February 18, 2025
Henrico – Today May Nivar, Democratic candidate for House of Delegates, District 57,
announced an expansion of her impressive roster of supporters. Previously, May announced an
extensive list of elected officials who have endorsed her candidacy, including Governor Ralph
Northam, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, State Senator Ghazala Hashmi, Delegate
Rodney Willett, Henrico Supervisors Tyrone Nelson (Immediate Past Board Chair) and Roscoe
Cooper, and Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor.
May is now excited to announce endorsements from over 40 community leaders active in the
Richmond region and across the Commonwealth, including Bob Shippee, Mahmud Chowdhury, Melissa Dart, Anthony Fung, Anne-Marie Leake, Suja Mathew, Quan Schneider, Shabina Shahnawaz, and J.R. Smith, all of whom are Henrico residents.
In response to this most recent outpouring of public support, May released this statement: “As
your Delegate, I will protect people’s rights, including reproductive freedom. I will work for the
best public schools for all children. And I will fight for an economy where every Virginian has the
chance to succeed, with opportunities for all, not just for those who can afford it.
“The support from these community leaders speaks to my commitment to making a positive
difference. Over the years, while raising my family and having a corporate career, I have made
it a priority to maximize my impact as a leader through Leadership Metro Richmond and
Sorensen’s Political Leaders Program; and support several Asian American & Pacific Islander
(AAPI) organizations, among others. These advocates listed below have seen firsthand my
commitment to making progress in government, public education, small business, civic
engagement, and public safety for all families.”
Bob Shippee, who ran for this seat in 2023, endorsed May: "As a longtime Democratic and
community activist, I wholeheartedly support May Nivar for Delegate. May is dedicated to
working collaboratively to find common-sense solutions to the most critical challenges we face,
including an issue close to my heart: climate change. May’s experience, commitment, and
passion for positive change make her the leader we need in the 57th district."
Eric Lin, a longtime community advocate, said, “In these challenging times, we need leaders
who understand our issues, consistently serve our communities, and work tirelessly to address
our most pressing problems. I've had the privilege of working with May on many initiatives, such
as working with Henrico and Chesterfield County governments in 2019 to develop and launch
My Henrico Academy and My Chesterfield Academy, which have a multicultural approach to
helping participants better navigate their local government. She has repeatedly demonstrated
remarkable leadership and has earned a place at the tables where meaningful conversations
happen and tough decisions are made. She will represent District 57 and the Commonwealth
with dedication and integrity.”
New Endorsers
Melody Agbisit, Virginia Beach, Former Member, Virginia Asian Advisory Board
Hassan Ahmad, Sterling, Former Member, Virginia Asian Advisory Board, Virginia Office of
New Americans Advisory Board; Former Candidate, House of Delegates District 87
Raziuddin Ali, Midlothian, AAPI Community Leader, Sorensen Political Leaders Program '19
Cecilia Barbosa, Richmond, Former Chair, Virginia Latino Advisory Board; Leadership Metro
Richmond '08
Paul Berry, Reston, Chair Emeritus, Virginia Latino Advisory Board; Sorensen Political
Leaders Program '18; Former Candidate, House of Delegates District 7
Asif Bhavnagri, Richmond, AAPI Community Leader
Angela Chiang, Chesterfield, Former Chair, Virginia Asian Advisory Board; Leadership Metro
Richmond '10; My Henrico Academy ‘20; My Chesterfield Academy ‘20
Mahmud Chowdhury, Glen Allen, Former Chair, Asian American Society of Central Virginia;
My Chesterfield Academy '20
Melissa Dart, Henrico, Community Activist; Former Candidate, House of Delegates District 56
and Henrico County School Board
Jae Davenport, Richmond, AAPI Community Leader; Former Deputy Secretary of Public
Safety and Homeland Security
Ali Faruk, Richmond, AAPI Community Leader; Leadership Metro Richmond '14
Anthony Fung, Henrico, AAPI Community Leader; Former Deputy Secretary of Technology
Jacob Harrer, Springfield, AAPI Community Leader
Monica Hoyos, Henrico, Latino Community Leader
Harry Khanna, Richmond, Member, Democratic National Committee
Mark Keam, Vienna, Former Member, House of Delegates District 35
John Kim, Midlothian, Former Treasurer and Board Member, Asian American Society of
Central Virginia; Former President, Korean American Society of Greater Richmond
Andrew Ko, Ashburn, Former Member, Virginia Asian Advisory Board and Virginia State
Board of Education
Anne-Marie Leake, Henrico, Associate Director, Henrico Soil and Water District; Former
Candidate, Henrico Board of Supervisors
Eric Lin, Chesterfield, Former Chair, Virginia Asian Advisory Board; Former Inaugural Chair,
Virginia Office of New Americans Advisory Board; Former Vice President of Finance, OCA
Asian Pacific American Advocates; Leadership Metro Richmond '06; My Chesterfield Academy
‘20; My Henrico Academy ‘20
Justin Lo, Richmond, Former Member, Virginia Asian Advisory Board
Salinna Lor, Richmond, Former Member, Virginia Asian Advisory Board
Veena Lothe, Midlothian, Former Candidate, State Senate 12; Former Executive Director,
Emerge Virginia
Suja Mathew, Henrico, Former Chair, Virginia Asian Advisory Board; Sorensen Political
Leaders Program '15; Leadership Metro Richmond '20
Praveen Meyyan, Arlington, Former Member, Virginia Asian Advisory Board; Former Chair,
Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia; Sorensen Political Leaders Program '17
Marj Mohta, Midlothian, Former Member, Virginia Asian Advisory Board; Founding President,
Philippine Nurses Association of Virginia; Former President, Filipino American Association of
Central Virginia; Leadership Metro Richmond '06
Nury Mojica, Chester, Latino Community Leader; My Chesterfield Academy ‘22; Leadership
Metro Richmond '24; Chesterfield County Community Champion '24
Petula Moy, Virginia Beach, AAPI Community Leader
Djiibril Niang, North Chesterfield, Former Member, Office of New Americans; My Chesterfield
Academy '20
Aida Pacheco, Mechanicsville, Former Chair, Virginia Latino Advisory Board; Former Board
Member, Asian & Latino Solidarity Alliance
Amanda Pohl, Midlothian, Chesterfield Clerk of the Court; Former Candidate, State Senate
District 11
Lyons Sanchezconcha, Midlothian, Former Chair, Virginia Latino Advisory Board; Leadership
Metro Richmond '25
Marie Sankaran Raval, Henrico, AAPI Community Leader
Jessica Schneider, North Chesterfield, Chesterfield Board of Supervisors, Clover Hill District
Quan Schneider, Glen Allen, AAPI Community Leader; Leadership Metro Richmond '18
Sujan Sedhai, Manassas, AAPI Community Leader; Former Staff Member, Kaine for Virginia
Shabina Shahnawaz, Henrico, AAPI Community Leader; Former Vice Chair and Secretary,
Henrico County Democratic Committee
Bob Shippee, Henrico, Henrico County Planning Commissioner; Former Candidate, House of
Delegates District 57
J.R. Smith, Glen Allen, Former Chair, Virginia Asian Advisory Board
Dewita Soeharjono, Falls Church, Former Chair, Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia
Hueina Su, Henrico, AAPI Community Leader; My Henrico Academy ‘20
Leonard Tengco, Vienna, Former Member, Virginia Asian Advisory Board and Virginia Beach
School Board
Alice Tong, Fairfax, Former Member, Virginia Asian Advisory Board
Felix Wang, Harrisonburg, Former Member, Virginia Asian Advisory Board
Carey Yang, Henrico, AAPI Community Leader; My Henrico Academy '22
Henry Yuan, Fairfax, AAPI Community Leader