Summary

News

Todd Gilbert

Current Position: Virginia House Minority leader
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: Virginia House of Delegates District 15
Former Positions: 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.

For more information, see this post on Todd Gilbert.

Emily Scott

Current Position: Employee at the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen in Front Royal
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: Virginia House of Delegates District 15
Former Positions: Former Employee in the Tech Industry, Former Employee for two Virginia newspapers

A Shenandoah Valley native who knows well the stresses and challenges facing our region and commonwealth. Emily Scott will bring care, smarts, and grit to the House of Delegates.

For more information, see this post on Emily Scott.

Issues

Todd Gilbert

Source: Campaign Website

Jobs and the 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.

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.

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.

Public 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.

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.

Emily Scott

Emily’s Priorities

Highway Safety on I-81

Broadband for Rural Virginia

Health Care and Mental Health

Infrastructure, including expanded public water and sewer.

Education

Agriculture Revitalization

Supporting a Growing Tourism Industry

Social Security & Medicare Sustainability

Good Jobs with Good Pay and Benefits

Repeal Right-to-Work