Meet Gloria

The journey that led to Gloria Witt's run for the Democratic nomination in the Fifth Congressional District is not traditional.

Gloria was raised on a small farm in Amherst, where her family grew their own food and lacked running water. From the time she was old enough to remember until she was grown, they carried water in buckets from the spring. Gloria helped with all aspects of farm life, from churning butter to processing meats. She got her first job working in the tobacco fields at the age of 14, the same year her father taught her to drive a tractor. She continued working in the fields every summer until she was 18. Gloria's father, a union steel worker who had dropped out of school, insisted that she get a good education, knowing it was the path to a more comfortable life. With the money she earned in those fields, Gloria bought her first car, which helped her begin her journey off the farm and into the corporate world after earning a degree in Communications and Economics from Randolph College.

After a 32-year career with global energy leader Framatome (formerly AREVA), Gloria retired in 2013 and became Founder and CEO of Define Success Coaching, a company committed to developing the next generation of executives and leaders. Throughout her retirement, she dedicated herself to giving back and helping others succeed, serving in leadership roles in seven civic organizations, including president of the NAACP Amherst Branch and the Central Virginia Academy for Nonprofit Excellence.

Gloria Witt's decision to enter politics was driven by the assault on women, minorities, the LGBTQ+ community, education, voting rights, and other critical protections, as perpetrated by figures like John McGuire and Donald Trump. She realized that she could no longer stand on the sidelines while our way of life and basic freedoms were under attack. Gloria's campaign is about securing a better future for our children and grandchildren, protecting the opportunities they deserve, and being vigilant against those who seek to take them away.