Get to Know May Nivar

Who is May Nivar? Short answer: she’s a business executive, leader, and community organizer who is running to become Delegate for the 57th District in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Nivar is a second-generation immigrant who believes “success is possible through hard work and determination”—otherwise known as the American Dream. Her lived experience and vision for a better life echo those of many Virginians.

According to her website,

Born in Philadelphia to immigrant parents from China, I grew up in low-income housing and worked at our small takeout restaurant. Through long hours alongside my family and the unwavering support of our community, I learned perseverance, resilience, and compassion—values that continue to shape me.

After putting herself through college, Nivar embarked on a corporate career for the next thirty years. She and her husband have three children, all of whom attended public schools.

Key business and public service accomplishments

May Nivar has a long history of public service and business achievements:

• Amplified the voices of women, Asian Americans, and other underrepresented groups
• Served as Chair and Vice Chair on the Virginia Asian Advisory Board
• Former Virginia Governor Ralph Northam recognized Nivar as a “Noteworthy Asian Pacific American of Virginia.”
• At Altria, she led initiatives empowering over 6,000 employees to engage in community giving, volunteering, and civic action
• Drove policy change at small and large businesses, non-profits, and government

Learn more about her impressive leadership and organizing experience. And that’s not all—during her campaign, Nivar earned dozens of endorsements from individuals and organizations.

Legislative priorities

Nivar’s legislative priorities are

• Invest in good paying jobs and the economy
• Fully fund public schools
• Protect access to abortion and contraception
• Expand access to affordable quality healthcare and prescription drugs
• Keep communities safe and stop gun violence
• Ensure equal protection for all Virginians
• Combat climate change and preserve the environment

A candidate ready to take action

Nivar was inspired to step up and run for delegate because of the rampant “economic inequality, inadequate healthcare, underfunded schools, unaffordable housing, and the erosion of hard-won reproductive and civil rights” currently facing Virginians.

If elected, some of her goals are to:

• lower the cost of living (e.g., groceries, childcare)
• fully fund public schools to address current problems such as safety and overcrowding
• increase wages
• protect healthcare, especially for the 4,500 HD57 Medicaid enrollees, the disabled, and caregivers
• increase gun safety measures to ensure safe schools and neighborhoods
• provide tax relief for hardworking families
• support small businesses by cutting some red tape

The importance of flipping HD57

May Nivar’s campaign is one of Six House of Delegates races to watch in Central Virginia this election season. HD57 is important in 2025 because a Democratic victory will help hold or increase the Democratic majority. Plus, “Three constitutional amendments are at stake: enshrining access to abortion, marriage equality, and voting rights restoration. Flipping HD57 is crucial…to guarantee these rights for Virginians.”

As for the constitutional amendment for reproductive freedom, Nivar pledged that “I will definitely make sure that we pass this constitutional amendment and put it in front of voters.”

In contrast, her opponent supports an abortion ban and opposes women’s bodily autonomy. Here’s what Nivar said about his position:

[H]e supports an abortion ban and wants to strip us women of our bodily autonomy, and every step of the way, he’s voted against protecting reproductive freedom, and that’s not what the majority of Virginians want. That’s not what the majority of voters in our district want. And what’s going to happen if the Republicans flip the House of Delegates this November, David Owen could be that deciding vote that bans abortion in the commonwealth, and I can’t let that happen. Because, like I said, this is very personal for me to safeguard reproductive freedom, not only for my daughters, but all women in Virginia.

May Nivar stands up for Virginians

Between the skyrocketing costs of daily living, a rocky healthcare system, and threats to our safety, the 57th District needs a delegate who not only understands the struggles facing Virginians but also has a plan to overcome them.

That person is May Nivar. From her time working in her parents’ restaurant to decades of community service, she has always striven to improve the quality of life for her family and community. Now she wants to expand her reach by becoming the Delegate for the 57th District.

A vote for May Nivar is a vote for your American Dream.