratic Party, impressed by Walker's speech, later recruited her to run as a candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates' 51st district.[5] Walker accepted the proposition and won election in November 2018.[6]

In 2018, Democrats — including Walker — swept all five seats in the 51st district, the largest multi-member district in the House.[7] As a result, the Monongalia County delegates, all Democrats, called themselves "The Fab Five" and frequently voted and worked together on bills.[8] This was especially notable given that there was only one Democratic member of the delegation just four years earlier, after the 2014 elections. In 2020, fellow Delegate Rodney Pyles was defeated for re-election by former Republican Delegate Joe Statler, breaking the all-Democratic delegation. She was re-elected to a second term in November 2020, and to a third term in November 2022 in the 81st district following redistricting.[9] In 2023, Walker resigned from the House of Delegates after her selection as the leader of the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia.[10]

Online harassment

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In February 2022, the group Berkeley County West Virginians for Life posted a meme with the image of a hooded-Klansman on their Facebook page, directly addressing Delegate Walker in the post. The same image and message were sent to her email the same day, February 1, the first day of Black History Month and the day after she introduced a bill meant to ensure abortion rights. Walker said, "For a Black woman, the only Black woman currently in both houses in the state of West Virginia, on the first day of Black history month to receive this hate mail is beyond my understanding," adding, "I am not ally to any white supremacist. But in that same breath, I do love all my neighbors. No one shall place hate in my heart. That is not who I am." Berkeley County WVFL president Richard Demoske resigned following backlash to the incident.[11]

Comparing the incident to a "modern-day digital version of burning a cross in [her] front yard," Delegate Walker filed a civil lawsuit in Kanawha County Circuit Court against Desmoske and WVFL on February 15, 2022.[12] On September 19, 2022, Walker refiled suit in Monongalia County Circuit Court after her case in Kanawha County was dismissed due to improper venue.[13]

Community involvement

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Walker is a member and supporter of several organizations, including Black Lives Matter; the NAACP; Mountaineers for Progress, an organization promoting progressive values throughout the state; the National Organization for Women; Moms Clean Air Force, an environmental protection organization; Planned Parenthood; the Working Families Party; Our Future West Virginia, a statewide organization focused on economic justice, educational justice, racial justice, and civic engagement; Mon County Read Aloud, an organization focused on improving childhood literacy; Mountain Mamas, a women's climate change advocacy and environmental protection organization; MoveOn; and the Sierra Club.[4]

Personal life

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Walker was born on August 18, 1976, in New Iberia, Louisiana, to Oscar Walker, Sr. and Derbie Bernard.[14] After graduating from New Iberia Senior High School, Walker attended Teche Area Technical Institute, where she obtained a certificate in accounting; she also completed undergraduate coursework at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, however, did not obtain a degree.[15]

Widowed at just 29-years-old, Walker remarried and moved with her two sons to Morgantown, West Virginia, after her husband was relocated for his job. After the move, the two divorced, although Walker would choose to remain in Morgantown with her children.[4] As a single mother raising two disabled children, Walker was chosen to receive her own universal-designed home through Habitat for Humanity in 2015; she has remained an advocate of the organization since.[4][16] In June 2021, just shy of his 24th birthday, Walker's eldest son, Demetry, died from leukemia.[17]

In February 2021, Walker came out as queer during a press conference in support of the Fairness Act,[18][19] which would add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes in West Virginia's Human Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act. Walker is the second openly LGBTQ woman to serve in the Legislature after former delegate Amanda Estep-Burton.[18]

Electoral history

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2020 election

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Primary election

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West Virginia House of Delegates, 2020[20]
Monongalia County, 51st District
(Vote for 5)
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Danielle Walker (incumbent) 9,685 20.65%
Democratic Barbara Evans Fleischauer (incumbent) 9,626 20.52%
Democratic Evan Hansen (incumbent) 9,300 19.83%
Democratic John Williams (incumbent) 8,065 17.19%
Democratic Rodney Pyles (incumbent) 6,889 14.69%
Democratic Jeffrey Budkey 3,343 7.13%
Total votes 46,908 100.00%

General election

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West Virginia House of Delegates, 2020[9]
Monongalia County, 51st District
(Vote for 5)
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Barbara Evans Fleischauer (incumbent) 19,718 11.84%
Democratic Evan Hansen (incumbent) 18,800 11.29%
Republican Joe Statler 18,304 10.99%
Democratic Danielle Walker (incumbent) 17,931 10.77%
Democratic John Williams (incumbent) 17,737 10.65%
Republican Cindy Frich 17,704 10.63%
Democratic Rodney Pyles (incumbent) 17,689 10.63%
Republican Justin White 14,187 8.52%
Republican Todd Stainbrook 12,204 7.33%
Republican Zach Lemaire 12,134 7.29%
Write-in 71 0.04%
Total votes 166,479 100.00%

2018 election

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Primary election

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West Virginia House of Delegates, 2018[21]
Monongalia County, 51st District
(Vote for 5)
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Barbara Evans Fleischauer (incumbent) 6,116 21.54%
Democratic Evan Hansen 5,639 19.86%
Democratic Danielle Walker 5,104 17.98%
Democratic John Williams (incumbent) 4,994 17.59%
Democratic Rodney Pyles (incumbent) 3,952 13.92%
Democratic Cory Kennedy 2,585 9.11%
Total votes 28,390 100.00%

General election

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West Virginia House of Delegates, 2018[6]
Monongalia County, 51st District
(Vote for 5)
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Barbara Evans Fleischauer (incumbent) 16,357 12.21%
Democratic Evan Hansen 15,558 11.62%
Democratic John Williams (incumbent) 15,045 11.23%
Democratic Danielle Walker 14,725 10.99%
Democratic Rodney Pyles (incumbent) 14,240 10.63%
Republican Joe Statler (incumbent) 13,051 9.74%
Republican Cindy Frich (incumbent) 12,601 9.41%
Republican Debbie Warner 11,058 8.26%
Republican Roger Shuttlesworth 8,885 6.63%
Republican Aaron Metz 8,464 6.32%
Libertarian Buddy Guthrie 3,011 2.25%
American Freedom Harry Bertram 942 0.70%
Write-in 79 0.06%
Total votes 134,016 100.00%

References

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  1. ^ a b King, Joselyn. "West Virginia Democrats Elect Toriseva Vice Chair". The Intelligencer. Wheeling News Register. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  2. ^ Severino, Joe (March 17, 2021). "With Charleston approving resolution, WV's lone Black female lawmaker calls on GOP to protect against racial hair discrimination". Charleston Gazette-Mail.
  3. ^ Adams, Steven Allen (June 18, 2022). "Pushkin, Walker elected to lead West Virginia Democratic Party". newsandsentinel.com. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Meet a Nasty Woman: 5 Questions with Danielle Walker". Nasty Woman Wines. October 3, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Newcomer Danielle Walker, scientist Evan Hansen top two incumbents in House District primary race". wajr.com. May 9, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c "2018 Official Results (General): Monongalia County" (PDF). monongaliacountyclerk.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  7. ^ "Monongalia and Marion counties form blue wall in very red West Virginia". West Virginia MetroNews. November 8, 2018.
  8. ^ Croup, Josh (October 5, 2020). "2020 marks last election before House of Delegates undergoes sweeping change". WDTV.
  9. ^ a b c "2020 Official Results (General): Monongalia County" (PDF). monongaliacountyclerk.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  10. ^ SENTINEL, Steven Allen Adams PARKERSBURG NEWS & (April 11, 2023). "Walker formally resigns from West Virginia House of Delegates for ACLU job". WV News. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  11. ^ McElhinny, Brad (February 8, 2022). "Black delegate receives an anti-abortion message conveyed by a Klan image". West Virginia MetroNews. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  12. ^ Linly, Zack (February 17, 2022). "West Virginia's Only Black Woman Legislator Sues Anti-Abortion Leader Who Sent Her A KKK Email". NewsOne. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  13. ^ Cleavenger, Erin (September 19, 2022). "Delegate Walker refiles lawsuit in Mon County courts against West Virginians for Life". Dominion Post. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  14. ^ a b "West Virginia House of Delegates Biography". www.wvlegislature.gov. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  15. ^ a b "State House of Delegates – 51st District". Dominion Post. October 18, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  16. ^ a b Sanahori, Sheeka (May 6, 2016). "Single mom gets a new start with new home". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  17. ^ Slater, Chris (July 27, 2021). "As a way to celebrate her son's life, Del. Danielle Walker, D-Morgantown, urges blood, bone marrow donations throughout West Virginia". WV News. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  18. ^ a b Pierson, Lacie (February 9, 2021). "Mandt's statements show need for LGBTQ protections in state law, lawmakers say". Charleston Gazette-Mail.
  19. ^ Mistich, Dave (February 9, 2021). "LGBTQ Rights Advocates Respond To Huntington Delegate's Comments, Continue Push For Fairness Act". West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
  20. ^ a b "2020 Official Results (Primary): Monongalia County" (PDF). monongaliacountyclerk.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  21. ^ a b "2018 Official Results (Primary): Monongalia County" (PDF). monongaliacountyclerk.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
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