Friday, Sept. 29, State Sen. Monty Mason ’89, D-Williamsburg, participated in the “Get Out the Vote” rally hosted by Historic Triangle Democrats in the College of William and Mary’s Sadler Commonwealth Auditorium. Former Representative Gabby Giffords, Mayor of Richmond Levar Stoney, Del. Mike Mullin, D-Newport News, former Del. Jay Jones ’10 and Historic Triangle Democrats Chair Jen Tierney ’88 participated in the event as well
During the event, Mason mentioned that while he has prioritized education, mental health and school safety in office, the Republican-controlled House of Delegates has hindered his progress on these priorities. Mason referred to Richneck Elementary School as an example of school safety, where a six-year-old student shot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner in January 2023.
“Richneck Elementary is in the heart of my district,” Mason said. “And when you’re knocking in that neighborhood, looking at a picturesque school that unfortunately all of America has seen for all the wrong reasons, people say, ‘What are you going to do to help them?’”
Mason criticized his opponent, Sheriff of York County and Poquoson J. D. “Danny” Diggs, for his opposition to gun safety laws. Diggs previously appeared on the Tucker Carlson Tonight show on Fox News in February, 2020 and said that Democrats were clueless about how firearms function.
“Long before this election started, my opponent was using the culture war that they’re using today in education and against our educators,” Mason said. “The culture wars to make guns a yes or a no. Rather than coming to the table and working with us for common sense solutions.”
“Long before this election started, my opponent was using the culture war that they’re using today in education and against our educators,” Mason said. “The culture wars to make guns a yes or a no. Rather than coming to the table and working with us for common sense solutions.”
Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011, received a standing ovation when she arrived. A gun safety advocate and a former member of the House of Representatives from Arizona, Giffords emphasized the need for cooperation during her speech in support of Mason.
“I chose to make a new start, to move ahead, to not look back,” she said. “I’m relearning so many things, how to walk, how to talk. And I’m fighting to make the country safer. Join me. Let’s move ahead together. Amen.”
Jones, who ran for state attorney general in 2021, laid out his criticisms for Republicans.
“We’ve got a lieutenant governor who pops up at the mouth when there are gun violence, tragedies in Richmond, talking about stuff that doesn’t matter. We’ve got an attorney general. You guys probably know I don’t like him all that much. I got something to say about that in a couple of years. But they want help. That’s the scariest thing in the world. They want to keep their majority in the House of Delegates. They want to flip the Senate of Virginia. And we’re not going to let them do that because they don’t reflect our values, now, do they?” Jones said.
Jones further affirmed his support for Mason.
“They don’t have candidates like Monty Mason who know that parents matter and he knows that teachers matter too and our children matter most,” he said. “They don’t have candidates who care about a woman’s right to choose. They want to put themselves in between the doctor and the patient. That’s not who we are in Virginia. I know you guys believe that and agree with me, too.”
Stoney, whose relatives live in Mason’s districts, started his remarks by paying tribute to the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Ca.
“You know, just hours ago, we lost the champion in Dianne Feinstein, senator from California,” Stoney said. “And obviously, we mourn her loss, but we celebrate her accomplishments today. And a major accomplishment of hers was that she was the author of the assault weapons ban in the United States of America.”
Stoney’s address was interrupted by Aubrey “Japharii” Jones, president of Black Lives Matter 757, who, using a megaphone, called Mason a racist. Mason recently came under fire when a flier advertising a Pi Lambda Phi fraternity mock “slave auction” fundraiser resurfaced. The flier includes a drawing of a half-dressed fraternity pledge wearing shackles, standing on an auction block. In 1989, when the event was held, Mason was the president of the College’s chapter. A copy of the flier is available in Swem Libary’s Special Collections.
Jones was then escorted out of the auditorium and Stoney resumed his remarks.
“I don’t know about y’all,” Stoney said. “We’re sending Monty Mason back to the State Senate.”
Stoney then listed Republican-controlled states like Georgia, Florida and Texas, asking the audience to help prevent Republicans from taking control of Virginia.
“They would have banned books in our school, books in our libraries,” Stoney said. “Well, folks, I have a better ban for you. Let’s ban weapons of war in this state. Here’s the thing, I can just get you miles away from the Commonwealth to tell you what their plan is. But you can just look right here in our state. Look at the legislation that the Republicans filed last year in the House. If it wasn’t for the brick wall of the State Senate, then those laws will be the law of the Commonwealth. But thankfully, we had a Democratic Senate. We must retain that Democratic Senate, and we have to send Monty Mason back to the State Senate.”
Mason reaffirmed his commitment to win the race.
“The governor says the only way they take control in the Senate is to win my seat,” Mason said. “We are not going to let that happen.”
“The governor says the only way they take control in the Senate is to win my seat,” Mason said. “We are not going to let that happen.”
The College’s Young Democrats Campaign Coordinators Dylan Gurl ’25 and Maya Mitchell ’26, who attended the rally, both detailed why they support Mason’s campaign.
“I like how connected he is and involved in the community, and I think he’ll do a great job as State Senator, we need more people like him,” Mitchell said.
Gurl said he was glad to see the turnout from community members, noting that Mason also attended one of his classes as a guest speaker on mental health. Mason attended a mental health rally hosted by the College’s chapter of Alpha Tau Omega and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
“I think he is very connected with the community – I’m in Young Dems and he spends a lot of time coming and speaking with us about issues and what he’s done,” Gurl said. “I’m very glad to see somebody who’s so passionate about more efficient communication and then takes the time to connect, not only with direct voters, but also with students.”
Community member William P. Evers appreciated the event, but criticized the protestor.
“I think the event was really good,” he said. “I think the people who came out in support were significant. Ms. Giffords came out, and, you know, she’s not in the best of health. She came out and she rallied the crowd. I think that if people have protests, there should be better ways to protest. I think we’re in a position or in an environment where we can be disruptive, and once you become disruptive, walls go up and people don’t listen.”
Stoney ended the event by offering a comparison between Feinstein and Mason.
“We need more champions like Dianne Feinstein,” Stoney said. “Monty will be a champion against these weapons of war as these assault weapons that harm our children that harm our communities.”
