 In a statement released Thursday, State Party Chair Betsy Marin praised Hall-Long's three-decade-long commitment to the party and commended her leadership on issues like education, women's reproductive rights, and mental health. Marin also announced the party's endorsement of current state Senator Kyle Evans-Gay to fill Hall-Long's shoes as lieutenant governor. Evans-Gay is facing two other Democrats in the primary, State Representative Sherry Dorsey-Walker and one of the state Democratic Party's vice chairs, Debbie Harrington.