May Nivar to seek 57th District Virginia House of Delegates seat

Longtime Central Virginia resident May Nivar recently announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination in Virginia's House of Delegates District 57.

Nivar, an advocate for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, already has secured the support of Delegate Rodney Willett (D-58th District) and Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor.

Her campaign priorities include a focus on protecting women's rights, including access to abortion care, contraception, and IVF.

“As a mother of two daughters, I feel a deep responsibility to safeguard their future," Nivar said. "We’re at risk of losing many freedoms, particularly the ability to make decisions about our own bodies. I’m running to protect our hard-fought rights and ensure all women have access to abortion care, contraception, and IVF.”

Her platform also includes a desire to fully fund public schools; expand access to affordable healthcare and prescription drugs; address gun violence; invest in good-paying jobs and the economy; ensure equal protection under the law; and combat climate change, she said.

At Altria, Nivar volunteered for initiatives empowering women, AAPIs, and other overlooked communities. She eventually co-founded and chaired Altria’s Asian employee resource group and served on the boards of several AAPI nonprofits.

Nivar's immigrant family owned a small restaurant, where she worked after school and on weekends.

Then-Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe appointed Nivar to the Virginia Asian Advisory Board, on which she served as vice chair and later chair. She was also recognized as a “Noteworthy Asian Pacific American of Virginia” by then-Gov. Ralph Northam for her leadership and resilience.

Nivar currently leads initiatives at Altria that encourage community engagement among its 6,000 employees.

Nivar and her husband have three adult children.