Meet The Candidate: Jennifer Wexton Seeks Second Term In Congress

NORTHERN VIRGINIA —With all the issues and crises she has been forced to address during her time in Washington, it's hard to believe that Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-10th) has been in Congress for only one term.

From dealing with the longest government shutdown in U.S. history when she first took office in January 2019 to the current coronavirus pandemic, it has been nonstop crisis management for Wexton and her colleagues in Congress.

Wexton was part of the Blue Wave of 2018 when the Democrats retook control of the House of Representatives. That year, she defeated Rep. Barbara Comstock, a Republican who had represented Virginia's 10th congressional district for two terms after the retirement of Rep. Frank Wolf, another Republican who had held the 10th congressional seat since defeating Democrat Joe Fisher in 1980.

In 2020, Wexton is facing a political newcomer in her bid to win a second term in Congress. Aliscia Andrews won the Republican nomination for Virginia's 10th congressional district in June after defeating three other candidates at the GOP's nominating convention in Winchester.

Learn more about Wexton and why she is running for reelection to Congress in 2020:

Candidate

Jennifer Wexton

Age (as of Election Day)

52

Town/City of Residence

Leesburg

Office sought

U.S. House of Representatives, 10th District

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Husband Andrew, two sons Matthew and Jamie, and two rescue labs Wanda and Lady Bear

Education

University of Maryland BA '92
William & Mary Law School JD '95

Campaign Website

Jenniferwexton.com

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Virginia state Senate (2014-2019)

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most pressing issue right now is getting this virus under control and supporting our families and small businesses in need. In every COVID-19 bill that we’ve passed, I’ve fought to include funding for testing, tracing, and treatment to support our public health response. I’m proud to have helped pass the CARES Act which delivered critical stimulus payments, enhanced unemployment benefits, funding for our schools and distance learning, rent and mortgage relief, and more for Virginia families. I also passed my bipartisan Retirement Protection Act into law as part of CARES to help our retirees protect their savings during the crisis. Additionally, by voting to create the Paycheck Protection Program, I helped more than 18,800 of Virginia-10 small businesses receive loans totaling $2.4 billion.

More needs to be done, and that’s why I voted to pass the bipartisan Heroes Act more than four months ago. Unfortunately, the Trump administration and Senate Republicans instead decided to sit on their hands while 200,000 American died from this virus, crucial relief programs expired, and our small businesses shut their doors. I’m continuing to advocate for the priorities that are important to our district and work in a bipartisan way to deliver additional relief.

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

I’ve spent my career fighting for Virginia’s kids and families. As a former prosecutor, state Senator, and now Member of Congress, I’ve worked to deliver results on the issues that matter most to our community. I’ve fought to make health care more affordable for our families by protecting and expanding on the Affordable Care Act and voting to lower premiums, protect those with pre-existing conditions, and lower the cost of prescription drugs. I’ve also worked to keep our kids safe from gun violence, stand up for federal workers, and support survivors of domestic violence — all while holding this President accountable.

My career in public service has helped me tackle crises like the government shutdown and COVID-19 pandemic head on and deliver results for our families. I’ve worked across the aisle to pass five bipartisan bills through the House and my Retirement Protection Act was signed into law by the President as part of the CARES Act. I’ve also been accessible to my constituents by holding 8 in-person town halls and 9 more virtual town halls once COVID-19 hit.

My team has worked around the clock to get help to those who need it, closing more than 3,000 constituent cases and recovering over $4 million for taxpayers in the district. I look forward to continue fighting for Virginia-10 families for years to come.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

I’m proud of the results that I’ve delivered on the issues that matter to our district, and I look forward to building on the progress that we’ve made.

On the issue of health care, I’ve voted for the House to enter the legal battle against President Trump’s lawsuit to strike down the Affordable Care Act. I’ve also voted to reduce premiums, shore up the individual markets, and lower the cost of prescription drugs. We need to expand access to quality, affordable health care, not rip it away — that’s why I support a public option for Medicare like Medicare X, allowing people to buy into this program to get coverage.

I’m proud of the bold action I’ve taken to confront the gun violence epidemic in America, including passing universal background checks and closing loopholes to keep firearms out of the hands of those who would harm themselves or others. I also support other common sense provisions like extreme risk protection orders and banning the sale of assault weapons, and I will continue to push to get these important measures signed into law.

I’ve fought to protect federal workers and their benefits. I’m proud to have helped secure 12 weeks of paid parental leave for most federal workers, a long-overdue benefit that was signed into law by the President in last year’s national defense authorization. I've also helped lead the fight for expanded telework during COVID-19 and authored legislation that would allow frontline federal workers to rollover their “use-it-or-lose-it” leave benefits to next year.

These are just a few of the many issues important to our district that I’ve been fighting for in Congress and throughout my career. I will continue working to improve the lives of Virginia’s kids and families in my second term.

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

During my time in the state Senate, I passed over 40 bipartisan bills into law — all while serving in the minority party. Many of those bills were informed by my background as a prosecutor as well as feedback from constituents on how to improve their lives. Those bills included legislation to keep our children safe from online predators, get the life-saving overdose drug Narcan into the hands of more Virginians, create a right for women to breastfeed in public, and establish a civil course of action for victims of revenge porn and surreptitious photos.

I’ve taken that work ethic with me to Washington. My first term in Congress has been marked by unprecedented events — from the longest government shutdown in history to a once-in-a-generation pandemic. Even amidst what seems like our government lurching from crisis to crisis, I’ve worked across the aisle to pass five bipartisan bills through the House, my Retirement Protection Act was signed into law by the President, and my team has resolved more than 3,000 constituent cases and recovered over $4 million for taxpayers in the district.

My decades of public service and long record of achievements on behalf of our community have positioned me well to lead our district through any crisis or challenge, all while putting the needs of our families first.

Why should voters trust you?

The most important part of my job is being accessible to my constituents. The best way for me to represent our district is by meeting people where they are and listening to their concerns. I’ve traveled to every corner of Virginia-10 and made hundreds of visits to small businesses, schools, farms, fairs, and more.

Before COVID-19 hit, I hosted 8 town halls across our district to provide an update on my work in Congress and answer questions directly from constituents. Since the pandemic has moved us virtual, I’ve hosted another 9 town halls with public health experts and local leaders to keep our district safe and informed. I’m proud of my record as a prosecutor, state Senator, and Member of Congress and take every vote with the interests of our community as my top priority.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?

I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished during my first term in Congress. I’ve passed five bipartisan bills through the House and my Retirement Protection Act was signed into law by the President as part of the CARES Act.

I’ve also successfully fought to pass major legislation on some of the issues that are most important to our community — including bills to make health care more affordable, combat climate change, raise the minimum wage, address systemic racial injustice, expand voting rights, invest in our crumbling infrastructure, and more. Unfortunately, so much of this great and important legislation is being blocked by the Republican Senate.

One issue in particular that I’ve made a priority and I hope we can swiftly make law with a Democratic president and Senate majority is gun violence prevention. The gun violence crisis has devastated families across our country, including right here in Virginia. I cosponsored and voted to pass H.R. 8 to institute universal background checks and to close the Charleston loophole. As part of the expansion of the Violence Against Women Act, we included a provision to protect survivors of domestic violence by closing the boyfriend loophole and preventing convicted abusers and stalkers from accessing a firearm. Fighting for these common sense reforms will be a top priority in my second term.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

I spent five years serving in the state Senate where we had to balance our budget every year, so I know the importance of smart and responsible government spending. Right now during the COVID-19 crisis, we must get relief to those in need, including funding for our states and localities. Spending now will help ensure that the recession we’re facing does not become a longer, more dangerous depression.

One of the major contributors to the growing national debt is President Trump’s 2017 tax bill, where the richest 1% of Americans will receive 83% of the benefits. I believe we must close loopholes to ensure that everyone pays their fair share — especially corporations.

I’m also proud that my office has helped return more than $4 million to constituents who were owed money or benefits from the federal government. That is almost double the operating cost of my congressional office, making efficient use of taxpayer dollars.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

I do believe that Black Lives Matter. As a mom, it was horrifying to watch the video of George Floyd with a knee on his neck as he struggled to breathe and called out for this mother.

I support those who have demanded change and marched peacefully in every corner of our district — from Fairfax to Leesburg to Winchester. I joined a number of those marches and set out to use my power as a legislator to enact change. I met with the Presidents of our local NAACP chapters as well as law enforcement leaders from across Virginia-10. We all agreed that changes needed to be made to stop police brutality while also giving law enforcement the ability to properly train officers and know the records of those officers with histories of violence.

What are your thoughts on the campaign to "defund" the police?

I do not support defunding the police. I believe that we should do more to ensure that our law enforcement officers have the training they need to do their jobs effectively and equitably.

That’s why I was proud to vote to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which included banning neck restraints, funding for deescalation and crisis intervention training, a national police misconduct registry, and grants for community-based policing. We have a real need for common sense reforms like these to provide greater oversight, accountability, and transparency in our law enforcement.

What are your thoughts on the state and national response to the coronavirus pandemic? Do you favor such measures as limiting operation of non-essential businesses or restricting indoor/outdoor dining? And do you favor a nationwide mask mandate?

No one could have stopped COVID-19 from coming to our country, but it never had to be this bad. We’ve lost more than 200,000 Americans to this virus, millions of Americans are still out of work, and businesses continue to shut their doors for good. The President failed to prepare us by refusing to invoke the Defense Production Act to mass produce PPP for our frontline workers and testing equipment. He has downplayed the threat of COVID and flouted public health guidance while he knew that there would be deadly outcomes.

Meanwhile, I’m doing everything in my power in Congress to get help to those in need. I’ve secured bipartisan funding for the public health response, direct stimulus payments for families, enhanced unemployment benefits, access to care and free coronavirus testing, rent and mortgage relief, emergency loans for our small businesses, and funding for states and localities. When the pandemic reached our Commonwealth, I convened a weekly call with our public health officials, local and state leaders, first responders, and more to ensure our community was coordinated and effective in our response.

We all have to do our part to get this under control. I do support a national mask mandate because our public health experts tell us it is the best way to stop the spread of COVID-19. We also know that it is important to avoid large gatherings and that outdoor spaces are safer than gathering indoors, and I believe many of the steps taken by our local leaders to limit the spread of the virus helped keep our community safe.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No. I’ve spent my career fighting for the families of our community and I look forward to continuing that work for years to come.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

“Brevity will be rewarded.”

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

As a prosecutor, state Senator, and Member of Congress, I’ve worked to improve the lives of Virginians for decades. The most important thing that I want the voters of VA-10 to know right now is how to cast their ballot in this election. This year, you have the option to vote early in person at your local registrar or certain satellite locations in your county which you can find at jenniferwexton.com/vote. You can also vote by mail or vote in person on Election Day. I encourage everyone to go to iwillvote.com today to make their plan to vote.