Hala Ayala

Hala Sophia Ayala (born April 23, 1973) is an American politician who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates for the 51st district from 2018 to 2022. She was the Democratic nominee in the 2021 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election, losing to Republican nominee Winsome Earle-Sears. Ayala was also a candidate for Virginia State Senate in the 33rd district, losing the Democratic primary to Jennifer Carroll Foy on June 20, 2023.

Early life and education Ayala was born in Alexandria, Virginia. She graduated from Woodbridge Senior High School, and has an associate’s degree in psychology from the University of Phoenix.

Ayala's father was an immigrant from El Salvador, and also has North African roots.

Career

Ayala formerly worked for the United States Department of Homeland Security as a cybersecurity specialist. She also formerly led the Prince William County chapter of the National Organization for Women, serving as chapter president in 2014.

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.

Virginia House of Delegates Ayala ran for the Virginia House of Delegates in the 2017 elections for the 51st district, which covers much of Prince William County. In December 2020, she announced she would not seek reelection to her House of Delegates seat. In June 2021, Ayala became the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Her bill requiring tax preparers to report security breaches became law. Ayala has also introduced bills for creating a state interagency cybersecurity task force, training state employees, increasing security of network-connected devices, and requiring digital services to remove information about minors upon request.

Electoral history Year Office Party Votes for Ayala % Opponent Party Votes% 2017Virginia House of Delegates Democratic 15,244 52.98% Rich Anderson (inc.)Republican 13,476 46.84% 2019 Democratic 15,508 54.58% Rich AndersonRepublican 12,882 45.34% 2021 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Democratic 1,608,030 49.1% Winsome Sears Republican 1,658,332 50.8% 2023 Virginia Senate Democratic 5,473 37.15% Jennifer Carroll Foy Democratic 9,259 62.85%

Personal life Ayala lives in Lake Ridge, Virginia. She has two children.