Democrats are angry at Virginia Republican candidate’s campaign colors over similarities to Harris

A Republican mayoral candidate’s choice of campaign colors has rankled Virginia Democrats over his resemblance to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Xiao Yin “Tang” Byrom, a candidate for mayor of Manassas and a longtime business owner in the city, is facing accusations that she is copying Harris’ sorority colors.

The saga began Sunday, when Byrom, a tailor and bridal consultant and owner of Tang’s Alterations, took to social media to share a photo of herself getting ready for a voter outreach event.

The Republican mayoral candidate sported her signature pink and green campaign colors when she posted on Facebook: “Knock, knock, rain or shine, here we come. Team Tang is ready to serve you! We’re making more new friends… Can’t wait to see you next week and introduce you to the rest of the team.”

Manassas Democrats immediately criticized Byrom for wearing colors associated with Harris’ Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

“We’re wondering: did you choose AKA’s colors on purpose? To be honest, I find it disrespectful and disingenuous,” the Democratic Committee of the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park posted in a comment on Byrom’s post.

“I find your colors to be absolutely disrespectful! These colors represent the sisterhood of our Vice President, AKA. You are not Aka, nor do you represent our Vice President, who is now the Democratic nominee for President,” added Helen Zurita, who ran as a Democrat in 2021 for Manassas City Council.

The city’s leading Republicans came to Byrom’s defence.

“I can’t believe we have to jump in and comment, but Tang might as well waste our time on this,” the Manassas GOP responded. “Google Lilly Pulitzer. As the owner of one of the DMV’s top alterations and dress shops, Tang has been making brides chic, stylish and fashionable right here in Manassas for 25 years and now she’s done the same with her campaign. How about we stop criticizing designers for their design inspirations and talk about issues that voters care about?”

Ian Lovejoy, one of the state’s Republican delegates and a former member of the Manassas City Council, joked: “They choose the dark brotherhood colors for the vice president to fool the HUGE portion of the voting public who base their vote on the dark brotherhood colors tactic.”

Harris graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1986. Alpha Kappa Alpha is a historically black sorority.

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Byrom is challenging incumbent Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger, a Democratic candidate, to become the next mayor of Manassas.

He Washington Examiner I have reached out to the Byrom campaign for comment.