Campaign Website:
https://www.cameronhamilton.com

Campaign POC:

Phone Number: 540-920-8861

Campaign Email: Cameron@cameronhamilton.com

Vetting Panel Selected: Pending

Structured Interview Completed: Pending

Biography: Cameron Hamilton is a husband, father of three, Navy SEAL combat veteran, and former division director at Homeland Security.

From an early age, Cameron’s family instilled in him the values of a strong work ethic, being a man of your word, and a deep love for the United States and her people. Both his grandfathers served in World War II as Navy SeaBees in the Pacific, while his father served in the Air Force during Vietnam. Cameron’s admiration for their service formed the way he perceives the world, modeled in his faith and principled conservative values. In 2005, driven by a call to serve, Cameron chose to enter the Armed Forces, becoming a fourth-generation service member by enlisting in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman during the Global War on Terror.

While in uniform, Cameron successfully graduated from the Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL (BUD/S) Training, serving at SEAL Team Eight for 4 overseas deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. As a trusted and combat tested Operator, Cameron served as a Squad Leader, Medical Instructor and Liaison responsible for teaching and mentoring U.S. and NATO Combat Medics.

Following his honorable discharge from the Armed Forces after 10 years, Cameron continued his call to serve at the U.S. Department of State directly supporting crisis response teams and the Bureau of Counterterrorism. Cameron’s resolve in aiding and supporting the Diplomatic Mission of the United States was further demonstrated by his responsibility for the wellbeing and protection of many congressional delegations and Ambassadors at various United States Embassies and Diplomatic Missions.

Due to Cameron’s extensive experience and distinction as a Civil Servant and Veteran he was recruited to the Department of Homeland Security to work for the DHS Chief Medical Officer as the Director of the Emergency Medical Services Division. There he was responsible for oversight of nearly 4,000 EMTs, First Responders and Operational Medical Programs protecting the Homeland.

Throughout Cameron’s service in Military, Diplomatic and National Security affairs, he has traveled to more than 35 countries and served under 4 different Presidential administrations. Cameron holds a bachelor’s degree in health science from Campbell University.

He is a devoted family man and met his wife Karen while serving in the Armed Forces. They were married in 2008 and have three young children together. Desiring to continually give back, Cameron has remained active in his local community of Orange, Virginia, as a coach and mentor. The values and discipline instilled in him by his family at a young age has led him to a life of duty and dedication to public service. Cameron is seeking to continue his service on behalf of the citizens of Virginia’s Seventh Congressional District of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Why you?  The 7th deserves a representative who will lead with moral character, reign in the reckless levels of government spending, restore accountability to the federal government, and take meaningful action to secure our southern border. There is no other candidate in this race that I would feel confident in entrusting with the representation of my family and my community. If there were, I would be happy to step aside.

What are your priorities? We need to secure the southern border. We need funding, but we also need a change of policy. The Biden administration has crippled our enforcement agencies and is actively preventing them from doing their jobs. We need policy that disallows illegal crossings and returns illegal immigrants to their country of origin, and we need to fund our agencies to be able to execute that policy.

There is a shocking lack of accountability and transparency in our federal government. Congress passes the budget that funds our federal agencies. Congress should be auditing those agencies and their programs to eliminate the waste, fraud, and abuse that runs rampant, enabled by the secrecy the bureaucracy enjoys and exploits.

With each passing year, Congress approves more funding for a constantly expanding bureaucratic system. We don’t need it, and the American people don’t want it. I will not vote for an omnibus bill, and I will not vote for a continuing resolution. Taxpayers deserve a return to zero-base budgeting and a budgeting process that subjects our spending to scrutiny as to whether it really serves the liberty and prosperity of the American people.

Endorsements:
Supervisor Yesli Vega
Delegate Nick Freitas
Senator Rand Paul
Congressman Bob Good
Congressman Mark Green
Congressman Eli Crane
Former I.C.E Director Tom Homan

Education: I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science from Campbell University while on active duty in the U.S. Navy.
 

Relevant Employment History: 
U.S. Navy (2005-2015)
U.S. Department of State (2015-2020)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2020-2023)

Military Experience / Branch / Years of Service / Rank / Type of Discharge:
I enlisted as a corpsman in the United States Navy in 2005. While in the Navy I successfully completed BUD/S and became a Navy SEAL. I deployed four times overseas, two of which were combat deployments to Afghanistan. I received an honorable discharge when I left the Navy in 2015.

Past Offices Held and Tenure: None.

Community Service:
I am the Chairman of the Board of Orange Downtown Alliance, a community-focused organization investing in the community in Orange, where I live. I volunteer to coach soccer and wrestling in my local community as well.

Leadership Experience: 
At the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, I was Division Director of Emergency Medical Services. In that role I managed about 4,000 EMTs, most of whom were stationed along the southern border. As the Biden administration systematically dismantled our border security, the burden on emergency medical services rose drastically, and I gained tremendous experience managing the men and women who provided those services.

Personal Strengths: 
I entered the Navy as a medic, and continued to pursue contexts for the practice of medical care throughout my career. As a SEAL, and especially at the State Department and at DHS, I served in roles that focused on providing care to those in need. I think that empathy and the desire to provide care for those who need it are powerful forces that are missing from politics, and I believe they will be a strength as I seek to represent this district. I believe that when we couple bravery and courage with humility and character, we can change the manner in which we live our lives. It is my sincere desire to represent my district with these distinguishing characteristics.

What is the most important thing Virginians need to know about you? The most important thing to know about me is that I’m a husband, a father, and a Christian. It was a heavy decision to give up my job, retirement and pension in order to run for Congress, and it was my family and my faith that compelled me to make that decision. I reached the conclusion that if I continue to stand by and watch our country continue down the current road, I will be unable to look my children in the eye when they are grown. For this among other reasons I can no longer sit by as an apathetic bystander.
 

How would your friends and family describe you? Many of my family and friends would describe me as someone dedicated to service and the betterment of others. I have been known to stand for matters of character and honesty, even when inconvenient or unpopular at the moment. I am a family man and patriot.

What are your thoughts on the Constitution as the Law of the Land?  The Constitution of the United States, along with the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments, is the law of the land. It should be adhered to in its entirety and as our founding father intended, unless otherwise amended by the mechanisms described in Article V. I believe that many elements of our current government have expanded far beyond the founders intent for this nation, and should be reined in significantly through congressional oversight.
 

What are your thoughts on religious liberty? The 1st Amendment definitively protects the right of Americans to hold and practice their religious beliefs. There is no context for government to restrict that right, provided the practice of a given religion does not infringe on the rights of another. The government action we saw under COVID intended to close churches and restrict religious gatherings was grossly unconstitutional and I do not believe that the individuals responsible have faced appropriate consequences for their impunity and violation of the rights of others.  
 

What are your thoughts on the preservation of our history? I think that history is one of the best tools used to inform decision-making in the present day. I think our society benefits from an accurate account of historical occurrences, and I generally support curriculum, museums, and monuments that contribute to accurate teaching and recollection of the past.
 

What are your thought on government transparency?  Waste, fraud, and abuse run rampant within our government, and the federal bureaucracy enables a level of secrecy that hides much of it from the American people. Congress has the ability, and I would argue the obligation, to audit federal agencies and their programs as part of the budgeting process. I think that many of the American people have lost confidence in their leaders because of the lack of transparency they provide, and I would advocate firmly for increased transparency across the board. Audits and other means of providing transparency would pressure Congress to meaningfully address the waste, fraud, and abuse that permeates our government, inflates our budget, and drives up our national debt.
 

What are your thoughts on national defense? A strong national defense is critical to our country’s ability to provide safety for the American people and disincentivize aggression from other countries. A strong national defense is not to be confused with an obligation to provide security to other countries, particularly when it is to the fiscal detriment of our own. As we enter the year 2024, Joe Biden and his administration have failed to provide a strong national defense for our country. That’s true in multiple policy areas, but most notable by far is the lack of security on our southern border. I am a firm advocate for border security and have zero tolerance for immigration occurring through illegal means. Our country desperately needs a reversal of policy on our border to allow border patrol and other federal agencies to do their jobs and repel illegal crossings, rather than allowing immigrants to enter illegally and remain in the country with the hope that they appear at a court date many years in the future.
 

What are your thoughts on the free enterprise system? “The free enterprise system is the most productive supplier of human needs and economic justice.” I believe our founding father intended our country to be one that enabled individuals to achieve success through their own efforts, and I believe that the free enterprise system best enables them to do so. It is my opinion that the federal government has taken on a regulatory role in our country that would have been abhorrent to our founding fathers, and I would support the elimination of those regulations in order to enable our economy to thrive and the American people to prosper.

What are your thoughts on the protection of the unborn? I am firmly pro-life. I believe that life is intrinsically valuable, and that it is morally bankrupt to end life in the womb. I also see the current conversation about life and the prevalence of abortion as reflecting the decline of our society. I believe firmly that we should engage with proponents of abortion with love and recognition of the difficult position many mothers face. I think there is an opportunity for us to offer resources to mothers in crisis pregnancy situations, invest in simplifying the adoption process in our country and making it more affordable, and engage empathetically with those who disagree with us.
 

What are your thoughts on the role the family plays in America? I think that changes in the role that the family plays in American society over the last century are largely responsible for the societal decline that we’re experiencing in the present day. I think the nuclear family unit and emphasis on the value of that family greatly contribute to the upbringing of our children and the way that those children engage with society as adults. While I do not believe it is the role of government to regulate the composition or management of any family, I do believe that our society would be in a much stronger position if we restored the value we formerly placed on strong family units. 
 

What are your thoughts on equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity, as opposed to equal outcomes? Our founding fathers intended the government they created to be one that preserves the liberties of the American people. The purpose of that preservation of liberty was to enable every American to thrive and achieve success through their own efforts and on an equal playing field. I am unequivocally opposed to DEI initiatives that skew the playing field to achieve the desired outcomes of the modern left. I am unequivocally opposed to CRT initiatives that teach our next generations to believe success cannot be obtained because of parts of their identity that they do not control. I do support a government and a culture that enables every American to have equal access to the American Dream.
 

What are your thoughts on the 2nd Amendment? “Shall not be infringed” means exactly what it says. I am a proud gun owner, avid enthusiast, and licensed instructor with USCCA. I would not cast any vote or advocate for any legislation that further restricts the Constitutional right of Americans to own and utilize their firearms, and I would support the repeal of most federal legislation that restricts gun ownership.

Additional sources of information on this candidate:

https://www.cameronhamilton.com/meetcameron

https://www.cameronhamilton.com/endorsements

https://www.instagram.com/cameronhamiltonva/