Hala Ayala
| Hala Ayala | |
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| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 51st district |
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Assumed office January 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Rich Anderson |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
Hala Ayala is an American cybersecurity specialist and delegate-elect to represent the 51st district of the Virginia House of Delegates. She is a Democrat.
Ayala is a native of Prince William County, Virginia. She graduated from Woodbridge Senior High School and has a college degree in psychology.
Ayala's father was an immigrant from El Salvador, and also has North African roots. Ayala's mother was Irish and Lebanese.
She formerly worked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a cybersecurity specialist. Ayala also formerly led the Prince William County chapter of the National Organization for Women, serving as chapter president in 2014. She also served on the Virginia Council on Women as an appointee of Governor Terry McAuliffe for a term expiring on June 30, 2016.
Ayala cites the documentary Miss Representation as inspiration for her to become involved in politics, and was a volunteer for Barack Obama's reelection campaign in 2012. In 2017, Ayala was an organizer of the Women's March against Donald Trump.
Ayala ran for the Virginia House of Delegates in the 2017 elections for the 51st district, which covers much of Prince William County. The district specifically stretches "from just northwest of Occoquan, in eastern Prince William, to Nokesville on the county’s western border." District 51 was a key pickup target for Virginia Democrats because it was one of 17 House of Delegates districts that voted for Hillary Clinton in the preceding year's presidential election, but was held by a Republican state house delegate. In June 2017, Ayala won the Democratic nomination for the 51st district of the Virginia House of Delegates, defeating Ken Boddye in the primary election. In the general election, Ayala defeating four-term Republican incumbent Richard L. Anderson. Ayala, Kelly Fowler and Elizabeth Guzman became the first Hispanic women elected to the House. The victories were part of a Democratic sweep in the 2017 Virginia elections, which saw major gains for the party.
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