Danielle Walker (politician)

In response to the terrorist attack perpetrated on counter-protesters of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Walker attended a vigil with her oldest son, which was held on the campus of West Virginia University. Her son, then a student of WVU, had previously considered attending the University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville. Walker has stated that she felt compelled to speak out against the alt-right movement at the vigil, after thinking of the potential that her son could have been a victim of the attack, should he have chosen to ultimately attend UVA.[2] Members of the local Democratic Party, impressed by Walker's speech, later recruited her to run as a candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates' 51st district.[3] Walker accepted the proposition and won election in November 2018.[4] She was re-elected to a second term in November 2020.[5]

In 2018, Democrats — including Walker — swept all five seats in the 51st district, the largest multi-member district in the House.[6] As a result, the Monongalia County delegates, all Democrats, called themselves “The Fab Five” and frequently voted and worked together on bills.[7] This was especially notable given that there was only one Democratic member of the delegation just four years earlier, after the 2014 elections. In 2020, fellow Delegate Rodney Pyles was defeated for re-election by former Republican Delegate Joe Statler, breaking the all-Democratic delegation.

Walker is a member and supporter of several organizations, including Black Lives Matter; the NAACP; Mountaineers for Progress, an organization promoting progressive values throughout the state; the National Organization for Women; Moms Clean Air Force, an environmental protection organization; Planned Parenthood; the Working Families Party; Our Future West Virginia, a statewide organization focused on economic justice, educational justice, racial justice, and civic engagement; Mon County Read Aloud, an organization focused on improving childhood literacy; Mountain Mamas, a women's climate change advocacy and environmental protection organization; MoveOn; and the Sierra Club.[2]

The group Berkeley County West Virginians for Life posted a meme with the image of a hooded-Klansman on their Facebook page, directly addressing Delegate Walker in the post. The same image and message was sent to her email the same day, February 1, the first day of Black History Month and the day after she introduced a bill meant to ensure abortion rights. Walker said "For a Black woman, the only Black woman currently in both houses in the state of West Virginia, on the first day of Black history month to receive this hate mail is beyond my understanding." She added "I am not ally to any white supremacist. But in that same breath, I do love all my neighbors. No one shall place hate in my heart. That is not who I am."[8] Berkeley County West Virginians For Life President Richard Demoske resigned following response to the incident. Delegate Walker filed a civil lawsuit in Kanawha County, West Virginia Circuit Court against Desmoske and WVFL on February 15, 2022.[9]