Amy Vilela
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox politician
|name = Amy Vilela
|caption = Vilela in 2019
|image = Amy Vilela - Activist, Author, 2018 Congressional Candidate.jpg
|birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|43|2018|3|29}}
|birth_place = Maryland, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Democratic
|spouse = David
|children = 5 (incl. 1 deceased)
|education = Park University (BS)
}}
Amy Lynnette Vilela (born 1974 or 1975) is an American politician from the state of Nevada. She worked as an accountant before becoming an advocate for single-payer healthcare, also known as Medicare for All, after her daughter was turned away from a hospital and died of a heart attack because the hospital thought she lacked health insurance.
Vilela ran for the United States House of Representatives in 2018 and 2022, and co-chaired the Nevada campaign for the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign.
Early life, education, and career
Vilela was born in Maryland. Her father was an ironworker and her mother was a secretary. They divorced during her childhood. Vilela became a mother when she was a teenager. She ended up homeless while raising her children, and used public assistance. She earned a bachelor's degree in business and accounting from Park University in Missouri.
She became the chief financial officer of the Tammy Lynn Center, a nonprofit organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She then became the chief financial officer at Foresee Consulting, a construction management consulting firm.{{Cite web|url=https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/tragedy-spurs-democrat-amy-vilela-to-activism-then-a-bid-for-congress|title=Tragedy spurs Democrat Amy Vilela to activism, then a bid for Congress|work=The Nevada Independent|first=Michelle|last=Rindels|date=March 29, 2018|accessdate=May 20, 2021}}
Political career
In 2018, Vilela ran in the Democratic Party primary election for the United States House of Representatives for {{ushr|NV|4}}, which was held by Ruben Kihuen. Vilela met Kihuen at a forum in 2017, where he declined to support Medicare for All. Kihuen dropped out of the race due to an unrelated scandal,{{cite web|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2018/may/27/daughters-death-drives-nevada-candidate-for-congre/ |title=Daughter's death drives Nevada candidate Amy Vilela for Congress |work=Las Vegas Sun |date=May 27, 2018 |accessdate=May 12, 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/harassment-allegations-against-rep-kihuen-laid-groundwork-for-dynamic-democratic-primary-to-replace-him|title=Harassment allegations against Rep. Kihuen laid groundwork for dynamic Democratic primary to replace him|work=The Nevada Independent|first=Michelle|last=Rindels|date=June 10, 2018|accessdate=May 21, 2021}} and Steven Horsford won with 62% of the vote, while Vilela finished in third with 9%.{{cite web|last=Hynes |first=Mary |url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/rematch-appears-set-for-horsford-hardy-in-nevadas-cd4/ |title=Rematch appears set for Horsford, Hardy in Nevada's CD4 |work=Las Vegas Review-Journal|date=May 7, 2021 |accessdate=May 12, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/nevada-house-district-4-primary-election |title=Nevada Primary Election Results: Fourth House District – Election Results 2018 |work=The New York Times |date=June 20, 2018 |accessdate=May 21, 2021}} The documentary Knock Down the House showcased Vilela's campaign, alongside the primary campaigns of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Paula Jean Swearengin, and Cori Bush, three other Democrats who ran for Congress in the 2018 midterm elections. It premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2019/01/27/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-surprises-sundance-premiere-her-new-doc/2698284002/ |title=Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez surprises at Sundance premiere of her new doc |work=USA Today |date=January 27, 2019 |accessdate=May 12, 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldextra.com/entertainment/movies/sundance/knock-down-the-house-subjects-talk-reasons-to-run-for-office/article_610dd506-63ac-5141-ac5c-c7e6d0ab1c3c.html|title='Knock Down the House' subjects talk reasons to run for office|first=Sarah |last=Harris|work=Daily Herald|accessdate=May 21, 2021}} and was released on Netflix on May 1, 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/4/22/18510907/knock-down-house-netflix-trailer-ocasio-cortez |title=Watch: Netflix's Knock Down the House trailer brings a little hope |publisher=Vox |date=April 22, 2019 |accessdate=May 12, 2021}}
During the 2020 United States presidential election, Vilela served as the Nevada state co-chair for the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign. In January 2021, Vilela announced that she would run for {{ushr|NV|1}} in the 2022 elections, held by fellow Democrat Dina Titus.{{cite web|last=Hynes |first=Mary |url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/vilela-announces-challenge-to-titus-in-1st-district-2340501/ |title=Dina Titus challenged by progressive Amy Vilela in Nevada's 1st District |work=Las Vegas Review-Journal|date=May 7, 2021 |accessdate=May 12, 2021}} Vilela received 20.2% of the vote in the primary, losing to Titus, who received 79.8%.{{cite news |title=House District 1: Nevada Primary Results (D) |url=https://edition.cnn.com/election/2022/results/nevada/democratic-primaries/us-house-district-1 |work=CNN |date= April 19, 2023 |access-date= March 19, 2024}}
Personal life
Vilela married David, a United States Air Force officer, in 2009. They are raising four children.
In 2015, Vilela's 22-year-old daughter died of a heart attack. She had presented to Centennial Hills Hospital with the symptoms of a deep vein thrombosis. Sometime later, following a flight, the blood clot broke off and became a pulmonary embolism. Following her daughter's death, Vilela became an advocate for Medicare for All.{{cite web|last=Ganeva |first=Tana |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/amy-vilela-medicare-for-all |title=Amy Vilela's Fight for Medicare for All Is Personal |publisher=Teen Vogue |date=February 18, 2020 |accessdate=May 12, 2021}}{{cite web|author=Tana Ganeva |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/after-daughters-tragic-death-mother-begs-for-single-payer-health-care-116295/ |title=After Daughter's Death, Mother Begs for Single-Payer Health Care |publisher=Rolling Stone |date=May 16, 2017 |accessdate=May 12, 2021}} She founded a Nevada chapter of Healthcare-NOW!, which lobbies for single-payer healthcare. In 2017, she filed a lawsuit against Centennial Hills Hospital.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ktnv.com/news/daughters-death-leads-to-lawsuit-against-centennial-hills-hospital|title=Mother sues Vegas hospital over daughter's death|date=March 24, 2017|publisher=KTNV|accessdate=May 21, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/de68c9de52d344eb8514749624ad8953 |title=Mother sues Las Vegas hospital after daughter's death |publisher=Associated Press |date=March 23, 2017 |accessdate=May 21, 2021}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.amyvilela.org/ Campaign website]
{{CongLinks|votesmart=179783}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vilela, Amy}}
Category:20th-century American women
Category:21st-century American women
Category:American health activists
Category:Candidates in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections
Category:Park University alumni
Category:Politicians from Las Vegas
Category:Women in Nevada politics
Category:Candidates in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections