This is a jointly written post from Keren Charles Dongo, Megan Apper, Jenny Nadicksbernd, and Jess Reid. We’re Tim’s campaign manager, research director, finance director, and digital director, and we wanted to talk a little bit about why we’re proud to work for him.

Over the past months, the news has been dominated by accounts of rampant sexual harassment, assault, and abuse in Hollywood, media, politics, and communities across the country. It’s been exhausting to keep up with each new story. The allegations are disgusting, and many of the reactions we see are disheartening.

But alongside those disappointing reactions, there have also been people who are stepping up. People who are using their platforms to say that enough is enough. And there has been one strong reaction that has been particularly gratifying for us to see: from our boss, Tim Kaine. Last year, Tim published a guest column on Esquire.com titled, “Why Men Need to Step Up for Women’s Equality—and How I Plan to Do My Part.” It begins like this:

For a country that does so many things well, we’re not doing nearly enough to address the fact that women still do not have a full and equal role in our society, and that sexism, sexual harassment, and sexual assault are pervasive problems.

The column goes on to detail many of the inequalities facing women today, and it ends with a personal pledge to forcefully condemn sexual harassment and assault, to continue to advocate for women leaders, and to support women everywhere who share their stories.

This commitment means a lot to us. It reminds us that not only is Tim an advocate and leader for us – he’s also a great leader for women across Virginia and America. And we need that. Because the fact is, men are critical allies in the fight for true equality. We can’t achieve it without their support and, more importantly, their actions.

We are proud to stand with Tim – and we’re ready to keep fighting against sexism, sexual harassment, and sexual assault with him by our side.

Keren Charles Dongo, Campaign Manager
Megan Apper, Research Director
Jenny Nadicksbernd, Finance Director
Jessalyn Reid, Digital Director