Lori Alexander

Lori Alexander is a Democratic candidate in the 2008 congressional elections for the 11th Congressional District of Virginia. Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) is currently holding this position. The democratic primary will take place on June 10, 2008.

Biography
Lori Alexander is a wife and mother of four children. She grew up in a single family household with five siblings in the low income area of Lowell, Massachusetts and, at that time, her only option was to attend school in the projects. Lori knows what it is like to be educated in failing schools because, unfortunately, many of the instructors at her school had “written off” the students before they even entered the classroom. Lori explains, “I was told my entire life that higher education was not for people like me, so I attended a Vocational High School to train as a secretary.” After graduation, Lori was hired as an executive secretary for Raytheon and a new world opened up to her.

Work Experience & Education
“When I started working for Raytheon, I set aside what I was told as a young girl about college and gained the confidence to seek higher education.” Lori initially was forced to take several non-credit college math courses because her high school had not properly prepared her for college. To improve her English skills, Lori challenged herself by reading as much as possible.

Lori entered the electrical engineering program at Fitchburg State and, ultimately, was accepted into Boston University’s Sargent College as a human physiology major. Lori’s hard work was rewarded when Boston University gave her an academic and need-based scholarship. During her years at Boston University, Lori attended college full-time, worked part-time, and raised her young son as a single parent. Lori understood then what she still knows today, in her words, “I could not have graduated without the generosity of Boston University.”

In 1994, Lori became the first college graduate in her family when she received a bachelor’s degree from Boston University. Lori’s strong desire to improve the functioning of people with disabilities, both young and old, led her to pursue a Master of Science in physical therapy. After graduating from Boston University, Lori took a position with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

“Working at the Mayo Clinic was an outstanding experience; I learned that all people, regardless of their means, can and should receive superior health care in this country.” When Lori lived in Boston, she volunteered many hours for Boston University and at her son Joe’s school but, in Rochester, she became more active in giving her time. Lori traveled to Umtata, South Africa, to donate her time and physical therapy skills to help the underserved. She also became deeply involved in environmental issues mainly through her work with the Sierra Club. According to Lori, “I started to see what we were doing to the environment and felt it was my duty to put the maximum effort into making the world a better place for my son and everyone in his generation and beyond.” Ultimately, Lori became the director of the Southern Minnesota Chapter of the Sierra Club.

It was also in Rochester that Lori met her husband, Brian. Lori and Brian were married at Saint Cecilia Catholic Church in Boston and move in 2001 to the Mount Vernon area where her husband Brian had grown up. Lori and Brian were blessed with three additional children, Wesley 6, Caitlin 5, and Haile 3 and are parishioners of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Mount Vernon. Even with Lori’s busy schedule, she continues to practice as a physical therapist and donate her time in the Mount Vernon area. “I have lived in the 11th District for seven years and care deeply about Northern Virginia and the people who live here.” Lori has worked for the Democratic Party since she was nine years old and, in Minnesota, she worked tirelessly on Senator Paul Wellstone’s campaign, Senator Mark Dayton’s campaign, and Vice-president’s Al Gore’s bid for the presidency. After moving to Virginia, Lori volunteered to assist in her Democratic state representatives’ campaigns. In 2005, Lori traveled to Da Nang, Viet Nam, where she volunteered her time to assist with the evaluation, treatment, and training of physical therapist in an extremely poor area of that Country. Lori continues to promote health care and environmental issues in the Commonwealth and at the national level.

Political Issues
But Lori wants to do more. “Deciding to run for Congress was easy for me; I was looking for a position where I could have a greater impact on the issues I care deeply about.” Lori understands that the 11th Congressional District is shifting and that Northern Virginia is in the forefront of a wave of political change sweeping this Country. “As Democrats, we all know it is time for a Democratic presidency and congress to reverse the substantial damage President Bush has done to the United States. We know that our troops need to come home from Iraq. We know that it is critical to stay vigilant in fighting against the terrorist threat while safe guarding our personal liberties. We know that maintaining a healthy economy and full employment is paramount. We know that we must come together to reform immigration in this country. We also know that we need to care for those who are having trouble caring for themselves.” Lori has pledged to work in all of these areas. Lori has also pledged to focus her efforts on health care, for the retirees, for the poor, for those that do not have a voice against the powerful, health care special interests. As a mother, Lori knows that it is of the utmost importance for her to focus her energy on those issues that impact the world we will leave to our children and grandchildren. “Health care, education and the environment are supremely important to me; we can do far better for our children in these areas and I intend to make this goal my mission.” Lori wants you to join her in a quest to make real change for the people in the community. Moreover, according to Lori, we can reach these goals by focusing on the needs and issues of the 11th congressional district, not the special interests. Lori asks you to “please vote in the June 10th primary for the Best Choice for Change.”

Contact
Lori Alexander for Congress

P.O. Box 167

Mount Vernon, VA 22121

703-216-9867