Danielle Walker (politician)

In response to the terrorist attack perpetrated on counter-protesters of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Walker attended a vigil with her oldest son, which was held on the campus of West Virginia University. Her son, then a student of WVU, had previously considered attending the University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville. Walker has stated that she felt compelled to speak out against the alt-right movement at the vigil, after thinking of the potential that her son could have been a victim of the attack, should he have chosen to ultimately attend UVA.[3] Members of the local Democratic Party, impressed by Walker's speech, later recruited her to run as a candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates' 51st district.[5] Walker accepted the proposition and won election in November 2018.[6] She was re-elected to a second term in November 2020.[7]

Walker is a member and supporter of several organizations, including Black Lives Matter; the NAACP; Mountaineers for Progress, an organization promoting progressive values throughout the state; the National Organization for Women; Moms Clean Air Force, an environmental protection organization; Planned Parenthood; the Working Families Party; Our Future West Virginia, a statewide organization focused on economic justice, educational justice, racial justice, and civic engagement; Mon County Read Aloud, an organization focused on improving childhood literacy; Mountain Mamas, a women's climate change advocacy and environmental protection organization; MoveOn; and the Sierra Club.[3]