McPike Makes Run for Virginia Senate

‘Ethics reform needed to restore public trust in Richmond’

Jeremy McPike fell short by just 288 votes in his bid to unseat the long-serving Scott Lingamfelter from the Virginia House of Delegates. There were a total of 22,833 votes cast in the 2013 contest.

McPike said he built a “strong coalition” of voters during that campaign who recognized him as the person who could help bring ethics reform to Richmond, as well as help move Prince William County forward in areas such as transportation and education.

Not giving up the fight, McPike will officially announce his candidacy to fill the 29th District Virginia Senate seat vacated by Charles Colgan, the Senate’s longest-serving member since 1976, and its President Pro Tempore. The district includes all of Manassas and Manassas Park and a portion of Prince William County.

“The ethics reform that we seen go before our governor don’t go far enough. Zero gifts to politicians need to be the standard to restore public trust in Richmond,” said McPike.

Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and First Lady Maureen McDonnell were convicted in September on 11 of 13 counts and nine of 13 counts, respectively, of taking $177,000 in loans and gifts from then Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams. On Monday, a federal judge acquitted Maureen McDonnell on one count of obstruction of justice but refused to toss out charges against the former governor. Both now face years in prison.

McPike also wants to reform how political districts are drawn and bring an end to gerrymandering. He says both political parties use big data, just as large corporations use to find their customers, to draw political districts – “cramming” a large number of Republicans into one district and Democrats into another.

“Voters should be creeped out because [political parties] know who voted for what, down to the decimal point, and then use that information to determine how they will vote again,” said McPike.

The Democrat says he wants to continue in Colgan’s footsteps. The retiring Senator is credited with bringing million of dollars in funding for local transportation projects.

“I commute one hour each way every day,” said McPike. “We need to continue to fund road improvements on Route 28, I-95, and Route 1, but do it in a way so that it does not cut into education.”

To increase revenues in state coffers, McPike said he is in favor of repealing a state tax credit used to entice filmmakers to make movies in the state.

“The data show there is no payback for the tax credit,” he said.

McPike will compete against fellow Democrat Atif Qarni for the seat. Qarni unsuccessfully ran to unseat Delegate Bob Marshall, losing by 498 of the 17,429 cast in the 2013 contest.

McPike is from Dale City where he currently lives with his wife of 14 years, Sharon, and their three girls, ages 13, 9, and 6, all who attend public school. By day, McPike works as the Director of General Services for Alexandria and manages city real estate, facilities, vehicle fleet, animal shelter, and farmers market.

He also serves at the Dale City Volunteer Fire Department Station 10 on Dale Boulevard in Dale City, where he’ll make his official campaign kick-off announcement at 10 a.m. Saturday.