By Brandy Bailey, Contributor ElectWomen Magazine

Voters in the first Congressional district of Virginia have a new face on the political scene to vote for when they go to the polls next year.  Krystal Ball is a 27-year-old who owns a software design business with her husband.  She announced in June that she is running for the seat.

Despite having to compete for dollars with candidates for governor and the House of Delegates, Ball’s first quarter fundraising efforts have gone well; she managed to raise just over $100K.  In addition to the usual means of fundraising Ball has developed as part of her fundraising strategy a contest that will help bring younger voters into the process, spotlight education, and raise money for her campaign all at the same time.  The competition is called the Krystal Ball Student Loan Challenge.  In this competition the person who raises the most money for the campaign by September 30^th can win up to $50,000 to pay off their school loans.  There are some stipulations to the contest, but according to Ball the response to the campaign has been “very enthusiastic.” (For complete contest rules visit http://krystalballforcongress.com).

Ball decided to run for office shortly after the birth of her daughter Ella in March 2008.  Ball states, “I remember in her first days home just holding her and crying because she was so beautiful and so wondrous and because I knew even then that I couldn’t hold her close and protect her forever. As I shopped for the healthiest baby food and safest car seat, I realized that I had no control over the decisions which would affect her life most. What kind of a school would she go to? Will she be able to go to good doctors, nurses, and hospitals? Will she be able to enjoy the rivers, lakes, mountains, and forests that I enjoyed as a kid? Will the country I love be a safe and prosperous place, a place that lives up to the ideals of its people?”  After that revelation Ball and her husband began exploring what positions in public service would allow her to have the greatest impact on all of these issues.  Throughout the course of their research they discovered that representing the first Congressional district was a real possibility.  After reviewing the relevant facts Balls says the decision to run ultimately felt “less like a choice and more like a calling”.

Ball has already been endorsed by WUFPAC (Women Under Forty Political Action Committee) and has received campaign advice from Emily’s List.  Both organizations have provided Ball with  campaign advice as well as helping her hire the right consultants; which Ball states has been very helpful in getting her campaign going.

Virginia’s first Congressional district has consistently voted Republican for the past 30 years.  But Ball is optimistic and believes that things are changing in the first Congressional district as well as throughout Virginia.  “The people here are getting past the D and the R and they really value someone who can think for herself.  They want someone who will look out for the district,” said Ball.

For more information about Krystal Ball or to contribute to her campaign, please visit her website at http://krystalballforcongress.com.