May Nivar Announces Over 40 New Endorsements from Community Leaders Across the Commonwealth

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