Screenshot / CBS News
With the Virginia House and Senate turning blue for the first time in half a century, the Democrats had a good night on Tuesday.
But for many voters, there was another sweet victory.
A woman who was fired from her job for famously giving President Trump’s motorcade a one-finger salute won her local election in Virginia.
With 52.4% of the vote, Juli Briskman beat her Republican opponent for a seat on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. She had strongly advocated for expanding green spaces and expanded funding for local schools.
The incident
In October 2017, Briskman was cycling when she came across the president’s motorcade leaving the Trump National Golf Course.
She told reporters she was upset by the president’s plan to end the immigration policy Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and his response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. These feelings compelled her to flip him the bird.
The picture of her one-fingered salute to the motorcade went viral and she lost her a job. However, it has now landed her with her first public stint in office.
Looking forward to representing my friends & neighbors in #Algonkian District who backed me up today! So proud that we were able to #FlipLoudpun #FlipVA #LOCO219 Thank you Loudoun! https://t.co/vRcDUih1AP
— Juli Briskman (@julibriskman) November 6, 2019
On Tuesday night, she told Huffington Post:
“Two years ago I was fired for standing up to the backwards agenda of Donald Trump. But now my neighbors in Algonkian District have backed me up and rejected the Trump agenda. We worked really hard on this campaign. It was a tough race. I’m excited to create a Loudoun County that works for everyone.”