VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A Virginia Beach attorney who has been periodically involved in the controversy surrounding the Confederate monument in Portsmouth has announced his intent to run for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Attorney and gun shop owner Tim Anderson announced Monday he plans to run against Democrat and incumbent Del. Nancy Guy, who won the seat in late 2019 after a recount gave her a 41-vote margin over Republican Chris Stolle.
Virginia delegates serve two-year terms, so the 83rd District seat is up for election in November 2021. The district covers parts of Virginia Beach and Norfolk.
Anderson now has an official Facebook page for his campaign. On Monday, he put out a request for donations from his supporters on that page.
“Winning starts right here in the suburbs of Virginia Beach and Norfolk with energy, new candidates that have the courage to fight, and a renewed commitment to conservative values that once made Virginia the top state in the nation for business,” Anderson wrote on his campaign website.
This summer, Anderson became involved in political controversy over the events stemming from a destructive protest June 10 at the Portsmouth Confederate monument, which left a man seriously injured and the monument damaged.
He organized a petition to recall state Sen. L. Louise Lucas just days after the protest.
Anderson accused Lucas of inciting a riot — a felony in Virginia — and said she instructed police to stand down as protesters worked to dismantle the monument near the intersection of Court and High streets.
Later, in July, Lucas filed a $20.7-million defamation suit against Anderson. She said Anderson “knew … information he stated involving Lucas was untrue at the time he stated it…” and that “these words harmed Senator Lucas’ reputation, by lowering her in the community’s estimation…”
Before the monument controversy, Anderson also spoke up in January about gun rights and school safety.
He told 10 On Your Side’s Jason Marks that he believed school staff should be allowed to carry guns at schools in case of emergencies.
Anderson’s campaign website promises he will be a “champion to push back against the far-left policies of my Democrat opponent Delegate Nancy Guy.”