Meet The Candidate: Kirk Cox Seeks Nomination For Governor

VIRGINIA — Del. Kirk Cox, former speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, is one of seven candidates seeking the Republican nomination for governor of Virginia in 2021.

On Saturday, 53,000 delegates will cast ballots for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general at the Republican nominating convention. The contest is ranked choice, requiring candidates to get a majority of votes to win.

Cox will face businessman Glenn Youngkin, entrepreneur Pete Snyder, state Sen. Amanda Chase, former think thank leader Peter Doran, retired Army Col. Sergio de la Peña and former Roanoke Sheriff Octavia L. Johnson.

Visit this site to find a polling location near you for Saturday's nomination convention.

Cox, who taught U.S. and Virginia government for 30 years to middle and high school students, was first elected to the House of Delegates in 1989. He represents his hometown of Colonial Heights and served as speaker of the Virginia House from January 2018 through January 2020.

Learn more about Kirk Cox and why he is running for governor of Virginia in 2021:

Age (as of Election Day)

63

Position Sought

Governor

Party Affiliation

Republican

Family

Julie and I have been married for 36 years. We have four sons, Lane, Carter, Blake, and Cameron, and just welcomed our granddaughter, Lilah Grace.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My sons Blake and Cameron are helping out on the campaign team! I know they’re grateful for the extra time with their dad.

Education

James Madison University

Occupation

I taught U.S. and Virginia government for 30 years. I loved it, and am grateful that I got to go to work every day and play a small role in my students’ high school experiences. I also coached baseball and basketball during that time.

Previous or current elected or appointed office

I have served my hometown of Colonial Heights in the House of Delegates for 32 years. During that time, I served as Majority Leader for eight years and Speaker of the House for two years.

Campaign website

www.kirkcox.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for Governor to fight back against one party Democratic control in Richmond and to lead Virginia forward.

The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The effect of the pandemic on our kids and our way of life. Many Virginia students are three to six months behind due to extended remote learning. Churches have been forced to limit their attendees. A readily available vaccine is a great thing, and it should mean we can get back to normal.

I want to see restrictions and lockdowns lifted now. But if Ralph Northam fails to do so, that will be my first step as Governor.

How would you assess Virginia’s handling of the coronavirus, and why?

Ralph Northam is the only doctor governor in the nation, but under his watch, Virginia was one of the worst states for Covid testing and vaccine distribution. When studies showed us there was a safe way to get kids back in the classroom, he kept them locked down in front of Zoom school.

What laws or policies will you pursue to help the state recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?

Last July, I urged Governor Northam to prioritize five days of in-person learning. He didn’t listen, and for months our school buildings sat shuttered while students languished in virtual and remote settings that did not meet their needs, despite the best effort of hardworking teachers.

I have an aggressive plan to attack learning loss and get our kids back on track after extended remote learning. It includes: mobilizing current, former and substitute teachers to provide unprecedented one-on-one tutoring; extending summer remediation opportunities for all students; and offering tax-free compensation for teachers who participate in summer school programs.

We only have one chance to get this right for our kids.

How would you assess the General Assembly's work in the latest session, which saw passage of a host of bills on racial equity and criminal justice reform?

It is vital that our criminal justice system treat all Virginians equally under the law. But the Democrats’ efforts on criminal justice have made Virginia less-safe, demonizing our law enforcement in the process.

On top of that, the Democratic Administration has completely failed to take the appropriate action with regards to their Parole Board scandal. Members of Northam and McAuliffe's Parole Board violated the law, and then government entities up the chain of command appear to have attempted to cover up the true depth of the violations. With each development, we learn more about the poor leadership and lack of transparency, and yet, Governor Northam has failed to hold people accountable.

What is your position on the effort to repeal the state's right-to-work statute, and what changes, if any, would you make in the law?

In 2013, then-Governor Terry McAuliffe praised Virginia as being a “great right-to-work state,” saying “we should never change that.” Now, he’s been silent while his fellow Democrats lurch to the left.

Forced unionization hurts Virginia small businesses. When I’m Governor, we’ll put a stop to efforts to end Virginia’s right-to-work status.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

As a former teacher, it is extremely disheartening to see Virginia Democrats’ efforts to fundamentally remake our education system–injecting far left ideas like Critical Race Theory, lowering academic standards, and now talking about ending advanced math courses just because they supposedly aren’t fair.

The ideological overhaul being pushed by Democrats defies common sense. We need a governor who can take on the Democrats when it comes to education.

As Governor, I will replace the entire Virginia Board of Education; prohibit the teaching of Critical Race Theory; stop efforts to eliminate the use of advanced diplomas; preserve advanced track math and science courses; restore race-blind, merit-based admission to Virginia’s Governor Schools; end the development of the Virginia Mathematics Pathways Initiative; and eliminate the use of Critical Race Theory as part of teacher evaluations.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Teddy Roosevelt spoke about the “man in the arena;” the one who “spends himself in a worthy cause.” When Virginians look at my record in the House of Delegates, they will see that I have fought for their conservative values day-in and day-out. I’ve stood up to the left’s radical agenda on issues like protecting the right to life, and worked across the aisle to improve the well-being of Virginia veterans. I am the proven conservative in this race.

I also have what it takes to win in November. I represent the bluest Republican district in Virginia--it is only 46% Republican, and Hillary Clinton won it by five points in 2016. But I won because I knocked on over 8,000 doors, speaking with people who had never had their doors knocked on by Republicans before. We found that we shared each other’s values, and ultimately wanted the same things for our children.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Eight years of Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam has left Virginia in a pretty tough spot.

Government-run agencies like the Virginia Employment Commission have left people in need waiting for weeks on end to receive their benefits, processing just 2.4% of claims within 21 days and putting Virginia dead-last in the country. There was also a five month wait at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

This is poor governance, plain and simple. Virginians deserve a government that works for them, not the other way around.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

When I was Speaker of the House, we balanced the budget and made Virginia the best place to do business and one of the safest states in the country. We can do that again, but we need someone who knows how Richmond works to get that done.

On my first day as Governor, I will send out budget amendments to cut regulations by 20 percent in every state agency and make sure there is language in the budget to open our schools.

Governors appoint many boards of governors and commissions in Virginia, so you will see me put experienced, principled leaders in every one of those positions.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

“It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.” - Vince Lombardi

“When you have faith in God, you don’t have to worry about the future. You just know it’s all in His hands. You just go to and do your best.” - Elder Bryan Mathison

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am running on my record because it’s entirely reflective of where I stand on the issues that matter most. I love Virginia, and I believe I can make a difference as our next Governor.

I hope to have your vote on May 8, and if I’m not your first choice, I hope that you’ll consider me as your second.