Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Van moved to North Idaho while in high school. A graduate of both North Idaho College and Boise State University, Van has been involved in the Democratic party for close to 25 years. Most recently she founded and served as the state chair of the LGBTA Democratic Caucus of Idaho. Van met her fiancé, Chelsea Gaona Lincoln, while touring the state providing messaging workshops and working on voter engagement and outreach. She has spent the last 11 years as a Clinical Supervisor overseeing a development disability agency providing community based services to children with cognitive impairments. She was appointed by Idaho’s Governor Otter to serve on the Idaho Behavioral Health Planning Council and also serves on the Board of Directors for the Idaho Association of Community Providers. Van is looking forward to continuing her work to engage new voters and reinvest in those that may feel hopeless within the current political climate by empowering Democrats across the state.