The cyclist in Virginia who became known nationwide after a photo of her flipping off President Trump's motorcade in 2017 went viral is now a public official. Juli Briskman was elected earlier this week as a supervisor in her home Algonkian District in Loudoun County.

"It is very clear to me that the voters of district backed me up on my sentiment toward the Trump agenda and the Trump administration," said Briskman, a Democrat who beat the Republican incumbent with 52 percent of votes.

The famous photo, taken by a reporter traveling in Trump's motorcade, was captured after the president left his Trump National Golf Club in Loudoun County, a suburban area just northwest of Washington DC. Briskman subsequently lost her job with a government contractor in the fallout.

However, Briskman credits her campaign's focus on local issues, and not Trump, for its success in the election. "We just went out and talked to thousands and thousands of voters and made sure they knew that my values matched their values," she said. "And that it was time for a change."

<i>Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images</i>

As supervisor-elect, Briskman said she is now focused on her policy priorities, which include affordable housing, public school investments, and sustainability. On environmental policy, for instance, Briskman says she will work to ensure that Loudoun County furthers its adherence to the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, a decades-old state initiative to preserve the bay that relies heavily on local governments.

Notably, Trump National Golf Club exists in her new jurisdiction.

Briskman victory was part of a blue wave that swept across Virginia in the election Tuesday. For the first time in 26 years, Democrats were voted into the majority in the state's House of Delegates and the State Senate. The governor. Ralph Northam, is also a Democrat, giving the party full control of what was once considered a reliable Republican state.

"I'm not going to lie, the 'Trump effect' was in play in the county, in my district, and all over Virginia," Briskman said, referring to a sense of disillusionment felt by voters — and reflected in electoral outcomes — towards the Republican Party. "We've gone from a red to a purple to a blue state since I've lived here."

Share:
More In Politics
So Long, Penny! Trump Orders US to Ditch 1-cent Coin
President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. to stop minting pennies. His surprise announcement comes after decades of unsuccessful efforts to phase out the 1-cent coin. Advocates for ditching the penny cite its high production cost and limited utility. Fans of the penny cite its usefulness in charity drives and relative bargain in production costs compared with the nickel. Here's a look at some question surrounding Trump's order.
Trump Administration Shutters Consumer Protection Agency
The Trump administration has ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop nearly all its work, effectively shutting down the agency that was created to protect consumers after the 2008 financial crisis and subprime mortgage-lending scandal. Russell Vought is the newly installed director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought directed the CFPB in a Saturday night email to stop work on proposed rules, to suspend the effective dates on any rules that were finalized but not yet effective, and to stop investigative work and not begin any new investigations. The agency has been a target of conservatives since President Barack Obama created it following the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
Load More