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Liberation Party Candidate Princess Blanding to Be On November Ballot

Foster Johnston

Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin won't be the only names on the ballot for governor.

The name Princess Blanding is already well known across Virginia because of her advocacy after the death of her brother. She tried to get lawmakers to pass a Marcus Alert -- named after her late brother Marcus-David Peters -- to prevent people in mental health crisis from being killed by police.

She says the final result was watered down, and she adds the Democrats have failed to pass qualified immunity and make civilian review boards of police departments mandatory. Now she's qualified for the November ballot to run for governor.

"The Democratic Party has the ability to pass legislation that does more than say that Black Lives Matter, pass legislation that shows that Black liberation matters, that shows that community care and safety will be put first," Blanding explains. "And they refuse to, and so I came to the final conclusion that we cannot continue to beg our oppressors to be our saviors because they will not be."

To those concerned that a Princess Blanding campaign will help elect Republican Glenn Youngkin, she says this:

"Well no you all will be at fault because you have power. You have the ability to have Terry McAuliffe sit back and the Democratic Party support me," she says.

Blanding also says she's not a liberal candidate. She says she supports Second Amendment rights, banning police unions and decriminalizing sex work.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.

Michael Pope is an author and journalist who lives in Old Town Alexandria.