Meet Erika
As an immigrant, a wife and working mother of an FCPS student, a Court Officer, and engaged community leader, Erika has dedicated her life to public service and is committed to voters and working families in the Commonwealth. In the interest of accountability, Erika is not accepting campaign contributions from corporations. She is running to bring a record of service and transparency to the Virginia State Senate.
Erika Yalowitz was born and raised in Colombia, South America where she was exposed to civil unrest and the war on drugs that devastated the country for decades. As the daughter of a small business owner, she learned the challenges of work to make ends meet at a young age; she fundraised her way through college and completed studies in International Relations and Political Management & Strategic Governance. Erika’s passion for community service and advocacy for Human Rights brought her to London, U.K., where she learned English as a second language and volunteered for Amnesty International while paying for her studies with the help of a hospitality service job.
Erika loves working with youth, teaching English to immigrant adults, and advocating for environmental causes as well as pedestrian safety. She represented the interests of her 2,800+ neighbors at the Rotonda HOA in Tysons for about 8 years, where she successfully led several community improvement projects and served as an officer of the Providence District Council, Tysons Community Alliance (formerly Tysons Partnership), and the Fairfax Federation. In addition, she has been engaged in her local Democratic Committee for many years.
Erika’s experience in local government includes her work at the Fairfax County Office for Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, as well as her current full-time role as a Court Officer. This has given her a deep understanding of key issues related to the criminal justice system and its impact on Virginia’s families.
Aside from every role in her life, Erika’s favorite job is being a mother to Toni, and wife to Neil. Their favorite activities include camping, spending time out in nature.
Erika is running for State Senate to empower and enfranchise more people and never turn a blind eye to the needs of the most vulnerable Virginians. Erika brings more than 16 years of direct social impact through community and civic engagement.
Consistent with the Democratic values of collaboration and service, her decade-long work applying the Code of Virginia will be an asset to the children and families of the Commonwealth.