The 7 Republicans running to be Virginia’s governor, in their own words

The Virginian-Pilot asked Republican candidates running for governor the following question: Democrats will control the Senate for the first two years of your tenure, and they could maintain control of the House of Delegates this year. What do you realistically expect to achieve if you win the governor’s seat?

Here are their answers:

Amanda Chase

No. 1, I will completely eliminate the current governor’s executive orders: eliminating the mask mandates, eliminating capacity limitations on businesses and allow us to fully reopen our schools, our businesses, our churches and get Virginia back to normal, just like Florida. I think that’s going to fix a lot of problems right there. One of the other things that I will do is I will use executive orders to reverse the infringement of our constitutional rights, specifically our Second Amendment rights. I will veto all bills that limit our constitutional rights.

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Kirk Cox

Virginia isn’t like Washington, and there are a lot of things we can do working together. I’ve proposed $50 million to address law enforcement compensation, and I think we can work across the aisle to win support for that. As Speaker, I convinced a Democratic Governor to cut unnecessary regulations by 25% in two state agencies, and that’s a program I think we can expand. That’s one of the key differences between me and other Republican candidates. I’ve proven that people can work together on some stuff, even when I’m standing up to the far left policies I oppose.

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Sergio de la Peña

I will use the bully pulpit of the Governor’s mansion to advocate for policies that will help all Virginians. I will also campaign to help elect more Republicans to the General Assembly so that we can win and repair the damage of Democrat rule in Virginia.

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Peter Doran

I will be elected on my vision and will pursue it. I will not negotiate down, with myself, that agenda with an assumption as to what the state Senate will do. That being said, I look forward to working with the legislature on that agenda and the big issues facing Virginia. And where we might disagree, I look forward to making the case to the state Senate and the people they are accountable to: the voters.

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Octavia Lyvonne Johnson

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As Governor of this great Commonwealth I want to dispel the fear the current administration has ignited in the citizens of Virginia. I want to replace fear with hope by opening up this great state, by listening to the citizens and seeking good counsel. I will serve the people with determination; dignity and respect.

I want the whole state of Virginia to THRIVE; therefore I will be able to work both sides of the aisle. We need to leave behind antiquated ideas and embrace innovative solutions. When we resolve to work together we can successfully address our most pressing problems.

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Pete Snyder

Day one — we are opening schools five days a week with teachers in the classrooms. We are going to revive small businesses and restore the rights that have been stripped under the guise of the pandemic.

Northam-McAuliffe rule shuttered Virginia’s growth. Virginians are tired of the status quo and they want change. That is why we are bringing a conservative majority with me to the General Assembly. Coming from the private sector, I know how to get things done. We are going to rely on the public and private sector working hand-in-hand to accomplish great things for our Commonwealth.

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Glenn Youngkin

I will immediately open schools, businesses and houses of worship that have been unnecessarily closed for too long by Governor Northam. We will get our economy moving again, crank up the job machine, lower the cost of living by lowering taxes, and cut red tape. I will make sure Virginia leads the nation in law enforcement, with full funding and no threat to qualified immunity. Schools’ curriculum will be revised to stop teaching what to think and start teaching how to think, including accelerated math. I will fight against big tech censorship, defend our Constitutional rights, and press forward with election reforms.