[1] She became the chief financial officer of the Tammy Lynn Center, a nonprofit organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

[1] In 2018, Vilela ran in the Democratic Party primary election for the United States House of Representatives for Nevada's 4th congressional district, which was held by Ruben Kihuen.

[1] Kihuen dropped out of the race due to an unrelated scandal,[2][3] and Steven Horsford won with 62% of the vote, while Vilela finished in third with 9%.

[4][5] 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.

In January 2021, Vilela announced that she would run for Nevada's 1st congressional district in the 2022 elections, held by fellow Democrat Dina Titus.