Former NFL player, Navy vet face off in election for senate seat

Democrat Aaron Rouse and Republican Kevin Adams are racing to change Jen Kiggans in the condition senate.

The exclusive election is slated for Jan. 10 early voting has by now begun.

Kiggans, a Republican who represented District 7, not long ago stepped down after winning her bid for the 2nd Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

She had one more calendar year left on her point out Senate phrase, prompting the will need for the particular election.

Rouse, 38, a Virginia Seashore Metropolis Council member, is a previous NFL soccer player who was drafted by the Eco-friendly Bay Packers in 2007. He also performed for the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals. He was elected to the Metropolis Council in 2018.

If elected to the state Senate, Rouse instructed The Virginian-Pilot and Every day Push that safeguarding abortion access would be among his top priorities.

“The governor has reiterated that he is willing to indicator any abortion ban that comes across his desk,” he reported. “I will struggle to make guaranteed that gals have the opportunity to make their very own conclusions that’s anything that should not be legislated.”

Education would be another leading issue, Rouse claimed. He thinks teachers in Virginia should really be “the highest paid out in the nation” and explained he would advocate for far more funding to modernize college infrastructure.

“I am a product of our general public colleges,” he claimed. “They can aid young males like me have the likelihood and chance to make their life additional successful.”

To make an economic climate that “works for everybody,” Rouse claimed he would force for personnel to obtain “fair, livable” wages. He also desires to make new workforce housing.

Rouse, who grew up in Virginia Beach front, believes his robust ties to the location and encounter on the Town Council would be an asset when it comes to symbolizing the district.

Adams, 61, is a retired lieutenant commander who served for 26 several years in the Navy. He owns a smaller business enterprise, Adams Spouse and children Handyman Services, in Virginia Seashore.

He has not earlier held elected office environment.

If elected, Adams reported supporting veterans would be a top precedence.

He reported he would thrust to remove the point out tax on veterans’ pensions simply because they should be encouraged to keep in the commonwealth and have a range of helpful workforce capabilities.

“That is a huge burden on our veterans,” he claimed. “There are other states that have no tax on their veterans’ pensions — so they go to all those other sites and we want to continue to keep them in this article.”

Adams said he would also concentrate on strengthening the overall economy and cutting down criminal offense — two challenges that he believes go hand in hand.

“We need to make positive that organizations want to appear in this article and just one of the points that I know inhibits enterprise from coming any place is criminal offense,” he reported. “We require to crack down on crime and guarantee that our neighborhoods are harmless.”

Worried about law enforcement staffing shortages, Adams said he would function to “fully fund” legislation enforcement and assure businesses have all the assets they need to have.

Adams thinks his military assistance would be an asset in the point out Senate since he is accustomed to high-strain cases and working with people from “all walks of existence.”

The unique election will consider position a single working day in advance of the General Assembly convenes for its legislative session.

When Kiggans was elected to the state Senate in 2019, District 7 included pieces of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Those people strains have given that been redrawn thanks to redistricting — however, the current district lines will not implement in the course of the special election.

The exact voters in Norfolk and Virginia Seaside who were eligible to vote for Kiggans in 2019 will be ready to decide on her alternative.

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Name: Aaron Rouse

Age: 38

Occupation: Former NFL participant, founder of Rouse’s Home, a nonprofit that serves to create instruction as the foundation for youth

Former office held: Virginia Beach front Metropolis Council member (at significant), present-day

Instruction: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State, B.S. in Sociology (2007)

Marketing campaign web-site: https://rouseforsenate.com/

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Name: Kevin Adams

Age: 61

Occupation: Compact-business enterprise proprietor, retired Navy veteran

Former office held: None

Schooling: Parkside Significant Faculty (1979)

Campaign website: www.kevinadamsforsenate.com

Katie King, [email protected]