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In the crucial elections for the Virgina House and Senate the Spirit of VMI is endorsing seventeen candidates. This election is seen as one of the most important elections in the history of the Commonwealth and a referendum on the work of the Youngkin administration. With a goal of capturing both Houses, Governor Youngkin has worked hard to support candidates and encourage the vote.
The goal of the Spirit VMI is to support candidates that understand the value of the Virginia Military Institute and its great worth and unique experience. We believe that value is derived from these five pillars:
VMI Honor Code: clear, fair, firm – our bulwark
Educating young men and women: without social or political bias
The Regimental system (VMI’s military leadership system): equal opportunity for merit-based advancement for all cadets
The Class system: camaraderie and lifelong friendships
The VMI Ratline: the crucible that is the foundation of the Brother Rat spirit
Glen Allen, Short Pump, Tuckahoe
Siobahn Dunnavant is an incumbent senator running in the newly created SD 16. She is a practicing OB-GYN, and the only MD in the senate. Her campaign slogan is “She Delivers!” A mother of four, she won her last senate race by a margin of 1,329 out of more than 78,000 cast. Dunnavant is a graduate of Randolph College, UVA, and Eastern Virginia Medical School.
Hampton Roads, Southside
Emily Brewer is a current member of the House of Delegates running for the newly created SD 17. She is a small business owner (wine shop). She was adopted, raised, went to school, and owns her business in SD 17.
Virginia Beach, Eastern Shore
Bill DeSteph is currently a senator from SD 8. First elected to the senate in 2016, he is a former member of the House of Delegates, former Virginia Beach City Councilor, and a Navy vet (Desert Storm). He won his senate seat 52-48 in 2019. Bill is a graduate of the University of Maryland
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Williamsburg, Newport News
Danny Diggs a retired, long-tenured sheriff who began his career in law enforcement at the age of 19 as a local police dispatcher, then moved to corrections officer, then investigator, then sheriff’s department, for a total of 45 years in law enforcement. During his 23 year tenure as sheriff, crime dropped 25% despite a 20% increase in population.
Fredericksburg, Stafford
Tara Durant is currently serving as a delegate in HD 28, Durant decided to run for her present office when she and her young daughter were trapped and surrounded in their car in 2020 in Fredericksburg by a BLM mob. As the mob shook and vandalized her car, Durant called the police, who told her they were not authorized to come to her aid because the city had sanctioned the BLM demonstration. Durant defeated an incumbent Democrat to win her seat in the House of Delegates. Durant is a mother of three. She is a graduate of Coe College.
Manassas, Gainesville
Bill Woolf, an adjunct professor at George Mason University, consultant, former Law Enforcement Officer, is a candidate for SD 30. Woolf has worked for the US DOJ in the area of human trafficking. Woolf has testified before state legislatures and Congress on the basis of his law enforcement expertise. He is a father of six, and a graduate of UVA.
Leesburg, Marshall
Juan Pablo Segura is an entrepreneur and non-profit board member running for SD 31. The son of an Argentine billionaire, Segura was born in Virginia and became a successful entrepreneur. He founded a chain of donut shops in DC called District Donuts and a healthcare company focused on women’s reproductive health called BabyScripts. Segura wants to use his entrepreneurial spirit to disrupt the status quo in Richmond. He has written several op-eds and came out strong against the woke movement in his announcement speech. He seems comfortable highlighting cultural issues and driving the points home.
Prince William County
John Stirrup has a great deal of varied experience in politics - former Congressional chief of staff, former Prince William County Supervisor representing Gainesville for 8 years (where the townhall meeting was considered the hallmark of his service), and former appointee in the Reagan administration. Stirrup has resided in Prince William County for 25 years. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Manassas Battlefield Trust and has worked as an accountant and realtor.
Prince Willam County
Ian Lovejoy, entrepreneur, small business owner, 8 year Manassas city councilman, and community advocate, is running for HD 22. A graduate of Concord University and VPI, Lovejoy is the owner and founder Reliant Hiring Solutions.
Henrico and Goochland Counties
David Owen is a candidate for HD 57. Owen began his career as an engineer for Texaco and then got into home construction. Owen believes his work as a lobbyist has given him insight into the mechanizations of local and state government and will enable him to be an effective legislator. Owen’s father worked for the VDOT for 40 years and then served in the General Assembly for another 25 years. His campaign slogan is “Common Sense Leadership for the House of Delegates”. Owen graduated from UVA with a BS in Civil Engineering.
Henrico County
Riley Shaia, a Virginia native, physical therapist, fitness entrepreneur, and community leader, is a candidate for HD 58. She is a mother of three, and a graduate of UVA with a BS in Education with a concentration in Sports Medicine. She also received a Master’s in Physical Therapy from VCU.
Fredericksburg
Lee Peters III is a candidate for HD 65. Peters is a single father, Marine vet (12 years), and police captain (19 years). Peters serves on the board of a local non-profit, Ellie’s Elves. He is also a youth coach.
Newport News
Matt Waters is a candidate for HD 70. Matt is CEO at F Street Partners, a national direct response advertising agency with offices in Washington, DC and Williamsburg, VA. For more than 30 years, Matt has provided research and counsel to clients on a wide range of issues, including balanced budgets, tax reform, election integrity, sanctity of human life, family policy, urban initiatives, education and medical freedom, economic enterprise zones, and the Constitution. Matt received his AA from Thomas Nelson, his BA from George Mason University, and his Master of Religion at Reformed Theological Seminary. He is a father of 5.
Petersburg/Southside
Kim Taylor is the current incumbent in HD 63 since last year and a small business owner. She defeated the Democrat incumbent for the seat by a margin of 512 votes in 2021. She is a graduate of VCU.
Virginia Beach
Karen Greenhalgh is the incumbent delegate from HD 85 running for the newly created HD 97. A mother of two, Greenhalgh is a small business owner, founder of Heritage Woodworks (custom cabinetry), and founder of Cyber Tygr, promoting privacy for maternity patients.
Midlothian, Colonial Heights
Glen Sturtevent is a candidate for SD 12. An Eagle Scout growing up in Spotsylvania County, he married his college sweetheart and graduated from George Mason University’s Anton Scalia School of Law. He practices in Richmond where he has previously served on the School Board and the Virginia Senate.
Chesapeake, Virginia Beach
David Suetterlein is a candidate for SD 19. He is a realtor in Roanoke County and was elected to the Senate in 2015. He has established himself as a conservative leader who has helped to build successful bipartisan coalitions on tax relief, fair electric rates, and increased education opportunities.
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Founded in 2021, the Spirit of VMI PAC is a registered Virginia Political Action Committee whose purpose is to restore VMI’s reputation as an elite leadership institution.
Point of Contact:
SOVP Communications Staff: info@thespiritofvmi.org
Visit the SOVP website: https://thespiritofvmi.org