Sean Perryman had no intention of running for political office when COVID-19 hit Virginia in March 2020. However, when he saw the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on low-income, rural, black and brown Virginians – along with the police murder of George Floyd – Perryman submitted his offer to become the state’s next lieutenant governor.
“All of these things motivated me to come up and say, ‘Maybe it’s time for someone like me to run,'” said Perryman.
Perryman provides for communication between the state and local government during his tenure as lieutenant governor. In the short term, he sees himself working with local authorities to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic – an important aspect of the Perryman platform.
Although Perryman is a first-time candidate, he brings experience of organizing racial justice as President of the NAACP of Fairfax County. He previously worked for former Democratic MP Elijah Cummings on the US House Committee on Oversight and Reform. He currently serves as Director of Social Impact Policy and Counsel for the Internet Association.
Perryman, a Democrat, remarked that these positions are necessarily devoid of “inherent power”, but – by forming coalitions – he has “convinced”[ed] People with ideas to get things done. “
Perryman pointed out that the lieutenant governor’s position is similarly limited in power: the incumbent presides over the Senate and casts a vote. If elected, he plans to use both the office and his organizational experience to serve as a liaison between state and local government.
“Too often, Richmond only comes out of unfunded mandates and doesn’t provide enough input from local stakeholders,” Perryman said. “I want to be the person that goes to the community, speaks to our local governments and see how the implementation actually works on the ground.”
Perryman’s platform Stresses that COVID-19 has focused on existing inequalities across the state – namely the need for improved digital infrastructure and criminal justice reform.
In terms of digital infrastructure, Perryman wants Virginia to see broadband as a public utility, not a private company, and encourage investments in broadband infrastructure “sooner rather than later.”
“We won’t make it if we rely on private industry to do it. We have decades of evidence so we have to do it ourselves, ”Perryman said.
Regarding criminal justice reform, Perryman pointed out that in Fairfax – his home country – as well as across the state, prisons and state prisons have released detainees who meet certain criteria to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
“We haven’t seen criminals or anything roaming around. So that means we detained too many people for the wrong reasons,” Perryman said.
His plans to keep people out of detention include advocating an end to mandatory minimum sentences, ending bail, and defelonizing all drugs. According to Perryman, the latest move towards legalizing cannabis in Virginia from July 1 was a “great job” by Governor Ralph Northam and a “major issue of racial justice.”
Ensuring a fair market for recreational cannabis is the next hurdle for lawmakers, Perryman said.
“That means automatic deletion, that is, having licenses small enough for the black and brown community to get involved and then talking about where that tax revenue is going,” Perryman said. “Is it going in the direction of the community that suffered a war on drugs?”
Public safety and policing are also being redefined on Perryman’s Criminal Justice Reform Platform. In Fairfax, Perryman worked with the county board of directors to develop a first aid system in which mental health professionals respond to mental health emergencies.
“I think too often when we talk about public safety it is and shouldn’t be policing,” said Perryman. “We should think of public safety as policing can be a tool within that broader umbrella, but we really need to invest in the things that keep people safe.”
As Lieutenant Governor, Perryman will work to reduce the interactions between residents and police by removing student resource officers from schools and currently delegating duties – like traffic stops and mental health emergencies – to officials.
Its reform agenda also extends to campaign funding. Perryman’s campaign does not accept corporate donations, and his platform is committed to “making big money out of politics”.
“We ran a campaign that was really trying to lead by example,” said Perryman.
Perryman said police and campaign reform are among the “hot topics” to be discussed “openly and honestly” in his campaign. He describes his campaign as missionary – not ambitious – which, according to Perryman, sets him apart from the five other candidates who are fighting for the Democratic nomination in the running for lieutenant governor.
“I essentially started from scratch … I’m basically a guy who got off the street and decided to run for state office and we were extremely competitive,” Perryman said. “I think that says something about the state of our campaign, but also about the state of our party – that people are looking for outsiders who can create that kind of dynamic.”