If you’re like me, you’re fed up with Washington politics and unelected Washington bureaucrats negatively affecting your way of life. I will put the 81st District ahead of all else. My family arrived on the second set of ships in Virginia, and I’m honored to continue being in the long line of Virginians as my ancestors were. I will do my best to rein in unnecessary regulations and make sure we keep Washington style politics out of Richmond!

The southern part of the 81st District is home to a vast amount of farmland and rural Virginians. As a hog farmer, I know firsthand the challenges to the community and how to be helpful in Richmond by advocating good legislation and stopping bad legislation. Farmers are the lifeblood of Virginia and I will work hard to ensure the voices of the 81st District are heard in Richmond.

As a gun owner and sportsman, I am a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment, and will fight to ensure our rights to bear arms is not infringed on in Richmond. I will oppose any legislation that diminishes these rights and makes you and your family less capable of protecting yourselves.

A rising tide raises all ships! Low taxes allow Virginians to have more money in their pockets to stimulate and grow the economy. I believe the citizens know how to spend their money better than the state, and I will work to lower taxes for the Commonwealth. It is our responsibility to all Virginians to balance the budget and be fiscally responsible.

Education for our youth is an investment in the future, and it is necessary to have a public education system that is set up for the student. Teachers must be held accountable in the classroom, and I encourage parental involvement in the entire process. I will make sure more tax dollars will be spent in the classroom and not on things that do not provide a learning atmosphere. Parents should have a say in the process, and a way to place their child in a prosperous school, not being forced to attend a failing school because of the zip code they live in. I will make sure college education is affordable, and also provide vocational paths for those that do not want to attend college and want to learn a trade. Students must be career ready when leaving the educational field.

I have been a fisherman for all of my life and I know the importance of ensuring that there is a commonsense, balanced approach to cleanliness of the Chesapeake Bay. I am a big supporter of the Best Management Practices (BMPs) for farmers to provide incentives for environmentally sound practices. As a farmer myself, I have been awarded the Clean Water Award multiple times being recognized as a good steward of our waters.
The Menhaden are the most important fish of the sea, acting as both food for many trophy fish and as species that filters the bay. It is the only fish that is regulated by the General Assembly. I believe that the regulations should be controlled by scientists not by lobbyists and legislators.

My family and I have been longtime members of Oak Grove Baptist Church located in here in Back Bay, Virginia. I sit on the church’s board, and am glad to serve both the 81st District and my fellow parishioners.