Campaign Website:
https://derrickandersonforva.com/

Campaign POC:

Phone Number: 202-360-6215

Campaign Email: Derrick@DerrickAndersonForVA.com

Vetting Panel Selected: Pending

Structured Interview Completed: Pending

Biography: Derrick Anderson is a native of Spotsylvania County, was in the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Tech, and received his J.D. from Georgetown Law. He is a former Special Forces “Green Beret” with 6 tours of duty overseas, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and various countries throughout the Middle East.

Derrick Anderson was raised in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. His mother owned and managed local restaurants and as young as age 14, he worked in the kitchen of his mother’s local diner, while attending Courtland High School. Upon graduation, Derrick enrolled at Virginia Tech in the Corp of Cadets, making him the first person in his family to attend and graduate college. While his Army ROTC scholarship allowed him to pay for college, his commitment to serve was rooted in his family’s long history of military service and his father’s proximity across the street from the World Trade Center buildings on September 11, 2001.

Derrick graduated from Virginia Tech in 2006 with a B.S. in Political Science (Legal Option) and immediately commissioned into the United States Army as an Infantry Officer. After completing Ranger school, and less than a year since being in college, he was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division as a Platoon Leader where he deployed for 15-months in support of “the Surge” in Iraq.

Derrick also served with the 3rd Infantry Regiment “The Old Guard” in Arlington National Cemetery where he competed in the Best Ranger Competition in 2009 and 2010. After completion of the Special Forces Qualifications Course, Derrick became an A-Team leader in the Green Berets and served as a Detachment Commander for two Special Forces teams and the Company Executive Officer for two companies over the course of five deployments to Afghanistan, Bahrain, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon.

Following his time in the Army, Derrick graduated with his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019. Following graduation, he clerked for two separate federal judges where he worked on a variety of civil and criminal cases.

Derrick also served in the White House during President Trump’s Administration, where he worked in the Office of National Drug Control Policy. In 2017, Derrick appeared on 60 Minutes with members of his Green Beret team to discuss his final mission in Afghanistan.

Derrick enjoys watching college football, running, and currently serves as a Major in the United States Army National Guard. He lives in Spotsylvania County with his dog, Ranger, a Dalmatian.

Why you?  I am the only candidate in this race that is from the district, is a post 9/11 Veteran with combat deployments across the world, has a true constitutional background, and is a true-political outsider. More importantly, I have and will continue to outwork everyone in this race, to include Abigail Spanberger. Nobody in this race can come close to what I’ve accomplished as a political outsider, and that is all due to hard work. Not only am I going to outwork everyone to win this primary, but I will carry that same work ethic into the general election and Congress.

What are your priorities? Inflation, border security, public safety. More specifically, our district has three military installations, which means we need to support our Veterans. Additionally, we need to fix I-95 to ensure that our constituents have a free and easy access to job opportunities. Lastly, our district is heavy in agriculture and after two years of the pandemic, they need support.

Endorsements: 
US Senators
– Tom Cotton

Members of Congress
– Pete Sessions
– Barry Moore
– Mike Waltz
– Brian Mast
– Ronny Jackson
– GT Thompson

Candidates
– Hung Cao, VA-10
– Matt Strickland, State Senate

Passed Trump Admin
– Michael Wooten

Local
– Melissa Anderson, School Board, Orange County
– Dustin Dawson, Board of Supervisors, Madison County
– Jacob Lane, Board of Supervisors, Spotsylvania County
– Davis Lamb, Board of Supervisors, Greene County

Orgs
– SEAL PAC
– Green Beret PAC

Education: 
Undergrad – Virginia Tech, Corp of Cadets
Law School – Georgetown University
 

Relevant Employment History: 
Clerked for United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Judge Patrick Bumatay
Clerked for United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia Judge Anthony Trenga

Military Experience / Branch / Years of Service / Rank / Type of Discharge:
Current: Major / National Guard

Past: US Army, Captain
Infantry Officer: 2006 to 2011
Special Forces “Green Beret”: 2012-2016

Virginia Tech in the Corp of Cadets. Former Special Forces “Green Beret” with 6 tours of duty overseas, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and various countries throughout the Middle East. Served with the 3rd Infantry Regiment “The Old Guard” in Arlington National Cemetery where he competed in the Best Ranger Competition in 2009 and 2010. Currently serves as a Major in the United States Army National Guard. (Source: https://derrickandersonforva.com/bio/)

Past Offices Held and Tenure: None – I am a true political outsider.

Community Service:
– U.S. Military Commission Observation Project, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
– Service to School Student Ambassador

Leadership Experience: 
– Deployed as a Platoon Leader
– Commander of two Special Forces A-Teams
– Executive Officer of two Special Forces Companies over the course of 6 deployments overseas.  In Afghanistan, I led over 80 combat missions, and in Iraq, led 1,000s of patrols. 

Personal Strengths: 
– Leadership
– Commitment & Loyalty
– Hard Work

What is the most important thing Virginians need to know about you? Not only will I outwork the field to win this nomination and to beat Abigail Spanberger in November, that same work ethic will carry over as your next member of Congress. I will always put my constituents first. This district is my home, it raised me and molded me into the person I am today, and I will never turn my back on my home.
 

How would your friends and family describe you? Loyal and authentic

What are your thoughts on the Constitution as the Law of the Land?  The Constitution IS the law of the land, full-stop. In fact, it is clearly stated in Article VI Section 2 that the “[US] Constitution . . . shall be the supreme Law of the Land.”  The Constitution provides the foundation for which our country is built on and that’s why it’s the oldest and most active codified constitution in the world.  More importantly, the Constitution is clear, what is not delegated in the Constitution is reserved to the states.  Nevertheless, people within the highest levels of our government often time forget this, which can and does cause disastrous results because the Framers did NOT intend for the federal government to be the mechanism for the creation, implementation, and/or enforcement of all laws.
 

What are your thoughts on religious liberty? Religious liberty is the freedom to believe and exercise or act upon religious conscience without unnecessary interference by the government. The moral and religious beliefs of individuals and organizations should be respected in law. In fact, the Constitution, yet again, safeguards religious liberty within the First Amendment. However, in recent years, the government and our judiciary have found other non-enumerated rights to be placed in higher priority than that of religious liberties. But the First Amendment makes clear that people should not have to go against their core values and beliefs in order to conform to culture or government.   
 

What are your thoughts on the preservation of our history? Rather than tossing our history aside for the conformity of what is thought to be the “it” moment of day, we should embrace our history. Our history is unique and what makes us American, both the good . . . and the bad. Tossing aside our history could be compared to covering one’s eyes during a horror movie—we know all too well what the movie is portraying, but because it makes us uneasy, we choose to not address it. In the military, we study our history intently, regardless of outcome, to ensure that we learn from our mistakes. Hiding from our history does nothing more than to put a Band-Aid on a scar and does nothing to address the issue at hand or prevent past mistakes from percolating again.
 

What are your thought on government transparency?  Transparency are keys to good government, and Congress must faithfully perform its constitutional responsibility of oversight. More specifically, transparency and accountability are meant to make government smaller and less egregious. However and since the FDR era growth of the administrative state, and executive branch, it seems as if the federal government has utilized its massive structure to decrease transparency by way of bureaucracy. And the Founders intended legitimate government to operate only by the consent of the governed, and is more efficient and less corrupt when it is limited in its size and scope. Therefore, decreasing the size of the federal government is the first and integral step in ensuring that true transparency is achieved.
 

What are your thoughts on national defense? The federal government has an obligation to provide for the “common defense” of the United States by protecting our homeland and our strategic interests abroad. Because America serves in a natural role of moral leadership in an increasingly dangerous world, and weakness invites aggression, we must remain the strongest military power on earth fully prepared and capable of defeating any adversaries, tyrants or terrorists, under any circumstances, at any time. Adequate investment is necessary to maintain the air, land, sea, nuclear and cyber warfare. And after 20 years of war in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and others, we as a country should absolutely maintain peace through strength.
 

What are your thoughts on the free enterprise system? Government often stands as the greatest obstacle to the progress and prosperity of free people. Free markets and free trade agreements allow for innovation, improvement and economic expansion as risk-takers, entrepreneurs and business owners are given the liberty to pursue the American dream and create more jobs and upward mobility for more people. We as Americans should encourage competition, and limit government intervention and regulation. The people are better qualified to make decisions about their own lives and finances than bureaucrats, and the private sector will outperform the public sector in virtually every scenario. The free enterprise system rewards hard work and self-sacrifice, and is the basis and genius of the American economy. We must unleash the power and spirit of America and allow industry to innovate and small businesses to thrive. The Government needs to stay out of the way, and let America be America. The bottom line is, and to summarize John Locke’s labor theory on property, although persons belong to God, they own the fruits of their labor.

What are your thoughts on the protection of the unborn? I am Pro-Life. The United States Declaration of Independence states “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Life comes first for a reason. My stance on this comes from my faith, the U.S. Constitution, and my familial background. My mother was 17 years old when she got pregnant with me and together, we have accomplished so much with so little. I thank her every day for recognizing the sanctity of life.
 

What are your thoughts on the role the family plays in America? The Founders of our great nation recognized the central role that families would play in facilitating our republic. They bear the primary responsibility for the education and socialization of children as well as instilling values of citizenship and belonging in the society. The Latin term “in loco parentis” refers to the legal responsibility of a person or organization to take on some of the functions and responsibilities of a parent. However, it does not mean that educational institutions have the absolute right to teach our children things that are otherwise irreversible in nature. As such, parents should be have an absolute right in transparency to what their children are being taught in school. 
 

What are your thoughts on equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity, as opposed to equal outcomes? Because all men are created equal and in the image of God, every human life has inestimable dignity and value, and every person should be measured only by the content of their character. Additionally, we as a society should measure individuals by their merit and emphasize the virtue of hard work. In America, everyone who plays by the rules should get a fair shot. By preserving these ideals, we will maintain the goodness of America that has been the secret to our greatness.
 

What are your thoughts on the 2nd Amendment? As a former Green Beret with 6 deployments overseas, I know a thing or two about weapons. I have carried a weapon for most of my adult life and fired both in defense of our country. 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. 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.

Virginia Constitutional Conservatives Candidate Survey 2022 – CANDIDATE REFUSED TO ANSWER
(https://virginiaconservatives.net/candidate-survey-2022#results_anchor)

Additional sources of information on this candidate: 

Virginia Constitutional Conservatives Candidate Survey 2022 – CANDIDATE REFUSED TO ANSWER
(https://virginiaconservatives.net/candidate-survey-2022#results_anchor)

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMXoEIF9W-qKuiJ5r5ViU7g

News (Press Releases, Articles) Page: https://derrickandersonforva.com/news/