Taysha DeVaughan

Taysha DeVaughan was born in Lawton, Oklahoma. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia's College at Wise in 2018. She also attended Cameron University and Comanche Nation College. Her career experience includes working as an organizer.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Taysha is a resident of Wise County, making her home in Big Stone Gap, with her son, Aiden. She was born in Lawton, OK, and is an enrolled member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma. She moved to Virginia in 2011 shortly after her father became the Director of Flatwoods Job Civilian Conservation Center in Coeburn, VA.

Soon after graduating from UVA-Wise in 2018 with a BA in Communications, Taysha began her career at the Appalachian Community Fund as a Regional Organizer and was quickly promoted to her current position as the Donor Engagement Coordinator. Since making Virginia her home, she has been an active member of her community. She was President of Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards, active in Lonesome Pine Mutual Aid, and is a gubernatorial appointee to the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice.

“I come from a culture where preserving and carrying forward our peoples’ traditions and values is a duty. I also recognize that true success requires generational thinking and looking ahead beyond ourselves because what we do today, good or bad, is the next generation’s inheritance".”

“As we look to the future, we must preserve our traditional values in the 9th, but we must also embrace the youth of our communities and what they want and deserve.”

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

The 9th Congressional District has a long and proud history of producing energy that has powered the nation for decades. This proud tradition we must continue. Investing in the diversity of new and sustainable energy production technologies will power us through the next hundred years, while creating thousands of jobs across the 9th. We can build a just transition in our region by inviting new businesses and retraining our workforce. I believe that the environment vs. economic development approach is actually a “yes/and approach. We can protect our environment and strengthen our economy simultaneously by inviting companies that create sustainable jobs because paying a living wage with quality benefits is paramount to the 9th’s success.Overall health in our 9th district has suffered declines in the areas of physical, mental, economic and environmental. In order to achieve healthy and sustainable communities we must ensure that everyone has access to quality affordable healthcare. All across the 9th, I have spoken with several people and families that have been impacted by the decline of their health. The commonality I found was the challenges. Those challenges included provider shortages, infrastructure limitations, and long distances to care. Some answers to these challenges come in the form of programs and services such as telehealth, healthcare workforce programs, health centers, and clinics that expand access and improve care.The youth in our 9th Congressional District are leaving at alarming rates. If we hope for our youth to stay here, succeed, and raise their families here. It is up to us to ensure that the 9th district is a place they want to live. All across the 9th district, I have spoken with smart, intelligent, and driven young people that love our district and desire to stay close to family and be able to work and prosper. They hope for a better, more inclusive world and the opportunity to succeed and contribute to their communities’ well-being. They demand a standard of living that is beyond survival. Young people care about the meaning of the work they do, the impact they have on the world, and most importantly each other.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public Policy areas that I am passionate about include: healthcare, mental healthcare, public education, rural transportation, and a just transition for fossil fuel communities. We should approach building healthy, thriving communities through a cumulative impact lens, where we recognize the connectedness of underfunding key areas. These areas mentioned above are imperative to building a solid foundation for any community. We need to have larger and more consistent investments in our community for our state and local officials to plan accordingly. These investments should include building the capacity of projects or programs, higher salaries, safe working environments and benefits for the workers, as well as taking the natural environment into consideration. We can also not ignore the historical context of low-income communities and why these investments should be prioritized. We can build incentives that allow companies and corporations to still be competitive while providing these basic opportunities.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to many different change makers. LaDonna Harris, Barrack Obama, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, LaTosha Brown, Tom and Dallas Goldtooth, Deb Halland, my parents. I would like to follow the example of all of these in my own way. Standing strong in conviction.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

transparency, dedication to listening to the community, integrity, and passion for justice.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have the ability to bring many different perspectives to a table and build common ground for the common good. I know how to engage a community and those most impacted by an issue or situation. I believe in protecting people not corporations and still be able to make a profit.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

to make laws, to serve as a representative assembly, and to oversee the administration of public policy

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would want other young people to know that they can represent their communities in their own way. That our grassroots ingenuity is a strength in the political world. I want people to know that our ideas, our energy and our vision is what is needed to move this nation forward.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building. I was 5 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job after graduation was for the Americorps and I served for 1 year. During college and before I worled at a call center for 3 years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book because it is about a woman who finds her voice, love, and her softness in a world that tries to make her follow rules that don't fit her.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I would want to be Belle from Beauty and the Beast with the biggest library known to man.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

I did it my way, by Frank Sinatra.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

My entire childhood was a struggle against the odds of poverty and oppression. My family and I had to learn how to navigate in the system and get educated. We then had to unlearn all the impacts of historical trauma that was formed in our nation's history. We did that successfully as a family, and now we use our positions to reach back and show others how they can do it too.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The House has powers that include the ability to initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an Electoral College tie.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes, it is beneficial. What is most important is that a representative listens to and represents all of their constituents.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The greatest challenge will be climate change and bringing about the cultural shift that needs to happen at the top money-making systems in order to do what's best for the public at large while protecting those most impacted.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Yes, energy, agriculture and transition.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I think voting is the best way to turn over representatives but we should have term limits to ensure that we are leaving the opportunity for new perceptive and new blood.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Yes, Deb Haaland. She is able to work across the aisle and get things moved.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

AOC's story of being a bartender and relying on grassroots organizing was very impactful and inspiring to me as a woman under 40.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes, I believe that you have to make some compromises to find the common ground for the common good. However, there should also be red lines such as human rights.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

We can focus budget revenue on building healthy, sustainable communities.

Campaign website

DeVaughan's campaign website stated the following:

The solutions in Virginia’s 9th Congressional district include expanding access to vital services, and advocating for environmental and worker’s justice, all while engaging and consulting with members of each community across the district. Everyone deserves a seat at the table! This includes investing federal dollars towards several rural initiatives, projects, programs.

Youth

The youth in our 9th Congressional District are leaving at alarming rates. If we hope for our youth to stay here, succeed, and raise their families here. It is up to us to ensure that the 9th district is a place they want to live.

All across the 9th district, I have spoken with smart, intelligent, and driven young people that love our district and desire to stay close to family and be able to work and prosper. They hope for a better, more inclusive world and the opportunity to succeed and contribute to their communities’ well-being. They demand a standard of living that is beyond survival.

Young people care about the meaning of the work they do, the impact they have on the world, and most importantly each other. People want their work to matter.

What young people want:

Youth wants to live in health & prosperity. I will fight in support of educational opportunities, improvements to our transportation networks, growing access to affordable healthcare, and building from within a diversity of jobs that are both sustainable & fulfilling. With your support, I will fight so that every worker in the 9th district has a living wage.

Young families want to thrive while protecting & enjoying the mountains, waterways, and lands we all cherish. I will fight to support a comprehensive, equitable approach that accounts for impacts on our environment & ecology while continuing a just economic transition. One that secures the beauty of our national forests repairs our land and opens up access to outdoor spaces for us all.

To ensure our future in the 9th district, we must have faith in and listen to the voices of our youth.

I believe we must take seriously the thoughts, ideas, and expectations of our youth while laying a solid foundation for a future right here in the 9th district.

Jobs

The 9th Congressional District has a long and proud history of producing energy that has powered the nation for decades. This is a proud tradition we must continue. Investing in the diversity of new and sustainable energy production technologies will power us through the next hundred years, while creating thousands of jobs across the 9th. We can build a just transition of high-paying sustainable jobs in our region by inviting new businesses and retraining our workforce.

I believe that the environment vs. economic development approach is actually a “yes/and approach. I know we can protect our environment and strengthen our economy at the same time by inviting companies that create sustainable jobs because paying a living wage with quality benefits is paramount to the 9th’s success. The Environmental Justice 4 All Act is a pathway to this approach, a plan to make a federal investment in programs and projects that prioritize environmentally impacted regions.

Health

Overall health in our 9th district has suffered declines in the areas of physical, mental, economic and environmental. In order to achieve healthy and sustainable communities we must ensure that everyone has access to quality affordable healthcare.

All across the 9th, I have spoken with several people and families that have been impacted by the decline of their health. The commonality I found was the challenges.

Those challenges included provider shortages, infrastructure limitations, and long distances to care. Some answers to these challenges come in the form of programs and services such as telehealth, healthcare workforce programs, health centers, and clinics that expand access and improve care.

I believe that we can do better through expanded federal investment that ensures the long-term sustainability of hospitals, recovery, and mental health facilities.[2]

—Taysha DeVaughan's campaign website (2022)[3]

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