Summary
Current Position: State Delegate of District 15 since 2006
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: Prosecutor from 1997 – 2006
Delegate Gilbert is a member of the Courts of Justice Committee, the Rules Committee, and serves as the Vice-Chairman of the House General Laws Committee. He also serves on the Virginia State Crime Commission, which helps to study and direct polices on public safety throughout Virginia and he is the Chairman of the House Criminal Law Subcommittee.
Prior to his election to the House of Delegates, Delegate Gilbert began his career as a full-time prosecutor. His first job was with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Lynchburg, where he was a member of the Violent Crime Prosecution Team.
OnAir Post: Todd Gilbert
News
The Northern Virginia Daily, – August 4, 2021
The plan to spend the about $4.3 billion dollars in American Rescue Plan Act funds provided to Virginia in the federal government’s second stimulus package, passed the House of Delegates on Wednesday afternoon, but local representatives are unhappy with how it was done.
The 100-member House is split 55-45 with Democrats in the majority, but the plan passed with a bipartisan 71-25 vote. The state Senate was expected to vote on a plan later Wednesday.
House Minority leader Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, and Republican delegates Bill Wiley and Michael Webert, who both represent parts of Warren County, voted against the plan, with Gilbert and Wiley saying they felt shut out of the process.
About
Source: Campaign page
Delegate Todd Gilbert represents the 15th district in the Virginia House of Delegates; it includes all of Page and Shenandoah Counties and portions of Warren and Rockingham Counties. He was first elected to the House in 2005. In 2018, Delegate Gilbert was elected Majority Leader of the House of Delegates. Delegate Gilbert is a member of the Courts of Justice Committee, the Rules Committee, and serves as the Vice-Chairman of the House General Laws Committee. He also serves on the Virginia State Crime Commission, which helps to study and direct polices on public safety throughout Virginia and he is the Chairman of the House Criminal Law Subcommittee.
Delegate Gilbert has received numerous awards and distinctions during his tenure in the House of Delegates including the Virginia YMCA’s “Service to Youth Award” for his annual work with their Model General Assembly in Richmond. In 2013, he was named the Family Foundation’s “Legislator of the Year” for his work in promoting family values and religious freedom in Virginia. The Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys also awarded Gilbert their inaugural “Champion of Justice Award” for his extensive work in public safety policy. Both the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and the Virginia State Police Association have honored Gilbert with their “Legislator of the Year” Award. The American Conservative Union also named him a “Defender of Liberty” for his 100% conservative voting record during the legislative session. Finally, in 2017, Gilbert was named a “Legislator of the Year” by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce for his years of work as a pro-business leader.
Prior to his election to the House of Delegates, Delegate Gilbert began his career as a full-time prosecutor. His first job was with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Lynchburg, where he was a member of the Violent Crime Prosecution Team. In 1999, he was fortunate to be able to return home and work in the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Shenandoah County for six years where he was lead prosecutor in a number of major cases. After his election to the House, Gilbert worked for several years as a prosecutor in both the Warren County and Frederick County Commonwealth’s Attorneys Offices. He has taught the art of trial advocacy to fellow prosecutors at the Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ annual trial advocacy school. Taking advantage of his experience in Virginia’s criminal justice system, Gilbert’s primary legislative focus is public safety.
Gilbert is a 1989 graduate of Central High School of Woodstock, where he served as student body president and played three varsity sports. He attended the University of Virginia, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Government in 1993. While at UVA, he was a legislative intern in the Capitol Hill office of then U.S. Representative George Allen. Upon graduation, he attended the Southern Methodist University School of Law, where he earned his law degree in 1996 and also led the student body as president of the Student Bar Association. While at SMU Law, Gilbert won the school’s annual mock trial competition and participated on the school’s competitive mock trial team.
When not in Richmond for the legislative session, Delegate Gilbert now works in a private law practice. He is a member of the First Baptist Church of Woodstock.
Todd is married to the lovely and talented Jennifer Wishon Gilbert, and in 2017 they were blessed with a son. Jennifer is a broadcast journalist who is currently the White House Correspondent for CBN News. Jennifer covers the President and national politics in Washington, D.C. The Gilberts live on a small farm outside of Mount Jackson, Virginia.
Experience
Work Experience
- Attorney
Education
- JD
Southern Methodist University School of Law
1996 - BA
University of Virginia
1993
Awards
Family Foundation, Legislator of the Year
Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys, Champion of Justice Award
Virginia State Police, Legislator of the Year
Circuit Court Clerks Association, Legislator of the Year
Virginia Retail Merchants Association, Legislator of the Year
Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, Legislator of the Year
Personal
- Birth Year: 1970
- Place of Birth: Newton, TX
- Gender: Male
- Race(s): Caucasian
- Religion: Southern Baptist
- Spouse: Jennifer Wishon
- Children: Christopher Grant
Membership & Affiliation
First Baptist Church of Woodstock
Shenandoah County Bar Association
Virginia State Bar
Virginia YMCA (board of directors)
Virginia YMCA Model General Assembly Committee
Contact
Legislative Assistant: Jeffrey Walters
Administrative Assistant During Session: Lorraine Taylor
Email:
- Government – DelTGilbert@house.virginia.gov
Offices
Capitol Office
Pocahontas Building
900 E. Main St,
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Phone: (804) 698-1015
District Office
P.O. Box 309
Woodstock, VA 22664
Phone: (540) 459-7550
Web
Government Page, Campaign Site, Facebook
Politics
Source: Wikipedia
Virginia House of Delegates
Elections
He was first elected to represent the 15th district in the Virginia House of Delegates in 2005.
Tenure
In 2010, Gilbert was appointed to be Deputy Majority Leader of the House of Delegates.
Gilbert will become the Virginia House of Delegates Majority Leader on January 10, 2018, so long as Republicans maintain their majority following the next elections. He was chosen by the House Republican Caucus following their decision to promote current House Majority Leader Kirk Cox to Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates.
Committee assignments
- House General Laws Committee (Chairman)
- Militia Police and Public Safety Committee
- Courts of Justice Committee
Other assignments
- Virginia State Crime Commission
- Board of Directors of the Virginia YMCA.
Recent Elections
2019
| Todd Gilbert (R) | 18,914 | 74.36% |
| Beverly Harrison (D) | 6,493 | 25.53% |
| Write In (Write-in) | 30 | 0.12% |
| TOTAL | 25,437 |
2017
| Todd Gilbert (R) | 19,284 | 94.3% |
| Write In (Write-in) | 1,171 | 5.7% |
| TOTAL | 20,455 |
Source: Virginia Legislative Information System
Finances
GILBERT, CHRISTOPHER TODD (TODD) has run in 8 races for public office, winning 7 of them. The candidate has raised a total of $1,656,150.
Source: Follow the Money
Committees
Delegation
Majority Leader (2018-)
Committees
Vice Chair: General Laws
Rules
Courts of Justice
Subcommittees
Chair: Courts of Justice – Subcommittee #1
Chair: Courts of Justice – Subcommittee #4
Courts of Justice – Ethics Subcommittee
General Laws – Subcommittee #3
Rules – Joint Rules
Appointments
- Crime Commission, Virginia State
- Criminal Justice Services Board
- Criminal Law Subcommittee
- Ethics Advisory Council, Virginia Conflict of Interest and
- Governor’s Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates
- House Courts of Justice
- House General Laws
- House Rules
- Joint Rules
- Judicial Panel
- Rappahannock River Basin Commission
- Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel
Voting Record
See: Vote Smart
New Legislation
Source: Virginia Legislative Information System
Issues
Source: Campaign page
Civil Rights
Protecting the 2nd Amendment
Delegate Gilbert is a recognized leader in protecting our individual right to keep and bear arms and has an “A+” career rating from the National Rifle Association. The National Rifle Association awarded Delegate Gilbert the “Defender of Freedom Award” at the 146th National Rifle Association annual meeting in Atlanta in April 2017. The Defender of Freedom Award is awarded to individuals who have distinguished themselves in preserving and protecting our Second Amendment rights. He has sponsored a number of initiatives aimed at expanding the right to carry a concealed firearm for personal protection. He sponsored a bill, now the law, to ensure that law-abiding citizens who posses a concealed handgun permit no longer have to be disarmed in Virginia’s restaurants when they go out to dinner with their family. In 2012, he was the chief co-sponsor of the bill that repealed Virginia’s “one gun a month” handgun rationing law. Delegate Gilbert does not believe that law-abiding citizens should have to get the permission of their government to carry a concealed firearm. He believes that the only outcome achieved by more gun laws and restrictions, including so-called “gun-free zones”, is to disarm good, law-abiding people while ensuring they are at the mercy of armed predators who will never follow the law.
Economy
In his twelve years in the House of Delegates, Todd has worked to make Virginia one of the top states in America to do business. By keeping his promise never to raise taxes and working against burdensome regulations, Delegate Gilbert has helped Virginia withstand the economic downturn better than most states. He strongly believes in Virginia’s right-to-work laws and voted to make them part of our state constitution because he knows they contribute to job creation in Virginia. Todd believes that those seeking a good paying job should not be forced to join a labor union and has been awarded the Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s “Champion of Free Enterprise Award” for having a 100% pro-business voting record and holds an “A” rating from the Chamber for his votes to protect economic liberty. In 2013, he has also helped to strengthen Virginia’s job market by passing legislation to help reduce frivolous lawsuits, and was awarded the “Advocate in Legal Reform Award” by the Chamber of Commerce for his efforts.
Environment
Energy Independence
Delegate Gilbert believes that America’s dependence on foreign sources of energy are an imminent threat to our economy and national security. America continues to compete with foreign rivals for access to oil sold to us by countries who don’t have America’s interests at heart. Meanwhile, America has untold reserves of oil, natural gas, and coal that remain untapped, even right here in Virginia. Todd believes that cheaper energy means economic security and that we should continue to develop these resources along with new clean-coal burning and nuclear plants. He has co-sponsored legislation to allow oil and natural gas drilling off Virginia’s coast and voted against a number of so-called “green” initiatives which are only helping to make the cost of energy skyrocket for most citizens.
Health Care
Fighting for Healthcare Freedom
Delegate Gilbert fought against the implementation of Obamacare in Virginia. As a limited government conservative, he believes that the passage and implementation of Obamacare has crippled America’s health care system and paved the way for socialized medicine in the United States. Health care rationing will ultimately ensure that all Americans, whose health decisions should be between them and their doctor, are at the mercy of their government with respect to their medical treatment. Todd has co-sponsored legislation to exempt Virginians from the provisions of Obamacare and in a recent session was one of only a handful of representatives to vote against laying the groundwork for the expensive expansion of Medicaid under the mandates of Obamacare.
Safety
As a former career prosecutor of nearly fifteen years, Delegate Gilbert has a unique understanding of the nature of crime and criminals. He has served on the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission and the Commission on VASAP which oversees DUI offenders in the Commonwealth. He currently serves on the Virginia Crime Commission which helps to shape public safety policy in Virginia. Todd has sponsored and supported countless new laws aimed at protecting our children from sexual predators, including mandatory life sentences for those convicted of raping a child. For his efforts, Delegate Gilbert has been named “Legislator of the Year” by the Virginia State Police Association and the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police. He also won accolades from Virginia’s prosecutors, having earned the Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ inaugural “Champion of Justice Award” for his work on behalf of public safety.
