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Thomas Garrett

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Thomas Garrett
Image of Thomas Garrett

Candidate, Virginia House of Delegates District 56

Virginia House of Delegates District 56
Tenure

2024 - Present

Term ends

2026

Years in position

1

Predecessor
Prior offices
Virginia State Senate District 22
Successor: Mark Peake
Predecessor: Ralph Smith

U.S. House Virginia District 5
Predecessor: Robert Hurt

Compensation

Base salary

$17,640/year

Per diem

$213/day

Elections and appointments
Last elected

November 7, 2023

Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

High school

Louisa County High School

Bachelor's

University of Richmond

Law

T.C. Williams School of Law

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1995 - 2000

Personal
Profession
Attorney
Contact

Thomas Garrett (Republican Party) is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 56. He assumed office on January 10, 2024. His current term ends on January 14, 2026.

Garrett (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 56. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.[source] The Republican primary for this office on June 17, 2025, was canceled.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Garrett's academic, professional, and political career:[1]

  • 2017-2019: U.S. Representative from Virginia's 5th Congressional District
  • 2012-2016: Virginia state senator
  • 2008-2012: Louisa County commonwealth attorney
  • 2002-2007: Assistant attorney general, Virginia
  • 1995-2000: U.S. Army
  • 2002: Graduated from the University of Richmond with a J.D.
  • 1994: Graduated from the University of Richmond with a B.A.

Elections

2025

See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2025

General election

General election for Virginia House of Delegates District 56

Incumbent Thomas Garrett and Angela Chainer are running in the general election for Virginia House of Delegates District 56 on November 4, 2025.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Angela Chainer advanced from the Democratic primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 56.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Thomas Garrett advanced from the Republican primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 56.

Campaign finance

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2023

See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2023

General election

General election for Virginia House of Delegates District 56

Thomas Garrett won election in the general election for Virginia House of Delegates District 56 on November 7, 2023.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Thomas Garrett
Thomas Garrett (R)
 
89.5
 
20,968
 Other/Write-in votes
 
10.5
 
2,451

Total votes: 23,419
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican convention

Republican convention for Virginia House of Delegates District 56

Thomas Garrett defeated Kevin Bailey and Jennie Wood in the Republican convention for Virginia House of Delegates District 56 on May 20, 2023.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Garrett received the following endorsements.

2018

See also: Virginia's 5th Congressional District election, 2018

Thomas Garrett did not file to run for re-election.

2016

See also: Virginia's 5th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Tom Garrett (R) defeated Jane Dittmar (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Garrett defeated Jim McKelvey, Michael Del Rosso, and Joe Whited at the Republican convention on May 14, 2016.[2][3]

U.S. House, Virginia District 5 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngTom Garrett 58.2% 207,758
     Democratic Jane Dittmar 41.6% 148,339
     N/A Write-in 0.2% 659
Total Votes 356,756
Source: Virginia Department of Elections

2015

See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2015

Elections for the Virginia State Senate took place in 2015. A primary election was held on June 9, 2015. The general election took place on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 26, 2015.[4] No Democratic candidates filed for election. Incumbent Thomas Garrett was unopposed in the Republican primary and was unchallenged in the general election.[5]

2011

See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2011

On November 8, 2011, Garrett won election to District 22 of the Virginia State Senate. He defeated Mark Peake, Bryan Rhode, Brian Bates, and Claudia Tucker in the primary on August 23, 2011. He defeated Bert Dodson (D) in the general election on November 8, 2011.[6]

Virginia State Senate, District 22 General Election, 2011
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngThomas Garrett 58.2% 28,357
     Democratic Bert Dodson 41.8% 20,389
Total Votes 48,746
Virginia State Senate, District 22 Republican Primary, 2011
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngThomas Garrett 25.9% 3,239
Brian Bates 24.6% 3,068
Mark Peake 22.5% 2,809
Bryan Rhode 20.5% 2,560
Claudia Tucker 6.5% 806
Total Votes 12,482

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Thomas Garrett has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Thomas Garrett asking him to fill out the survey. If you are Thomas Garrett, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

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You can ask Thomas Garrett to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing info@tomfordelegate.com.

Email

2023

Thomas Garrett did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.

2011

Garrett's website highlighted the following campaign themes:

  • Job Creation
  • Drug Testing for Welfare
Excerpt: "Tom has called for drug testing for welfare recipients. If law abiding citizens must go through drug testing for employment purposes, that at the very least welfare recipients should go through drug testing so that tax payer money does not go to subsidize illegal activity."
  • Pro-Life
Excerpt: "I assure you that on issues of life, I will vote to protect the first and foremost inalienable right given to us by the Creator. No exceptions."
  • Illegal Immigration
  • Rural Internet

Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Thomas Garrett campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2023Virginia House of Delegates District 56Won general$75,374 $63,817
2016U.S. House, Virginia District 5Won $611,241 N/A**
Grand total$686,615 $63,817
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Virginia

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Virginia scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.


2024










Congressional tenure

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018

For detailed information about each vote, click here.

Committee assignments

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Garrett was assigned to the following committees:[45]

State legislative tenure (2012-2017)

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Virginia

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Virginia scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.









2016

In 2016, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 13 through March 11.

Legislators are scored based on their voting record on reproductive issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on business and quality of life issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Legislators are scored by the Family Foundation on their votes on bills related to "principles of life, marriage, parental authority, constitutional government and religious liberty."
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the Second Amendment.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues during the 2016-2017 legislative session.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the climate and energy.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education.
Legislators are scored based on legislation related to business and industry issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental and conservation issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on 11 bills chosen by the Virginia Tea Party Patriots.


2015


2014


2013


2012

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Committee assignments

2016 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2016 legislative session, Garrett served on the following committees:

Virginia committee assignments, 2016
Courts of Justice
Education and Health
General Laws and Technology
Privileges and Elections
Transportation

2015 legislative session

In the 2015 legislative session, Garrett served on the following committees:

2014 legislative session

In the 2014 legislative session, Garrett served on the following committees:

2012-2013

In the 2012-2013 legislative session, Garrett served on the following committees:

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "GARRETT, Thomas Alexander Jr., (1972 - )," accessed January 15, 2017
  2. Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Garrett wins GOP nomination in 5th Congressional District," May 14, 2016
  3. Virginia Department of Elections, "List of Candidates," accessed September 8, 2016
  4. Virginia State Board of Elections, "2015 November Election Calendar," accessed January 2, 2015
  5. Virginia Board of Elections, "2015 General election candidates," accessed August 21, 2015
  6. Virginia State Board of Elections, "November 2011 General Election Official Results," accessed May 15, 2014
  7. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 434," accessed December 13, 2018
  8. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 284," June 21, 2018
  9. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 282," June 21, 2018
  10. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 434," accessed March 12, 2019
  11. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 549," October 3, 2017
  12. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 344," June 29, 2017
  13. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 342," June 29, 2017
  14. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 256," May 4, 2017
  15. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 405," September 26, 2018
  16. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 399," September 13, 2018
  17. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 313," June 28, 2018
  18. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 257," June 8, 2018
  19. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 216," May 22, 2018
  20. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 127," March 22, 2018
  21. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 69," February 9, 2018
  22. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 60," February 6, 2018
  23. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 44," January 22, 2018
  24. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 33," January 18, 2018
  25. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 708," December 21, 2017
  26. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 692," December 19, 2017
  27. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 670," December 7, 2017
  28. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 637," November 16, 2017
  29. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 589," October 26, 2017
  30. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 557," October 5, 2017
  31. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 528," September 14, 2017
  32. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 480," September 8, 2017
  33. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 441," September 6, 2017
  34. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 299," June 8, 2017
  35. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 249," May 3, 2017
  36. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 230," May 24, 2018
  37. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 49," January 30, 2018
  38. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 631," November 14, 2017
  39. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 435," July 27, 2017
  40. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 413," July 25, 2017
  41. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 437," July 28, 2017
  42. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 407," July 24, 2017
  43. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 378," July 14, 2017
  44. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 136," March 8, 2017
  45. U.S. House Clerk, ""Official Alphabetical List of the House of Representatives of the United States One Hundred Fifteenth Congress,"" accessed February 2, 2017

Political offices
Preceded by
John McGuire (R)
Virginia House of Delegates District 56
2024-Present
Succeeded by
-
Preceded by
Robert Hurt (R)
U.S. House Virginia District 5
2017-2019
Succeeded by
Denver Lee Riggleman III (R)
Preceded by
Ralph Smith (R)
Virginia State Senate District 22
2012-2017
Succeeded by
Mark Peake (R)


Current members of the Virginia House of Delegates
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Don Scott
Majority Leader:Charniele Herring
Minority Leader:Terry Kilgore
Representatives
District 1
District 2
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Jas Singh (D)
District 27
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District 34
Tony Wilt (R)
District 35
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District 37
District 38
District 39
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Eric Zehr (R)
District 52
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Lee Ware (R)
District 73
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Don Scott (D)
District 89
District 90
District 91
District 92
District 93
District 94
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District 96
District 97
District 98
District 99
District 100
Democratic Party (51)
Republican Party (49)