Campaign Website:
chappellforcongress.com

Campaign POC:

Phone Number: 352-272-0071

Campaign Email: matthew.l.chappell@gmail.com

Vetting Panel Selected: Pending

Structured Interview Completed: Pending

Biography: Growing up, I experienced domestic violence as I watched my mother be physically and mentally abused by my biological father. I was also physically and mentally abused by this man. But a small Taurus .38 is the reason I am still here today. I watched as my mother used this small pistol to defend her family. I will always stand by our second amendment and will always support our rights to bear arms including women’s rights to bear arms. My mother protected us and now it’s my turn to make sure that all women have the right to defend themselves in all situations.

When I was five years old, my mother married the man who I consider my father. My father, a police officer, and my mother, a teacher, are who instilled my dedication to helping others and my commitment to public service. The love and kindness my parents showed me, plus the respect that the community showed to their professions, have shaped the person I have become today. I will carry that same support and dedication as I fight for law enforcement officers and continue to fight to protect our education system.

After high school, I enlisted into the US Army as an Infantryman. At just 18 years old, I went on my first deployment to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. At 18 years old, while still a teen, I observed first hand what people outside of America deal with and how blessed we are in the United States. During my Army career, I transitioned from an Infantryman to working in Counterintelligence.

After serving eight years in the US Army, I began working as a Counterintelligence contractor where I served three years in Afghanistan with Joint Special Operations Command and Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan in support of the Resolute Support Mission.

After leaving Afghanistan, I returned to Northern Virginia and began working as a National Security Advisor with the Department of Defense protecting Americans stateside and abroad. I will use this background to continue to fight, support, and defend Americans in the same way I have done my whole career.

Living in Northern Virginia has truly been a blessing for myself, my beautiful wife Jacqueline, and my three young children, Harrison, Giselle, and Leilani. I have grown up as a fighter for things that are right and will use my experience and my commitment to service to serve the people of Virginia in Congress. 

Why you?  I am the only veteran and former police officer running to unseat Gerry Connolly in Congress. I have dedicated my life to serving our great country and the people in it. I will never stop serving. I will never adopt the ruler mentality as most career politicians have. I am committed to giving the district its best chance at overthrowing Connolly in 13 years.

What are your priorities?

Rights & Amendments
The Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution represent the greatest ideas that humankind has ever had. It was the moment that we wrote down our inalienable rights – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – and said that the role of government was simply to protect those rights, not create new ones or change them.

These ideas are fundamental to who we are and what the United States stands for. In Congress, I will always fight to preserve our Constitution and the freedoms it provides.

The First Amendment rights to free speech, press, assembly, and speaking against the government are under attack EVERY SINGLE DAY. We have a group of career politicians who believe they are rulers of this nation. I will be your voice.

The Fourth Amendment, which protects Americans from warrantless searches of places or seizures of persons or objects, is under attack daily. New technologies have emerged that invade the privacy of citizens, but our government uses them with little trepidation. In Congress, I will introduce legislation requiring the federal government to conduct comprehensive reviews of emerging technologies to ensure they are not violating Americans’ rights to be free from unlawful search and seizures.

Protect Our Second Amendment Rights
I have carried a rifle and a pistol for most of my adult life and fired both in defense of every American and myself. The right to defend ourselves is God-given. It is not a right provided to us by our federal government, but rather, the right to keep and bear arms is a right the federal government is sworn to protect.

As your representative in Congress, I will continue to uphold the oath I took to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, and I will fight to protect our Second Amendment from all attempts to erode it.

Right To Life
As a father of three beautiful children, I’m a strong supporter of the right to life. I believe we must defend life at every stage and protect the most vulnerable members of our society. After serving in the Army for eight years, I know what it means to protect life and see life lost. Our priority should always be to protect the innocent.

In Congress, I will support legislation to protect the unborn, prohibit taxpayer funding for abortion and increase protections for infants born alive after a failed abortion procedure. I will keep fighting to protect all lives!

Back Our Veterans
The men and women who bravely protect our nation from threats both at home and abroad deserve our utmost respect. When members of our armed forces retire, they should do so knowing they will be supported and afforded everything the Department of Veterans Affairs and a grateful nation has promised them.

I’ve heard too many gut-wrenching stories of veterans who have been unjustly ignored or neglected. The government-run health care bureaucracy at Veterans Affairs hospitals across the country has resulted in delayed care for our service men and women, sometimes resulting in premature and avoidable deaths.

In Congress, I will always support our nation’s veterans. I will work to cut red tape and allow our veterans better access to the health care and other services they need. We have a responsibility to protect those who protected us, and I will never stop making veterans’ issues a major priority.

Education
I believe that every child deserves the opportunity to receive a high-quality education. I also believe education should be student-focused with input from local teachers and oversight from parents.

In Congress, I will stand up against divisive ideologies, such as Critical Race Theory, that perpetuate racism in our society, and I will work to ensure schools are teaching our children “how to think” and not “what to think”.

Endorsements:
Rob Hartwell, President of Hartwell Capitol Consulting
U.S. Representative Barry Moore
Florida State Rep. Anthony Sabatini
Morton Blackwell
Julie Perry for Delegate
Matt Lang for Delegate
Dr. Harry R. Jackson, Jr.
SCC Rep Richard McCarty
Celebrity Fashion Designer Andre Soriano

Education: Master of Science in Aerospace Science, American Military University

Relevant Employment History: Former police officer, disabled veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and national security consultant.

Military Experience / Branch / Years of Service / Rank / Type of Discharge:
U.S. Army/ Eight years of service/ Sergeant/ Honorable

Past Offices Held and Tenure: None

Community Service:
Currently serving as a reserve police officer. Former youth club soccer coach.

Leadership Experience:
I have served as a team and squad leader in the U.S. Army. I have led multiple special operations counterintelligence support teams in support of defending our nation’s interests abroad.

Personal Strengths: I live by the Army’s seven core values of: LDRSHIP, Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. I will never back down, and I will never accept defeat. I will treat all people as they deserve to be treated.

What is the most important thing Virginians need to know about you? I will restore a sense of service to the Commonwealth. I am running for office to truly serve the people of Virginia. My parents instilled a strong sense of service in me, and I hope to pass that down not only to my children, but to the entire Commonwealth.

How would your friends and family describe you? My brother often tells me no ceiling is high enough. Every time I reach the ceiling, I punch through and go a floor higher. The rest of my family agrees. I am not the type to stand idly by and be content with simply meeting the standard. I am always striving to go above and beyond in my personal and professional life. Not a day goes by that I don’t receive endless love from my wife and children. I believe that says everything. I love them unconditionally, and it shows by the love they give back to me. 

What are your thoughts on the Constitution as the Law of the Land? The Constitution is the Law of the Land and must be preserved at all times. It has been trampled on the last two years. I aim to put a stop to that.    

What are your thoughts on religious liberty? All people should be free to practice religion as they see fit. Government should have no hand in regulating religion.    

What are your thoughts on the preservation of our history? Those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it… Preserve our history, ugly or nice.   

What are your thought on government transparency? A government that is not transparent does not have the trust of its people.   

What are your thoughts on national defense? National defense starts from within. We must strengthen our borders and stop policing the rest of the world. We must expand our space and cyber capabilities as well.   

What are your thoughts on the free enterprise system? Government should have as little say in our market as possible. Career politicians have already proven they cannot handle our money/economy properly.   

What are your thoughts on the protection of the unborn? I am pro-life. I have three beautiful and happy children. I cannot imagine not giving them a shot at life. That said, I support the right of a mother who is in danger of losing her life, or who has been raped, to choose. A mother should never be forced with such a difficult decision.   

What are your thoughts on the role the family plays in America? American families are the backbone of America. Parents are working hard everyday and paying insane taxes, but still are expected not to have a say in the lives of their children. Children on the other hand are the future of our country. We must always put them first and ensure they are setup for not only their own success, but the success of our great nation. Everything starts at home with the American family.   

What are your thoughts on equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity, as opposed to equal outcomes? We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Americans are some of the most blessed people in the world because of our Constitutional principles. The ability to succeed is there. It requires drive and passion.   

What are your thoughts on the 2nd Amendment? I have carried a rifle and a pistol for most of my adult life and fired both in defense of every American and myself. The right to defend ourselves is God-given. It is not a right provided to us by our federal government, but rather, the right to keep and bear arms is a right the federal government is sworn to protect. As your representative in Congress, I will continue to uphold the oath I took to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, and I will fight to protect our Second Amendment from all attempts to erode it.

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