Summary
Current Position: Public Relations
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2021 State Delegate
OnAir Post: D.J. Jordan
About
Source: Campaign page
Darrell H. “D.J.” Jordan Jr. hasn’t always been a fan of politics, but he likes public policy and he loves people.
D.J. is running for the Virginia House of Delegates to make sure our state government ensures our basic freedoms and equal opportunity to succeed…. not to obtain power, disparage political opponents, or benefit his own career. If you look at his background, you’ll see that he has tried to help create more opportunity for children and families in his community.
D.J. was born and raised in the Tidewater, Virginia area by parents who escaped poverty through family commitment, education, entrepreneurship, and hard work. D.J. earned a Bachelors of Science in Communications from Liberty University, and played on the football team as a student-athlete. He also earned a Masters in Public Management from The Johns Hopkins University. He worked in the United States Congress for ten years in several offices, including the House Committee on Small Business.
Prior to coming to Capitol Hill in 2008, he worked in broadcast journalism at CNN and also Fox News. D.J. now works for a public relations firm in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2017, D.J. completed a four-year term on the Virginia State Board of Social Services, which oversees the foster care system and welfare programs in Virginia. During the last year of his term, D.J. was unanimously voted to serve as its Chairman. D.J. currently serves his community with the Prince William County Fatherhood Initiative, and is an Alternate Commissioner on the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), a transit agency that runs the OmniRide bus system. Over the last several years, D.J. has been an assistant coach with the American Pride Youth Football League (APYFL), and he has been a TV broadcast commentator for college football games. He is also a member of the 20/20 Bipartisan Justice Center, a national justice reform organization, and serves on the Board of Directors of Virginia’s Kids Belong, a nonprofit that helps foster children. D.J. and his wife, Glorya, have four children, and have fostered and also adopted from foster care. They live in the Winding Creek neighborhood in Woodbridge, and are members of Move Church in Lake Ridge.
Experience
Work Experience
- Public Relations
Unspecified firm - Broadcast Journalist
CNN and Fox News - Staffer
United States Congress
Education
- Masters in Public Management
The John Hopkins University - Bachelors of Science in Communications
Liberty University
Contact
Email:
Web
Campaign Site, Twitter, Facebook
Politics
Source: none
Issues
Source: Campaign page
Civil Rights
D.J. believes that all human life has dignity and worth, no matter the age, size, race, or socioeconomic status. D.J. is committed to a state government and community that encourages charities and nonprofits to assist people in need of assistance at every stage of life, from the elderly to those facing unplanned pregnancies. A society that does not protect its most vulnerable members is a society that believes that some lives matter more than others; in Virginia, we must avoid this type of culture.
Economy
While growing up, D.J.’s father was a information technology engineer, small business owner, and entrepreneur. For him, small business wasn’t just a concept, it was something that put food on the table for the family. D.J. believes that our state government must create policies that make Virginia one of the best states to start, grow, and innovate through small business. As America experiences economic disruption due to technology in the digital age, D.J. will fight to make sure Virginia is not only prepared for the future of work, but leading the way in agri-business, entrepreneurship, innovation, vocational trades, and job creation.
Virginians are taxed at nearly every stage of life, from birth until death. D.J. believes that our state government should adequately fund basic core functions, especially public safety and transportation, but should keep taxes as low as possible to allow families to keep more of their hard-earned money and build wealth that lasts generations. D.J. will advocate for a tax code that is simple and consistent, and not full of special tax breaks and preferences for favored corporations and special interest organizations.
Education
D.J. believes education is one of the most important factors that leads to upward mobility and opportunity for families across Virginia. There are no Republican schools, or Democrats schools; there are only schools. To help the next generation compete on a global stage, every child in Virginia deserves to have access to a high-quality public school, no matter their family income or zip code. Virginia must ensure that taxpayer money is spent on the classroom and paying our hardworking teachers, and less on bureaucracy. State government must also realize that our children and families are diverse and may have uniquely different educational needs, and therefore deserve to have access to diverse ways of learning that work best for them, including homeschooling and other options.
Environment
D.J. is an environmental conservationist who believes in responsible environmental stewardship. The answer to our generational climate challenges is effective stewardship and strategic planning based on science, facts, and sound research, not extreme partisanship. D.J. supports a balanced approach to environmental stewardship that incentivizes innovation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. D.J. also supports efforts to clean-up the Chesapeake Bay, especially programs that reduce phosphorous, nitrogen and sediment pollution in our stormwater and waterways. He also supports the preservation of Prince William County’s Rural Crescent and open rural space; the over-development of forests and farmland in the region robs the Chesapeake watershed of its natural ability to filter pollutants before they reach our streams, rivers, and the Bay.
Health Care
The cost of healthcare delivery and complexity of payment is a major problem for many Virginians. But rather than pursue government-run healthcare, Virginia should work to address the root issue: the massive growth of healthcare costs. To make healthcare more affordable, D.J. supports a number of reforms that improve physician and facility connectivity, streamlines care delivery, incentivizes wellness and prevention, and reforms drug pricing regulations. D.J. also believes that Virginia should be at the forefront of breakthrough research and innovation to find cures for disease and illness.
Infrastructure
If elected, D.J’s top policy focus will be reducing traffic congestion for Prince William and Fauquier County residents. D.J. has commuted to work inside-the-beltway nearly his entire adult life (since 2002 to be specific). He has experienced first-hand the stress of traffic congestion, and the unnecessary amount of time away from family. D.J. believes government should be limited in its core functions, but what it performs, it must be done well. Transportation is one of those core functions of government that must improve in Virginia. D.J. believes we should be forward-thinking and comprehensive in how we address our traffic congestion. We must move beyond partisan finger-pointing and work together on solutions that involve enhanced bus transit, rail, road construction, more tele-working options, and even the relocation of federal offices.
Safety
Foster Care and Human Trafficking
Virginia ranks high in the nation for supporting biological families with children who are at risk of being placed in foster care. However, Virginia ranks very poorly for foster youth who age out of foster care without a permanent family situation. Children in foster care are among the worst for falling prey to human trafficking – nearly 60 percent of child sex trafficking victims have a history in the child welfare system. As a foster and adoptive parent, D.J. has a great passion for child protective services and improving the lives of children in foster care. For four years, D.J. served on the State Board of Social Services, which oversees the Virginia foster care system. He believes that Virginia should ensure that law enforcement, public schools, social services, charities, and the business community must work together to serve foster kids, and also prevent vulnerable children from being trafficked.
Veterans
Virginia is one of the states with the highest per capita veteran populations in America, and the 31st District is home to one of the largest veteran populations in the state. Although D.J. never served in the military, he grew up in Tidewater, Virginia with a family of more than a dozen individuals who served in uniform, mostly in the Navy. D.J. is grateful and proud of our military, and is committed to honoring the promises this nation has made to our veterans and their families, such as health benefits and educational opportunities. D.J. is committed to ensuring that Virginia is one of the best states for taking care of those who have worn the uniform and their families, throughout their life.
