Local State Senator Announces Run for Lt. Governor

Image: State Sen. Bryce Reeves (Virginia General Assembly)

RICHMOND, VA - A state legislator who represents the Fredericksburg area announced Monday that he plans to run for lieutenant governor in next week's statewide election.

State Sen. Bryce E. Reeves, a Republican, also announced the creation of a political action committee to lay the groundwork for his run. A former U.S. Army Ranger and police narcotics detective, Reeves said he plans to bring "strong conservative leadership" to Richmond.

“I have proudly fought for all Virginians during my time in the Senate, whether it meant protecting their Second Amendment rights, standing up for the rights and proper treatment of our veterans and military families, or simply working to lower taxes and provide economic opportunity for everyday Virginians," he said in a statement.

In announcing his candidacy Monday, Reeves unveiled a long list of endorsements from Republican colleagues in the General Assembly, including 14 state senators and 23 members of the House of Delegates. Among them are House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford, and Del. Jackson Miller, the House majority whip, who served with Reeves in the Prince William County Police Department.

“For years, I have seen first-hand Bryce’s true dedication to public service," Miller said in the statement. "Today, he is once again answering the call to serve. He is the conservative leader we need in Richmond and I am excited for his campaign for Lt. Governor.”

But Reeves faces a challenge for the GOP nomination from another state Senate colleague, the Washington Post reported Monday. Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel, who represents Fauquier County, announced over the weekend that she plans to run.

Pete Snyder, a Northern Virginia technology entrepreneur is also weighing a bid for the Republican nomination, the Post reported.

Reeves, 49, represents the 17th District in the state Senate and is serving his second term. The district includes Fredericksburg, Orange County, part of Spotsylvania County, and portions of Albemarle, Culpeper and Louisa counties.

Reeves is chairman of the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services, in addition to sitting on the committees on Courts of Justice, General Laws and Technology, Rules, and Privileges and Elections, for which he chairs the Subcommittee on Certificate, Oath and Confirmation Review.

When he's not in Richmond, Reeves runs an insurance agency in Stafford and resides in Spotsylvania with his wife Anne and their two children.