Phyllis Randall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Phyllis J. Randall
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| Chair At-Large of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Scott York |
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| Born |
Phyllis Joycelyn Randall
1964/1965 Denver, Colorado |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Lansdowne, Virginia |
| Profession | Mental-health therapist |
Phyllis Joycelyn Randall is an American politician and a mental health therapist. She was born in Denver, Colorado. As a Democrat, she serves as the Chair At-Large of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in Virginia.
She made history as the first African-American woman to lead a county board in Virginia. In 2019, she was part of an important court case. This case helped decide that government officials cannot block people on their official social media pages. This is because of the First Amendment, which protects free speech.
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About Phyllis Randall
Phyllis Randall grew up in Denver. In the early 1990s, she moved to Ashburn, Virginia. She started her career helping people with mental health issues. She worked with young people and adults who had been in trouble with the law.
Early Public Service
Phyllis Randall was appointed to important state boards. Governor Tim Kaine chose her to lead the Virginia Fair Housing Board. She continued this role under Governor Bob McDonnell. Later, Governor Terry McAuliffe appointed her to lead the State Board of Corrections. These roles helped her gain experience in public service.
Becoming a County Leader
Randall first tried to get elected to the Loudoun County school board in 2003. She also ran for district supervisor in 2007. While these attempts were not successful, she kept working towards her goals.
In 2015, she ran for Chair At-Large of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. This is a very important leadership position. She won the election, beating the person who was already in office, Scott York. She received 37% of the votes.
Her election was a big moment for Virginia. She became the first African-American woman to be elected chair of a county board in the state's history. She also became one of the first two African Americans to serve on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors.
Re-election and Growth
Phyllis Randall was re-elected in 2019. By this time, Loudoun County had grown to 413,000 residents. She won with 56% of the votes, even though her opponent raised more money for his campaign. This showed strong support from the community.
Social Media and Free Speech
In 2019, Randall was involved in a court case called Davison v. Randall. This case was about how public officials use social media. The court decided that government officials cannot block people on their official social media accounts. This is because of the First Amendment, which protects people's right to free speech.
The court said that Randall's Facebook page was like a public meeting place. She had invited citizens to share their thoughts and criticisms there. So, when she deleted a comment and blocked the person who wrote it, she was going against their free speech rights. This case was important because it helped set rules for how public officials use social media.
Phyllis Randall lives in Lansdowne, Virginia. She is married and has two children.
