Oprah Winfrey will bring her considerable political clout to Virginia next month when she headlines a campaign fundraiser for Lavern Chatman, a Democratic candidate in the state’s 8th Congressional District.
“Oprah is a good friend and we both share a passion for empowering women and girls for leadership,” Chatman said in a statement posted on her website. The event will take place April 5 in Arlington.
The former president and CEO of the Northern Virginia Urban League has worked with a number of community- and faith-based social service organizations. She is one of nearly a dozen candidates running for the seat of retiring Rep. James P. Moran Jr.
Former Lt. Gov. Don Beyer is considered the favorite for the nomination, given his recognition and high-profile governmental experience. But Winfrey’s endorsement could well boost Chatman’s chances in the district composed of affluent Washington, D.C., suburbs. The TV talk show host’s very public backing of Barack Obama — her first-ever endorsement — was considered instrumental in the freshman senator’s upset win over Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Iowa caucuses, and his eventual nomination. Appearing in Des Moines during a December 2007 campaign appearance, Winfrey famously declared her fellow Illinoisan “the one.”
According to economists Craig Garthwaite and Tim Moore, the television pioneer’s support helped Obama win approximately 1 million additional votes during the Democratic primaries.
In July, Winfrey helped raise money for Cory Booker’s successful run for U.S. Senate in New Jersey.
Oprah Winfrey Backs House Candidate in Va.
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