Delegate John McGuire (R-Henrico) has been gradually ramping up his campaign for the GOP nomination for Virginia’s seventh congressional district: touting his fundraising totals, asking supporters for money, and beginning to file necessary federal paperwork for the campaign. That’s not a surprise, and McGuire joins the list of candidates entering the race despite a lack of clarity about what the district will look like after redistricting. McGuire, Senator Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania), and Senator Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield) are the heavyweights at this point in the race.
“Over the past year, I’ve had countless Virginians tell me I need to run for Congress to help save our country from the radical left leaders in Washington. Well, after our major win on November 2nd, and a lot of prayer with my wife, we’ve decided it’s our time to get into this race to take back the House in 2022,” McGuire said in a statement to The Virginia Star.
“Our team’s focus will continue to remain on the critical issues affecting folks living in Central Virginia. Virginians want to keep [Critical Race Theory] out of their children’s classrooms, they want leaders who support our law enforcement and first responders, and they want a conservative who will prioritize small business growth and will work to create more good paying jobs in our Commonwealth. They want a champion for rural broadband, a leader who will put an end to the Democrat’s open border policies that are flooding our communities with dangerous drugs like fentanyl and meth, and a steadfast fiscal conservative who will be a check on the Biden Administration and their radical left, out of control spending that is bankrupting our nation,” he said.
The national political environment is expected to be good for Republicans in 2022, and on November 2, Republicans proved that they can still win major campaigns in Virginia. Under current district lines, Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-Virginia-07) is thought to be vulnerable, and seems aware of that herself. After the November 2020 election where she narrowly won, she blasted liberal Democrats for socialist messaging, USA Today reported. In January, she was one of only five House Democrats to vote against Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) for Speaker of the House.
McGuire ran for the GOP nomination for the seat in 2020, losing to Delegate Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper.) Current candidate Tina Ramirez also ran for the 2020 GOP nomination. Other current candidates are former Governor Bob McDonnell staffer Taylor Keeney, intelligence officer John Castorani, former Army Ranger Derrick Anderson, Chase, and Reeves.
McGuire said, “I’m in the race to take back the House in Washington because everyone in our Commonwealth just wants to live, work, and raise their family in peace and that’s what my campaign will continue fighting for in the upcoming election.”
Reeves Calls For Reinstatement of Officer Fired from Norfolk Police Department After He Donated to Kyle Rittenhouse Defense
On Monday, Reeves sent a letter to Norfolk Police Chief Larry Boone suggesting that the department should rehire William Kelly, who was fired after he donated to Kyle Rittenhouse’s legal defense using his official email address.
“GoFundMe, a crowdfunding donation platform, initially removed Rittenhouse’s legal defense fund based on political pressure. However, the defense fund is now active after Rittenhouse’s not guilty verdict, suggesting a rush to judgement,” Reeves wrote in the letter, shared by Reeves’ campaign.
“Department policy and General Orders forbid members of your department from wearing their duty uniform at political events. There appears a double standard here when you yourself marched with BLM in your duty uniform to show support for their cause. I find it absolutely unacceptable, and not adhering to the highest ethical standard of professionalism of law enforcement officers, for the actions you took against Lt. Kelly without due process or a grievance process to occur.”
Reeves cited his official role as a Senator and also as a law enforcement officer.
Reeves wrote, “Firing Lt. Kelly sets a bad precedent for all law enforcement in Virginia. The actions you’ve taken do nothing to improve public faith and trust in our law enforcement. Please do the right thing and restore his employment in your department.”
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Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “John McGuire” by John McGuire. Photo “Bryce Reeves” by Bryce Reeves. Background Photo “Virginia State Capitol by Ron Cogswell. CC BY 2.0.
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