Name: Colleen Holmes Holcomb

Race: House of Delegates, 91st District

Party: Republican

Website: Colleenfordelegate.com

Biography: Colleen was born into a large family who instilled in her a love for people, a desire to serve, and a determination to make it her life’s work to make people’s lives better, however possible. That led her to pursue careers in policy, ministry, and ultimately to a career in law.

She graduated from Magna Cum Laude from Wellesley College and earned a law degree from Regent Law School where she received the National Association of Women Lawyers’ Outstanding Graduate Award. She also earned a master’s degree in Journalism from Regent University School of Communications and Arts.

Upon completing her law degree Holcomb worked in the non-profit sector to continue her passion of improving the lives of those around her. She held roles with the Flying Hospital, Inc and Christian Broadcasting Network. She has also served as Director of Communications for the Christian Legal Society. With her husband Wayne they run Holcomb Law, P.C., a law firm that serves the local Hampton Roads Area.

Between them Colleen and Wayne have three children all of whom have attended Poquoson Public Schools. Colleen is thankful for the opportunities her hard-working family and community gave her, and she is determined to put her experiences to work for the people of Virginia’s 91st District in Richmond.

Why should residents elect you to the Virginia House of Delegates?

Residents of Virginia’s 91st District deserve a delegate who will listen to and fight for them. I have spent my career engaged in compassionate and passionate advocacy. When I see people struggling or facing injustice, it keeps me up at night, and I have to take action.

After working in the public policy arena in Washington, D.C., I was eager to get away from politics, but when our current delegate announced his retirement, I felt compelled to run so the residents of the 91st district would have a representatives who cares about and will fight for them, not simply a politician who will tow the party line. Running for delegate is not a next step in my career. For me, it is a call to sacrifice and serve.

My experience as a family law attorney has shown me first-hand the issues residents of the 91st District are facing. On a daily basis, I see the impact of crippling health care premiums, the scourge of opioid addiction, and inadequate resources for those struggling with mental illness. I see that Virginia is one of the worst states in the nation at placing foster children in permanent homes. All of this compels me to take action.

At the same time, as a small business owner, I have witnessed the positive impact our growing economy has had on the residents of the district. The abundance of jobs and opportunities have brought renewed hope. I will fight to protect those jobs and see that hope is realized.

What is the biggest issue facing your district, and how do you plan to address it?

As of late September, I, personally, knocked on more than 3,000 doors to speak directly to the residents of the 91st District. The biggest issue I hear about is the economy. Virginia is currently the number one state for business. But, people are genuinely afraid that if the Democrats take control of the House of Delegates, their plans to do away with our Right to Work law, arbitrarily raise the minimum wage and implement costly energy taxes will drive businesses and jobs away from the Commonwealth.

I plan to address these concerns by fighting this radical agenda and instead advocating for solutions to high health care costs. For example, I strongly support Association Health Plans that enable small businesses to pool together with other businesses to enable them to provide affordable and comprehensive health care plans to their employees, like those available to larger corporations.

What was the most important vote taken in the Virginia General Assembly in 2019, and why?

The most important vote taken in the Virginia General Assembly in 2019 was the vote to increase teacher pay, but, I believe that was only a first step. We must increase teacher pay and get education funding restored to at least pre-recession levels. Quality education is essential to our children’s, future and to our state’s economy. In order to attract and retain high quality educators, we have to offer better pay and better working conditions. The only way can reach this goal is if we protect and grow our economy.

My opponent is running on her credentials as a school board member, and we agree on the importance of education. Unfortunately, she has embraced a radical partisan agenda that will undercut our shared goal of preparing students for bright futures. Driving jobs and businesses away from the Commonwealth will eliminate the opportunities for which we want to prepare students, and it will diminish revenues, which will prevent us from funding priorities like education.