Top 45 Ralph Northam Quotes

We all have experiences that fundamentally shape who we are, that change the way we look at the world and what we work toward every day.

It shouldn’t matter the color of your skin, the country that you come from, the religion that you practice or who you love.

When my wife Pam and I got home from our deployment overseas, we settled down in Hampton Roads. We wanted to be close to my parents and wanted our kids to enjoy the same life I had growing up on the Chesapeake Bay.

When I served alongside the brave women of our armed forces, who contribute so much to our country despite often facing discrimination on the job, it only strengthened my commitment to fairness and equal pay in the workplace.

Too many of our laws were written during a time of open racism and discrimination, and they still bear the traces of inequity.

Progress in our country has always been too slow, and creating change has always been difficult, but we must continue marching towards those ideals written in our founding documents – that all people are to be treated equally under our laws.

When I was a teenager in Accomack County, the class I most enjoyed was a vocational skills course on small engine repair.

Quality broadband service is key to growing our economy, and learning, competing, and succeeding in today’s digital world.

Pregnancies spaced too closely together lead to increased rates of infant mortality.

We will continue to focus our efforts bringing more Virginians into the workforce and supporting families, businesses, and communities with the resources they need to build back stronger.

With the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, our Commonwealth is creating a model for how states can provide comprehensive voter protections that strengthen democracy and the integrity of our elections.

After high school, I attended the Virginia Military Institute and then Eastern Virginia Medical School – both great public schools that prepared me well for my career as a physician and didn’t saddle me with a load of debt.

I’ve been in some very difficult situations. Life and death situations, taking care of sick children.

Data do not indicate that mandatory minimum sentences keep our communities safer. Instead, mandatory minimums are disproportionately harming people and communities of color.

For much of its history, Virginia, the ‘cradle of American democracy,’ failed to live up to our ideals. All too often, our Commonwealth still treats whites by one set of standards and people of color by another.

As a physician and a policymaker, I believe all Virginia women should be informed about and have access to all possible reproductive health-care options so they can make the best decisions for their families.

The contributions of influential African Americans have frequently been ignored, underrepresented, and even silenced.

As parents, we’ll go to the ends of the earth for our kids. As soon as they’re born – and during pregnancy – we hope and pray for their good health. As soon as they’re born, we swaddle them, feed them, and breathe a sigh of relief when we see their little bodies breathing and crying as they should.

Machicomoco will stand in perpetuity, ensuring that we continue to learn from our past, celebrate the present, and aspire to a better future, one that celebrates the heritage of our Commonwealth and all its people.

I personally served on active duty with many women service members who consistently demonstrated tremendous skill, leadership, and unquestioned commitment.

As Virginia’s lieutenant governor, I genuinely believe that Democrats and Republicans should be able to agree that reducing unintended pregnancies, decreasing abortion rates and improving the health of mothers and infants are important public health goals that should be carefully considered and debated.

I grew up hunting and fishing, as did my family. But then I served in the military.

People feel very strongly about the Second Amendment. Their rights. And so if we can find, agree on, for example, that we should have responsible gun ownership just like we have responsible use of automobiles. Nobody wants someone getting behind the wheel that shouldn’t be there. And the same is true with guns.

Not only are mandatory minimum laws overly punitive and discriminatory, but they’re also expensive. Prison is not free. Governments, and ultimately taxpayers, bear the costs.

The death penalty system is fundamentally flawed – it is inequitable, ineffective, and it has no place in this Commonwealth or this country.

I’m a leader.

Well-established companies choosing to reinvest and create new jobs is what helps communities like Chatham flourish.

As a large producer of solid waste, the Commonwealth must lead by example and transition away from single-use disposable plastics to create a cleaner, more sustainable future for all Virginians.

From landmark investments in renewable energy to bold action to tackle the climate crisis, Virginia is at the forefront of innovative efforts to protect our environment, and addressing the problem of plastic pollution is an important part of this work.

The life of George Floyd matters.

During my training in pediatrics, I benefited from the talent and wisdom of women mentors.

Dangerous behaviors like distracted driving, speeding, and not wearing a seat belt and puts you and others at serious risk.

I grew up on the Eastern Shore during desegregation. A lot of white parents chose to send their kids to private schools rather than integrate – but not mine. My brother and I both attended and graduated from public schools. It’s one of the best things that happened to me.

I’m running for governor because I want to build a Virginia that works for everyone – no matter who you are, no matter where you’re from.

Over the years, Americans have worked hard to expand the values our nation was founded on – justice, freedom, equality – to every person, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status.

As a doctor and father, I often come back to the proverb, ‘Speak out on behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable’ – and that’s how I plan to serve Virginia as governor, too.

We’ve lost leaders from Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King, Jr. and countless others who have worked to bend the arc of the universe towards justice and equality. Yet, we remain undaunted, dedicated to striving for a fairer, more equal society.

I grew up, went to the Virginia Military Institute and then medical school, married my wife Pam, served in the United States Army, and moved back to Hampton Roads.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been reminded how important Virginia’s farms are to getting food into our stores and onto our tables.

As governor, I’ll work to ensure that every Virginian who wants good-paying work has the skills to fill these new collar jobs.

Until you’ve looked a parent in the eye and told them their perfect child has a preexisting condition no insurance company will cover, you can’t tell me the Affordable Care Act isn’t worth fighting for.

I do feel very strongly about my values and principles, but at the end of day I’m open-minded and I enjoy listening to other people’s agendas.

I saw firsthand the impact of women’s efforts inside and outside the home from watching my wonderful mother, Nancy. A nurse who trained at Hopkins, she balanced the demands of raising our family with her work at our rural hospital on the Eastern Shore.

I’m from rural Virginia, and as governor, I am committed to making sure Virginia’s economy works for everyone – no matter who you are, no matter where you’re from.

We need to change sentencing laws that disproportionately hurt people of color.