Summary
District Description: City of Newport News (part)
Current Delegate: David Yancey since 2012 (R)
According to Ned Oliver of Virginia Mercury:
“You may recall that two years ago this election resulted in a dead tie that was resolved via a random drawing from a bowl. Since then, a court-ordered redistricting plan gave Democrats a much bigger partisan advantage in the district. This year’s rematch once again pits incumbent Republican Yancey against Democrat Shelly Simonds. Democrats see it as their most obvious opportunity to pick up a seat. Money is already pouring in: Simonds has raised $290,000 so far and Yancey has raised $335,000.”
OnAir Post: VA House 94 – 2019 Election
VA House District 94
David Yancey
Current Position: State Delegate for VA House District 94 since 2012
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2019 State Delegate VA House District 94
For more information, see David Yancey’s post.
David Yancey, was born and raised in Newport News. He is a 1990 graduate of Peninsula Catholic High School, and a 1995 graduate of the University of Georgia, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History.
In 2001 David returned to Newport News to work in his family’s real estate business and a few years later he started his own real estate development company.
Throughout the next decade David continued to grow his business, expanding to commercial fishing with a new business partner on the Eastern Shore.
David holds professional licenses from the Commonwealth of Virginia in Real Estate, Contracting, and Commercial Fishing.
In 2011, David was appointed to the City of Newport News Mayor’s Efficiency Task Force on city government. This one-year task force was a citizen committee designed to look at innovative ways to improve the role of government in Newport News. David worked with city employees to find ways to improve services and reduce costs for the city.
In addition, the task force looked for ways to encourage local job growth and investment in the community by small businesses.
The experiences that David had on this task force were part of the foundation for his future work in the General Assembly working to develop the economy and reduce bureaucracy for companies seeking to expand or relocate in Virginia.
Education is a key issue for David, he sees it as the cornerstone to a robust economy and improving the lives of young people. In 2011, David was also appointed to serve on the Newport News Education Foundation, where he participated in events that were designed to improve the education of students in the public schools as well as engage local businesses in the education system. The experiences he had during this time proved invaluable. Once elected to the House of Delegates, David was appointed to the Education Committee. As a result, he has been able to represent our schools in Richmond with first hand knowledge of their needs.
In the General Assembly, David serves on the House Transportation, Education, and the Commerce and Labor Committees. In 2017 he was appointed chairman of the subcommittee that oversees legislation governing the Department of Motor Vehicles.
In addition, David is the current Chairman of the Governor’s Aerospace Advisory Committee. He represents Newport News on the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization and the Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission, both of which oversee transportation projects throughout the entire Hampton Roads area.
During the year, David is a volunteer Rugby Coach for the Newport News High School Rugby Football Club and the local Rugby Foundation. He has previously served as a Board member of the Virginia Rugby Union and past President of the Newport News Rugby Football Club, where he also started coaching. As a coach, he stresses the importance of staying in school and seeking a well-rounded education to be successful in the workforce.
Shelly Simonds
Current Position: Educator, activist, and entrepreneur
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2019 State Delegate VA House District 94
For more information, see Shelly Simonds’s post.
When I was in high school, I had some wonderful teachers who ignited my curiosity about the world and an excitement for learning. That curiosity has guided my life, pushing me to experience education around the world, from Spain, to Chile, to Palo Alto, California, and to Newport News, the city where I have built my life and started my family.
And it’s why I’m running to be your Delegate in the Virginia State House today. I want to bring that inspiration and passion for education to the people of Virginia.
My love of learning first emerged when I had a chance to spend a year in Spain as an AFS Exchange Student. And after graduation, I went on to study International Relations and Latin American Studies and at Bucknell University, where I also earned a Rotary Fellowship to spend a year at the University of Chile. It was there I discovered a love of writing and journalism that led me to Stanford University for a Masters in Communications.
My husband, Paul, and I moved to Newport News in 2000, when he was hired as a NASA engineer. We soon realized that Newport News was the perfect place to raise our two daughters, Georgia and Tessa. And after my second daughter turned two, I returned to the workforce as a Spanish teacher at their school, Hilton Elementary, and discovered a new passion for teaching. I had never had a workplace where I felt like I was part of a team with such purpose. We spent our lunch breaks talking about our students and how we could encourage them.
In 2012, I was elected to the School Board on a platform of support for teachers and workforce development. I still feel like I’m on the teacher’s team because I’m fighting for their resources, and I understand, first-hand, the challenges and joys of their important work in our community. Through the Virginia School Board Association, I’ve been a vocal advocate for education, and I helped write the final report for our Challenged Schools Taskforce in 2015. This report helped secure funding for extended learning programs in the Commonwealth.
I’ve also been a longtime environmental activist. I got my start in Virginia politics as a member of the Legislative Contact Team with the League of Conservation Voters. This work is also incredibly important to me, and something that I want to fight for in the General Assembly, if elected.
As a mother, an educator, an activist, and an entrepreneur, I know I can hit the ground running to bring positive change to my community when I become a member of the General Assembly.
