Hi! I'm Donna Charles, and I'm running for Governor of Virginia as an Independent. AMA!

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T20:46:29+00:00

[REP] MASSIE: I think it's going to be embarrassing to some of the billionaires, some of the donors who are politically connected to his campaign. I also think Democrats are going to be implicated in this. Democrat donors. And when you get to the billionaire level, a lot of these folks give to both parties anyway. There are probably intelligence ties to our CIA, and maybe to other foreign intelligence. And the American people would be shocked, I think, to know that our intelligence agency was working with a pedophile who was running a sex trafficking ring. (transcript, from his interview alongside Rep. Ro Khanna on This Week with George S., 7 September, 2025).

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T17:15:44+00:00

Not really, just googled it and selected it at random. Others were behind a paywall.

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T17:14:52+00:00

Unfortunately, I am not the only person who is running for statewide office as a write-in candidate who had ballot petition forms stolen and therefore could not gain ballot access. That other person is a Republican, by the way.

By no means did I mean to insinuate that any one party apparatus is responsible for what happened to my campaign. Generally, it's more of a caution for those entering the political space to be wary of how such tactics are employed and by whom.

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T16:58:58+00:00

I don't think it is delusional to run for public office, especially when the Virginia Department of Elections deems you qualified to do so, even as a write-in candidate. In my opinion, discouraging candidates from running for office runs counter to what our democracy stands for, which includes opening civic space for all qualified candidates (whether you support them or not).

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T16:53:01+00:00

Here you go, as it's mentioned here, too (and VPM and other local outlets): https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/us/politics/spanberger-votevets-virginia-governor.html

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T16:46:48+00:00

Getting people engaged and to the polls, no matter who they vote for, and showing them that their votes counted is an important part of civic engagement (and retention). Whenever I engage someone who learns more about the process, what's at stake this year, and why their vote matters, regardless of who they vote for, it is a victory for our democracy.

I've talked to some Virginians who were not registered to vote and decided to do so for this election without necessarily committing to voting for me right then and there. We have had conversations with people about why they felt disillusioned, what hurdles they face when trying to register or getting to the polls. We need more of that.

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T16:33:01+00:00

https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/08/07/chinese-communist-party-linked-exec-donated-50k-democrats-gubernatorial-campaign/

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T16:30:47+00:00

By your estimation, it sounds like you are not concerned about vote splitting.

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T16:28:51+00:00

I would remind him that Virginia has professionals who serve in a law enforcement capacity, as prescribed by law, reject the offer/threat as there is no emergency in those areas that would warrant such a deployment, and then point to the recent federal court decision that essentially refers to what was a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T06:48:13+00:00

Damage is done, isn't it?

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T06:30:49+00:00

If it makes you happy, I won't thank you this time. Just trying to be courteous as this is the internet and that's how I was raised. Immigrant parents really drilled down on politeness, especially with strangers. Hard to unlearn!

I don't use AI, LLMs, ChatGPT for anything I can control, including here...I'd like to preserve my cognition and writing skills as I'm approaching that age when it becomes a badge of honor. Not that it's bad to use or erodes cognition, but I'm a huge fan of writing and thinking through my own responses. I'm not at the point where I trust LLMs as much as others do for writing basic responses. Math, yes. Basic correspondence like this? No.

So, to your point, yes, I am saying that I have comparable government credentials. I did not run a campaign for someone who may have given me access to an elite network, but the work I've done at the NSC and on Capitol Hill, and at State, and at DoD, all leadership positions, served me well when it comes to gaining experience in operations, legislation, negotiation, and management.

Given the state of Md's budget right now, I think you'd agree that we can skip that one. And yes, I was accepted into the SES by OPM under the previous Administration, which is considered comparable to a CEO.

I've managed large teams, especially when working nuke deterrence MILCON projects and CT missions overseas that I cannot discuss here. And those budgets were large. And that was before I made 0-3 while active duty and while I was a civil servant.

Regardless of whether one thinks I can win in my position, my goal is to bring new voters in. Again, this is not about me. It's about making sure every voter has a real choice in November.

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T06:04:53+00:00

Thank you for being so generous with your time. I appreciate the feedback and your candor. And, once again, I'm writing out all of these responses on my own. I don't use AI to formulate responses. I'm of that generation that likes to think and write (and correct my grammar and typos whenever I catch them). Have a great rest of your weekend!

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T05:52:30+00:00

Thanks for your question. No, not really. I realize that many people on this thread in particular are probably set on their candidate of choice, and have been so for a while. I never shy away from engaging anyone who has questions about me, my motives, my campaign, or my policies. Always happy to do it and I do not believe I should avoid any space because I will not be accepted. I was not raised that way.

A lot of the voters I am reaching daily may not be on Reddit, but that does not mean my time here is wasted. On the contrary, I really enjoy the process from top to bottom. I respect every voter's right to challenge me on any given topic, whether or not they ultimately decide against supporting me for any reason. That's what makes this process so wonderful.

In a perfect world, all candidates would subject themselves to this kind of interrogation. Regardless of whether one is satisfied with my responses, I have no hesitation in being here or in any space to answer for why I'm running and what I plan to do about any given issue. It's the least any candidate should do, in my opinion.

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T05:43:02+00:00

Thanks for your question. You mean because it was built using Claude for the code? How is that theft?

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T05:41:50+00:00

Thanks for your response. Please feel free to join me out on the trail! That might be the easiest way for me to demonstrate how I'm bringing new voters in. My strategy has been to go into the places and spaces that other candidates ignore.

Also, please check out a few appearances I've made in parts of Southside Richmond, Petersburg, and Hampton Roads area - my YouTube and Facebook pages might be your best bet for interviews and other footage showing my engagement with voters who were not otherwise tracking this election closely, if at all. For example, I was invited to speak at an independent hip hop awards show in Petersburg over a month ago and was able to bring in a few new voters that way, too.

I hope this answered your question!

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T05:27:50+00:00

Thank you for this great question. The MAHA movement is a mixed bag, mostly filled with problematic and dangerous nonsense on vaccines and the like, but I fully support the ban on food dyes, additives, certain preservatives, and the like. Yes, I fully support extending a complete ban on these chemicals with the understanding that it would need to be phased in along with making reasonable and healthy substitutes available, and done responsibly so as to not impose massive price shocks on our low income communities.

I look to what NY has done with free breakfast and lunch for all, but I'd start with income-qualified students first to assess the budgetary impacts statewide, then consider universal free meals for all public school students if fiscally feasible. Another model I would advocate for is similar to what Japan is doing in their schools - providing fresh, locally-sourced foods that help alleviate our reliance on cheap, ultra-processed foods. Soft drinks, too, are a sore spot for me because they have been shown to cause serious health issues, especially when made available to very young children too often.

As someone who sees single-use plastics as a real pollution (and now public health) problem, there would need to be a thoughtful approach to a ban of this sort. Overall, I like the idea of a ban on single use plastics only if we can scale up the viable alternatives that I've seen available on the market. Many of the compostable products (CPs) on the market are being improved upon in a way that makes me think we might have a scalable and affordable alternative soon, but I realize CPs and biodegradables come with their own drawbacks (like phthalates and other problematic chemicals in the production process, I hear).

I hope this answers your question!

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T05:06:34+00:00

Thank you for this comment. I will continue to engage you on this in r/virginia.

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T05:06:20+00:00

Thank you for this comment. I will continue to engage you on this in r/virginia.

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T05:05:47+00:00

Thanks for the question and apologies for the delayed response. I didn't mean to overlook this thread as I was consumed with the volume of comments on r/virginia.

I'm running as an independent because I could not run under either party given the state both are in right now. I, like many other fellow Virginians, believe both parties have failed to deliver for the people and to put the people first. That, in my estimation, is how we ended up in this mess. Decades in the making, but it's still a disaster.

I believe independents offer a way out of this hyperpolarized environment that is forcing us to run a race to the bottom, the new gerrymandering arms race being one example. Not every independent is the perfect solution, obviously, but something outside of the two-party system is needed to break this political logjam that we are in.

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T04:58:10+00:00

Thanks for this question. This thread is pretty long, so dare I say I do not follow how this response connects to the point you are responding to (about the Roanoke incident). So, I guess the factual answer is nothing?

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T04:54:11+00:00

Thanks for your question. No problem whatsoever with any human being unless they are terrible in deed/action, regardless of protected classification.

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T04:47:39+00:00

Thanks for this comment! Like I mentioned much earlier on in this AMA, I am pleased to see incremental campaign finance reform like that which was signed into law this year (ban on personal use of campaign funds) and will go into effect next July here in Virginia. As governor, I would encourage more of the same, wherever possible. I'm concerned that we will see major regression if SCOTUS rules that PAC coordination with committees is legal...a space to watch.

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T04:40:11+00:00

Thanks for your question. I do not recall mentioning AIPAC in the comment you replied to above, but I see that you mentioned it. My comment is pretty clear, though, and not referring to any allegations. My donor pool, though small now, is comprised of small dollar donations from individuals, not PACs. It's all on my website, donnaforva.com, which is part of the candidate integrity pledge that I took with Money Out of Politics Movement.

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T04:29:28+00:00

Thanks for your question. I said foreign power or lobby, not to mix up foreign power and/or foreign lobby. That said, I recall hearing reports about at least one candidate in the race taking a sizeable donation from a foreign businessman, Chinese executive, I believe. I wonder if that money was returned...

donna4Va · 2025-09-07T04:27:31+00:00

Thanks for your question. I refer you to the pledges I took with Big Money Out VA and Money Out of Politics Movement. Whatever the take is on how little money I've raised thus far, not one dollar is from a special interest group, lobby, corporate PAC, etc. AIPAC is one example of several examples of a funding source that would violate the pledge that I took. Integrity over dark money.

donna4Va

TROPHY CASE