Andy Parker became a well-known gun control activist after a gunman killed his TV reporter daughter during a live broadcast seven years ago.
Today, Parker has his sights set on Congress. Virginia’s 5th Congressional District to be exact.
But the fight won’t be easy. While his story elicits great sympathy, Parker’s views don’t easily align with the conservative-leaning 5th District.
That isn’t to say incumbent Rep. Bob Good (R) can rest easy.
As Fox News reports:
“I’m running for Congress to make the internet safer for kids and for families,” Parker emphasized in a video launching his campaign for the House of Representatives in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, in the hopes of challenging Republican Rep. Bob Good, a strong gun-rights supporter and one of the most conservative lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
In 2015, my 24-year-old daughter, Alison Parker, was shot and killed on live television. I had a choice to retreat into my grief or honor Alison’s life through action. I chose the latter. I’m running for Congress because Central and Southside Virginia need a fighter in Congress. pic.twitter.com/3Y0iTv7Blx
— Andy Parker (@AndyParkerVA) January 27, 2022
And while reducing gun violence is still a top issue for Parker, he said it’s not the overarching focus of his bid for Congress. Parker the past few years has been taking aim at YouTube and other social media companies as he fights to remove video of the violent death of his daughter. He says if he’s elected, he’ll have a better chance in his push to remove the current protections such tech companies have from accountability if content posted on their sites causes harm. It’s an issue that to a degree unites Democrats and Republicans.
Good released a statement to Roanoke’s WFXR News following Parker’s announcement:
“I have done what I said I would do when first running for Congress in 2020, and have been on the front line fighting for our nation’s founding principles and against the Democrats’ radical leftist agenda. I have been among the most active freshmen lawmakers with more than two dozen bills sponsored to combat Democrats’ unconstitutional mandates, open borders, runaway federal spending, and efforts to indoctrinate our kids at school against the will of parents. I look forward to earning the support of 5th district voters to continue the fight against Democrat policies that are causing massive inflation, surging crime, supply and labor shortages, and more.“