Candidate Profile: Helen Zurita For Manassas City Council

MANASSAS, VA – Seven candidates are running for three seats on the Manassas City Council.

Patch invited each of the candidates to share their backgrounds, priorities and views on issues facing Manassas residents through its candidate questionnaire.

Helen Zurita is a Manassas resident and community volunteer running for City Council. Her answers to Patch's questions are below.

Name

Helen Zurita

Party affiliation

Democrat

Party endorsements

Elizabeth Guzman — Virginia Delegate, 22nd District, Ralph Smith — Manassas City Councilman, Patricia Richie-Folks — Manassas City Treasurer, Kenny A. Boddye — Prince William County Supervisor, Occoquan District, Michelle Lopes Maldonado — Former Virginia Delegate, House District 20, Idris O'Connor — Democratic Candidate for Coles District Supervisor, Michelle Davis — Mayor of Manassas City, Danica Roem — Virginia State Senator, Diana Brown — Manassas City School Board Member, Derrick Wood — Mayor of Dumfries, Deshundra Jefferson — Chair, Prince William County Board of Supervisors, Rozia A. Henson Jr. — Virginia Delegate, 19th District, Suhas Subramanyam — U.S. Representative, Virginia's 10th Congressional District , Selonia Miles — Chair Pro Tem, Dumfries Town Council

Campaign website

www.friendsofhelenzurita.com

Campaign social media

@friendsofhelenzurita

https://www.facebook.com/helen4manassas

Why are you running for this office?

I’m running for Manassas City Council because I love this community, and I believe public service should always be about the people who call it home. I’ve spent years showing up for my neighbors, listening to families, helping where I can, and seeing firsthand both the opportunities we have in Manassas and the challenges our residents face.

I’m not running because I have all the perfect words or because I want to be a politician. I’m running because I care. I know what it means to work hard, overcome challenges, and keep going even when the road isn’t easy. I want residents to have someone on City Council who will listen to them, be accessible to them, and remember that every decision we make affects real people and real families.

Manassas is growing, and I want to help make sure we move forward thoughtfully while protecting the sense of community that makes our city special. I want working families to be able to thrive here, our local businesses to succeed, and residents to know what their city government is doing and feel like their voices matter.

At the end of the day, I’m running because service has always been at the heart of who I am. I want to take the work I’ve already been doing in our community and bring that same heart, determination, and commitment to the Manassas City Council.

What do constituents tell you is most important to them for the coming term?

Affordable housing, Taxes, and Safety

What are your day-one priorities, if elected?

One of my priorities from day one will be making sure the people of Manassas understand what their city government is doing and how decisions are being made. Transparency isn’t just about putting information online. It is about making that information accessible, understandable, and easy for residents to find.

I want residents to know what is being discussed, how their tax dollars are being used, how their elected officials are voting, and how they can make their voices heard before important decisions are made. City government should never feel like something happening behind closed doors or something you have to be an expert to understand.

From day one, I want to listen, ask questions, and look for ways we can communicate more clearly with the public. Whether that means making budgets and major projects easier to understand, improving how we communicate upcoming decisions, or creating more opportunities for community input, my goal is simple: residents should be able to follow what their government is doing and know that their voices are part of the process.

Trust starts with transparency, and I want to help build a City Council that keeps the people of Manassas informed, involved, and connected to the decisions that affect their everyday lives.

What are your longer-term goals, if elected?

One of my longer-term goals is making sure that as Manassas continues to grow, we are growing in a way that is thoughtful, responsible, and works for the people who already call our city home. Growth is going to happen, but the decisions we make today will determine what Manassas looks and feels like years from now.

For me, smart growth means looking at the whole picture. When we consider new development, we also need to think about transportation, traffic, infrastructure, schools, public safety, local businesses, and the character of our neighborhoods. We should be asking whether a project meets the needs of our community and how it will affect residents not just next year, but ten or twenty years from now.

Affordable housing has to be part of that conversation. I want Manassas to remain a city where working families, seniors, young people starting their careers, and first time homebuyers have a real opportunity to live and stay. The people who work in and contribute to our community should not feel like they are being priced out of it.

That means looking at different housing options while also respecting our existing neighborhoods. It means exploring opportunities for homeownership, supporting programs that help residents remain in their homes, and making sure that affordability is considered as we make decisions about future development.

I don’t believe smart growth means saying yes to every development, and it doesn’t mean saying no to change. It means asking the right questions, listening to the people who will be affected, and making responsible decisions that balance economic opportunity with the needs of our residents.

My long term vision is for Manassas to grow without losing what makes it feel like Manassas. I want us to be a city where families can put down roots, seniors can afford to stay in the community they helped build, businesses can succeed, and the next generation can see a future for themselves here. Growth should strengthen our community, not push people out of it.

What about your professional or other background has prepared you for this office?

My qualifications for City Council don’t come from one title or one position. They come from my lived experiences, the challenges I have overcome, and what I chose to do with those experiences afterward.

I grew up poor, so I understand what it is like when a family has to make difficult choices just to get by. I know what it feels like when an unexpected expense can change everything, and I understand why issues like housing, the cost of living, good jobs, and access to resources are not just talking points. For many families, they are everyday realities.

I am also a survivor of domestic violence. That experience changed my life and gave me a perspective I never would have chosen for myself, but it also helped shape the way I serve others today. I understand what it means to feel vulnerable, to need help, and to rebuild your life. It taught me how important it is for people to have a community around them and to know that someone is willing to listen and advocate for them.

What I believe qualifies me for this position is what I have done with those experiences. I have dedicated so much of my time to volunteering and serving this community. I have worked with families in need, helped provide food and resources, advocated for people who felt like they didn't have a voice, and consistently tried to be there when my community needed someone to step up.

That volunteer work has been transformative for me because it has allowed me to meet people from every walk of life. When you are working directly with people, you hear their stories. You learn about the senior who is worried about staying in their home, the parent trying to put food on the table, the small business owner trying to make ends meet, or the survivor trying to start over. Those experiences teach you things that you cannot always learn from sitting in a meeting or reading a report.

I don't believe you have to come from a perfect background to be an effective public servant. I believe our experiences can give us a deeper understanding of the people we are asking to represent. My life has taught me resilience, but my community service has taught me responsibility. It taught me that when someone trusts you enough to tell you what they are going through, you have a responsibility to listen and, whenever possible, help.

I would bring that same approach to City Council. I will listen. I will ask questions. I will show up. And I will remember that behind every policy, every budget decision, and every vote are real people whose lives can be affected by the decisions we make.

I am proud of how far I have come, but I am even more proud that I have been able to use my experiences to serve others. That is the kind of leadership I want to bring to the Manassas City Council: leadership grounded in lived experience, strengthened through service, and always centered on people.

Aside from winning the election, what has been your most important campaign goal?

Aside from winning the election, one of my most important goals throughout this campaign has been meeting people where they are and truly understanding what our community needs.

For me, this campaign is about listening just as much as it is about talking. When someone opens their door and tells me about concerns with housing, traffic, their neighborhood, their business, or simply whether they feel heard by their local government, that conversation matters to me. Even when we don't agree on everything, I want people to know that I am willing to listen and understand where they're coming from.

I've wanted to reach people who may not normally feel connected to local government or political campaigns. Meeting the community where they are means not expecting everyone to come to us. It means going into neighborhoods, showing up at events, talking with residents face to face, and making an effort to hear from people from different backgrounds and experiences.

No matter what happens on Election Day, I want to come away from this campaign knowing more about the people of Manassas than I did when I started. If I have helped someone feel heard, encouraged someone to become more involved in their community, or simply had a meaningful conversation with a neighbor, then that has been an important part of this experience for me.

Ultimately, you cannot effectively represent a community if you don't understand the people who live in it. That understanding starts by showing up, listening, and meeting people exactly where they are.