Meet Bob

I was raised by two remarkable parents: my mother, a public school music teacher, and my father, a World War II veteran and Methodist minister. With five sisters, I grew up in a large, busy family. I absorbed my parents’ passion for fighting the good fight– protecting the values important to us like fairness, hard work and compassion for others. Through their eyes, I saw the importance of supporting public education, equal rights, and each other. 

Throughout my childhood, I saw my parents struggle to make ends meet while serving their community, and that experience has driven me to work for a better life for my children and all Virginians. My mother’s work as a public school teacher and my father’s ministry influenced me to serve my community, initially in part-time volunteer roles, and now as a full-time commitment.

I put myself through six years of education and went into the financial sector. My experience in this line of work gave me a window into how economic factors affect working families. Over time, I became committed to fighting for policies that put the needs of everyday people first. I’ve sought to give back to my community as a volunteer in my daughter’s public schools and as an active member of my church. 

In 2015, I started advocating as a full-time volunteer lobbyist for the Sierra Club, and also joined Planned Parenthood and Moms Demand Action during their General Assembly lobby days. During the years that Republicans held the state House, volunteering was challenging and frustrating. Witnessing firsthand the obstructionist tactics and the lack of progress on important issues furthered my desire to help elect Democrats to enable meaningful change. In 2020, Democrats gained control of the House, and I was able to see bills I worked on, like the Solar Freedom bill and the VA Clean Economy Act, pass. And much progress was made in crucial areas like health care, voting rights, women’s rights.

Over the past eight years, I have seen the bad, the good and the ugly in the state legislature. The ugliest being the most recent session where Governor Youngkin and the Republican-controlled House tried to reverse all the progress we made in 2020 and 2021. Now as a candidate, I am committed to flip the House back to a Democratic majority, and join a new wave of leaders who will fight tirelessly to protect the rights and freedoms of all Virginians. 

I’ve made Virginia my home because I see the great potential of the Commonwealth. My wife and I want to work toward a world that protects our kids and grants them freedom to be the next generation of leaders. I’ve lived in this district for 27 years and I will fight for you, so that, together, we make a brighter future for Virginia.

To learn more about my stances on the issues, please visit our Issues Page.