Why I chose to run

When I started this campaign, a lot of people asked if I was excited. The truth? I wasn’t.

Not because I don’t care, but because of how this race began. We lost Bob. He was a great leader, a friend, and a man who gave tirelessly to this community. His sudden passing left many of us reeling. That loss is something we still carry.

The second reason was more personal. I know Prince William County politics. I know the backroom deals, the broken promises, the corruption, and the petty vendettas. I’ve seen it up close and I knew that stepping into this arena would mean stepping into the crosshairs. I told my wife, Laura, “No sane person wants to sign up to have their life twisted, dissected, and demonized.”

I didn’t expect them to reach all the way back to high school or college, digging through the dumb decisions of a teenager who was, frankly, a smartass that loved wrestling, got in a few fights, and spent some time in my junior high school detention. But that was a different era. Back then, they ran PSAs at 10 PM reminding parents to go find their kids. And while I was far from perfect, most people would say I was a good kid.

I’m proud of my story, even the messy parts.

My parents divorced when I was young. I watched my mom work relentlessly to provide for our family. I learned from the men who stepped in, my uncle, my step-grandfather, my wrestling coach. They taught me how to work hard, care for others, and to be a man.

I’ve had a job since I was ten years old. I paid my way through college. In 2001, I moved to Manassas and started a business. That first year we made real money, and I got hit with a tax bill I couldn’t afford. I went on a payment plan with the IRS in 2006 and paid it off. That’s what running a business looks like. I’ve lived it. I’ve fought for it.

I bought my mom a home in California when she retired. And when we found out she’d fallen behind on her property taxes, my sister and I took care of it.

I’ve taken on corporate giants, successfully fighting off an overbroad non-compete clause from a franchise and helping to establish legal precedent in North Carolina for franchise law. I’ve launched my own lighting design firm and a manufacturing company. I know the legal system, and I know when the county’s wasting your money on an appeal they’re going to lose.

Through my companies I have helped fund two orphanages in India, supported Willing Warriors, helped low-income families afford private school, and even started a truffle farm and a forestry program to help restore the American Chestnut.

I was active in the recall efforts for two Board of County Supervisor members. I supported the criminal investigations. I stood for the First Amendment lawsuit. I worked with Greg Gorham to push for Candland’s censure from the Prince William County Republican Committee, which was approved on February 27, 2023. I have donated over $5,500 to Republican candidates and Republican endorsed school board candidates versus the $250 donated to a Democrat candidate looking to unseat Queen Ann (VPAP donor records are here).

I’ve made mistakes, yes. I do have a lead foot, but I have been working on slowing down for years. But I’ve also built things. I’ve fought for things. And I showed up when it counted.

So why run?

Why open yourself up to the worst kind of public scrutiny, to have your son show you a postcard with your face and a lie stamped across it?

Because most people don’t want to.

But every now and then, you get a gritty, short guy like Bob Weir or myself, who won’t be intimidated. Someone who doesn’t mind taking a few arrows. Someone who’s willing to fight for something bigger than themselves.

That’s why I’m here. Not because it’s easy. Not because it’s fun. But because the Gainesville District is worth it.