Donte Tanner is the Democratic candidate in Virginia’s 40th District, in Fairfax and Prince William Counties, Virginia.

Donte, an Air Force veteran and small business owner, writes:

“I’m running for [baby daughter] Evelyn. I’m running because I want to make sure she gets the best education from our incredible public schools. I’m running because when Evelyn grows up, I want her to be making as much as her male counterparts, and that she gets access to affordable healthcare.

“We made Northern Virginia our home because it’s where we can achieve the American dream. I will fight so that Evelyn, and every other child born in Virginia, gets their shot at that dream too.”

Bio: Donte’s father served in the Navy, and later in the police force with Donte’s mom. A product of Newport News public schools, Donte was accepted into the United States Air Force Academy in 1997. He became an Air Force Captain at the age of 25, where he served four years, leading a team working on Space and Missile systems. For the past decade, Donte has worked as a government contractor serving his country. Donte founded his own small business in 2015.

Issues: Donte is carrying out the Air Force Academy’s tradition of putting “Service Before Self” by fighting for Virginia families. He will work to support public schools. He also intends to fix traffic problems in Northern Virginia and end political gerrymandering.

Opponent: Donte’s opponent, Tim Hugo, the House of Delegates’ Republican Caucus chairman, is behind Republican bills including transvaginal ultrasounds, keeping gerrymandering, defunding planned parenthood — even though all of these are against the best interests of his constituents. Hugo also voted for the bill that would have shielded people who discriminate against same-sex couples from civil liability.

Odds: This district voted for Hillary by a margin of 23% over Trump, and voted for Romney over Obama by 3.83%. However, Donte’s opponent, Tim Hugo, has raised significant sums. Donte will appeal to many voters as a former Air Force Captain and small business owner with an adorable baby girl. Donte can win if he gets enough support and canvassers.

Website: https://dontetanner.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donte.tanner.9
Twitter: @Tanner4Delegate
Ballotpedia: https://ballotpedia.org/Donte_Tanner