Now that the nationwide midterm elections have come to an end, the campaigns for all 140 members of the Virginia General Assembly up for re-election in 2019 has started. Republican candidate Ian Lovejoy announced this weekend that he will challenge Delegate Lee Carter (D-Manassas) in the 50th House of Delegates District, encompassing parts of Prince William County in the Northern Virginia region which has trended further left in recent years.
In a press release from his campaign website, the two-term Manassas City Councilman said:
“I’m humbled by the growing list of community leaders, public servants and small business owners from throughout Manassas and Prince William County who have endorsed my candidacy. Our region has seen great success recently in attracting good-paying jobs and new industries, and it’s paramount those efforts continue. I want to work with anyone and everyone to ensure all our residents have access to these incredible opportunities. That’s why I’m running for the House of Delegates.
To ensure our region’s prosperity, we must work to ease the tax burden on our families and small businesses and see to it that we get back from Richmond as much as we give. We need to build on our past successes of job creation and continue our efforts to alleviate traffic congestion, so we spend more time with family and community and less time commuting. I look forward to having these and many more conversations with residents throughout the 50th District.”
A long-time public servant and founder of Reliant Hiring Solutions, a nationwide recruitment provider, Lovejoy became one of the youngest people and first millennial ever elected to the Manassas City Council in 2012, a position to which he was re-elected in 2016. He has served as chairman of the Economic Development and Land Use Committee, championing an “’innovation before taxation’ approach to governance.”
Joining over two dozen public leaders that have endorsed his candidacy already, former House of Delegates member Jackson Miller of the 50th district said in a statement, “Since being elected to the Manassas City Council, Ian has continually raised the bar on what it means to serve our community. He’s remained focused on citizen engagement, working with businesses large and small, and ensuring constituents have a voice in their government. He understands the issues facing families in our area and will use his experience to serve everyone. I’m proud to offer Ian my support and know he will work hard for us all in Richmond.”
If Lovejoy is victorious on November 5, 2019, he will replace Delegate Carter, a known member of the Democratic Socialists of America, who was elected in the blue wave in 2017 that saw Democrats reclaiming 15 seats of the vast Republican majority in the House, leaving the GOP caucus with just 51 members in the lower chamber.