Valerie Foushee prepares to serve residents of Durham County

“You don’t know me, but I know you,” Valerie Foushee, Democratic Party candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, said during a visit at her campaign headquarters. “I used to come to Durham to listen to you preach at Orange Grove Missionary Baptist Church.”

It was a firm reminder that Foushee is present in Durham. Sometimes she’s in the crowd – listening. Sometimes she’s out front – working to make a difference.

Foushee’s roots are in Orange County where she was the oldest of six children born to two teenage parents. Her parents worked multiple jobs, teaching Foushee the benefit of hard work, community service and education. She attended segregated schools in Chapel Hill -Carrboro until the sixth grade, shaping a lifelong journey of advocating for the rights of Black and Brown students.

Chapel Hill – Carrboro residents elected Foushee to serve on the school board before making her the first Black woman elected to the Orange County Board of Commissioners. She took office as a member of the state House of Representatives and then the state Senate, but what about Durham?

Rev-elution: It’s been more than 50 years since Durham elected a Durham resident to the U.S. House. If elected, Durham will be left with another representative with limited connections with Durham voters. How do you address this perceived disconnection?

Foushee: In 1970, my parents were able to purchase a home in Durham in a neighborhood formerly known as Kentington Heights, where Hendrick Auto Mall now stands. They lived in Durham for the remainder of their lives. All my siblings attended Durham Public Schools and my sister has taught in the system. When I was first elected to the General Assembly, I represented a part of Durham County and was a member of the Durham Delegation, serving with Representatives H. M. “Mickey” Michaux, Larry Hall, Paul Luebke and Senators Mike Woodard and Floyd McKissick. I am a former member of the Board of Trustees for Durham Technical Community College. My association with several civic organizations provides me with constant interactions with residents of Durham with which I have built relationships over the years.

Rev-elution: Both national and local conversations surrounding elections to the U.S. House have centered around the need for youth inclusion.  Nida Allam, 28, your opposition in this race, is running on the hope of joining Alexandria Ocasio-Ortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Cori Bush (D-MO) as members of the Squad - progressive and left-wing members of Congress. How do you respond to voters who are told youth is more important than seasoned leadership?

Foushee: I love seeing young people get involved in politics. Obviously, they are the future of this party and our country, and I hope that more of them answer the call and become active in electoral politics. I welcome that. That said, given where we are as a country, and the urgency with which we must act to preserve our democracy, I believe that my 25 years of experience in elected office will serve the people of this district best. With Republican attacks on women, the environment, healthcare, and voting rights, we cannot afford to send someone to Congress that has to learn on the job. I've been in the rooms, I've helped change hearts and minds, I've worked across the aisle, and I've delivered results. We need that in Washington. Anyone can go to Congress and scream and shout for change. I believe I'm the most poised to go to Congress and get things done because I've been here before.

Rev-elution: How do you define progressive? Do you consider yourself a progressive candidate? Why?

Foushee: For me, being a progressive means moving the ball forward, making progress on the things we care about, as Democrats – voting rights, women’s reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, immigrants’ rights, climate action, racial justice, and economic equality. Being progressive requires us, not just to talk about these values we care about, but to make progress toward achieving them and that means building coalitions, garnering the respect of your friends and adversaries alike, and finding ways to work with people you disagree with to bring them around to your point of view.

Of course, I consider myself a progressive. I have been fighting for our shared progressive values my entire life. On the school board I fought to ensure that Black and Brown students were treated fairly. On the county commission I fought for environmental justice and worked to close a landfill in a low-income, minority neighborhood. In the state senate I fought to eliminate child marriage, to move us toward our clean energy goals, and I stood up to countless Republican attacks on women’s reproductive rights. I grew up in segregated schools, I remember a Chapel Hill that wouldn’t allow me to eat at the lunch counter, I struggled to pay my way through school at UNC, I raised two Black sons and dealt with a world that, at times, treated them differently. I don’t just talk about progressive values, I have lived them, I have fought for them, and I have used my voice and my power to move the ball forward for all of us. I fear that allowing a handful of people with privilege to gatekeep who is and is not “progressive” is dangerous for us as a party and as a country.

Rev-elution: Historically, the American Jewish community plays an important role in advocating for the Civil Rights of Black Americans. Recently, you’ve come under attack for accepting contributions from individuals connected with AIPAC, an organization that advocates for a strong U.S. – Israel relationship. Given the struggles of refugees in Afghanistan, Syria, Venezuela, and Ukraine, how do you balance support for Israel, as a Black American, given the millions of Palestinians forced to leave their home and blocked from returning by the Israeli government?

Foushee: The Jewish community has long been a friend to the African American community, marching arm-in-arm with Dr. King and other Black leaders during the civil rights movement. While I believe that Israel is a critically important ally – and the only democracy in the region, I unequivocally support a two-state solution in the Middle East.

Rev-elution: How did you think about hiring members of your campaign team, how do you manage members of your team and what does that say about your style of leadership?

Foushee: When considering members of my team, I first considered competence, diversity, and loyalty. Because I have never run a congressional race, I needed a manager with experience in that area. I wanted to ensure legal compliance, inclusivity, and integrity. Paramount in choosing members was my ability to trust them to do the right thing; to believe in my candidacy and to run a clean race based on my record. We have never spoken negatively of our opponents but focused on my experience and my desire to serve. My management style focuses on hiring capable personnel with the necessary skillsets and then letting them do their jobs. I provide directives or suggestions as necessary with the expectation that with proper training and encouragement, people will do their best.

Rev-elution: Who do you see your natural allies to be in Congress? Who are you excited to work with?

Foushee: Representatives Alma Adams and Deborah Ross would be natural allies since I’ve had the opportunity to work with them in the NCGA. I am excited for the opportunity to work with them again along with Reps. James Clyburn, Shontel Brown, Joyce Beatty, Barbara Lee, Lois Frankel, Gregory Meeks, and Hakeem Jeffries, to name a few.

Rev-elution: You are in what is considered a safe seat.  What’s the best use of that type of safety?

Foushee: Although the District Four seat may be safe for a Democrat, it is not – and should not – be safe for any candidate. The best use us to be responsive and responsible to the citizens of the district to hear, consider/assess and address their needs and concerns. In short, be the best REPRESENTATIVE you can be.