Crossing the Finish Line

Supervisor Yesli Vega felt called to public service long before she ran for her position on Prince William County’s Board of Supervisors. Because of her experience as a Law Enforcement Officer, she was more familiar than most with the responsibilities of leadership and the process of solving problems that faced her Virginia community.

“I feel like I’m still serving the community almost in the same way I was in law enforcement,” Vega said. “In politics it’s very similar. There are issues that are facing folks in our community and as district supervisor it’s my job to find solutions, and hopefully bring the community together so that we can implement those solutions.” 

As a mom of two children, Vega was unhappy with the direction her county was taking and decided to get involved.

“I was a newcomer and I felt that with the advice that I was given by folks I really respected who had been in office for a very long time, the supervisor level was a great place to start.”

After attending one of American Majority’s candidate trainings with our Virginia Executive Director, Liz Dickinson, Vega felt equipped to identify her potential voters and supporters as well as reach them with a message that spoke to their hearts on important issues rather than just their minds.

“People have to put in the time to go to these trainings because they are so important. That’s where you learn.”

With what she learned in our training, she was able to garner the support needed to not only fund and staff her campaign, but also to win her election with nearly 56% of the vote share.

“I expected to have some support, some volunteers, but I never anticipated to have so many people really work so hard and help me. Otherwise I would have never made it across the finish line.”

No election is smooth sailing for the entirety of the campaign and Vega’s was no exception. Shortly after entering the race, she was viciously attacked for her beliefs and stances as a Christian, conservative, and Hispanic woman.

Her public appearances were fraught with protestors and opponents claiming she was a racist who hated her own community for being a police officer and upholding the rule of law – a claim that could not be further from the truth. Though such accusations continue, she is secure in the knowledge that this position is where God wanted her to be at this point in time. She knows that He is giving her the strength to continue to support and serve the very people that attack her. 

To anyone considering running for office, she says “If you’re passionate about it and if you have that conviction, just go for it. You’ll have a thousand reasons why you shouldn’t do it, but especially now we need people with the courage to step up and to run. Just have faith and trust in the Lord.”