Francis Edwards
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Francis Edwards (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 99. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2019.
Biography
Edwards was born in England. He attended Cambridge University and received his master's degree in engineering and a post-graduate degree in business administration. His professional experience includes serving as the CEO of QVC in Germany. He has served on the executive committee board of WMHT public television and radio in Albany, New York and the University of New Mexico's Anderson Business School Foundation.[1]
Elections
2019
Edwards ran for election to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 99. Edwards lost in the general election on November 5, 2019.
A Democratic caucus to choose a candidate for the District 99 seat was scheduled for May 18, 2019, but it was canceled. Edwards automatically advanced to the general election as the Democratic nominee.[2][3]
See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2019
General election
General election for Virginia House of Delegates District 99
Incumbent Margaret Ransone defeated Francis Edwards in the general election for Virginia House of Delegates District 99 on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Margaret Ransone (R) | 62.4 | 17,701 |
 | Francis Edwards (D) | 37.5 | 10,631 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 20 | ||
| Total votes: 28,352 | |||
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2017
Edwards was a 2017 Democratic candidate for District 99 of the Virginia House of Delegates.
General election
Elections for the Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2017. All 100 house seats were up for election. The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election took place on June 13, 2017. The filing deadline for primary election candidates was March 30, 2017. The filing deadline for non-party candidates and candidates nominated by methods other than a primary was June 13, 2017.[4] Incumbent Margaret Ransone (R) defeated Francis Edwards (D) in the Virginia House of Delegates District 99 general election.[5]
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 99 General Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Margaret Ransone Incumbent |
62.23% | 16,548 | |
| Democratic | Francis Edwards | 37.77% | 10,043 | |
| Total Votes | 26,591 | |||
| Source: Virginia Department of Elections | ||||
Democratic primary election
Francis Edwards defeated Vivian Messner in the Virginia House of Delegates District 99 Democratic primary.[6]
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 99 Democratic Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Francis Edwards |
54.02% | 1,822 |
| Vivian Messner | 45.98% | 1,551 |
| Total Votes | 3,373 | |
Republican primary election
Incumbent Margaret Ransone ran unopposed in the Virginia House of Delegates District 99 Republican primary.[7]
Ballotpedia will publish vote totals here after they become available.
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 99 Republican Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | ||
| Margaret Ransone Incumbent | ||
Campaign themes
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Francis Edwards did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.
2017
Ballotpedia candidate survey
Edwards participated in a survey created by Ballotpedia. The survey was designed to let our readers know more about the candidates and feel confident that they are voting for the best person to represent them. The survey questions appear bolded, and Edwards' responses follow below.
Who are your constituents?
What is the primary job of a state legislator in your view?
How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?
As a publicly elected leader, who would you emulate? Who do you look up to? Why? What characteristics/values are most important for a legislator?
What is your general philosophy when it comes to economics, jobs, and growth? Do you have any more specific ideas related to these concepts?
What kind of legacy would you like to leave?
Ideally, what should the government’s role in a state’s healthcare system be? Are there any healthcare policies, actual or hypothetical, that you have an opinion on?
How should the state legislature view areas with natural resources (such as coastlines) when developing economic policy?
What are your views on how Virginia draws lines for congressional and state legislative districts? If you could make changes to the system, what would they be?
What economic and social differences are there between rural and urban Virginia? How should government policies address different regions, if at all?
What is the state of race relations in Virginia and the United States at large? How do you think about the government’s role in race relations, particularly the state legislature?
| “ | Virginia House of Delegates district 99[8] | ” |
| —Francis Edwards | ||
| “ | To represent the interests of voters in district 99[8] | ” |
| —Francis Edwards | ||
| “ | I believe diversity is our strength. I would reach out to legislators of both parties, to community leaders and industry[8] | ” |
| —Francis Edwards | ||
| “ | I have the greatest respect for President Obama. I respect his values, ethics and refusal to sink to partisan political posturing.[8] | ” |
| —Francis Edwards | ||
| “ | As a businessman I was sucessful by including all stakeholders in the decision making process. I worked with regulators, unions, state officials, and employees to create a successful business..[8] | ” |
| —Francis Edwards | ||
| “ | That I helped improve the lives of everyone in district 99 while improving the quality of life in Virginia.[8] | ” |
| —Francis Edwards | ||
| “ | My goal is affordable healthcare for every Virginian. The government shoud facilitate te process by addressing the root cause of ever increasing insurance premiums.[8] | ” |
| —Francis Edwards | ||
| “ | The waterways that flow into the Chesapeake Bay and the Bay itself are critical to the local economies and should be protected from industrial processes such as fracking and the dumping of coal ash and other waste products.[8] | ” |
| —Francis Edwards | ||
| “ | The system should be conducted by an independent body and not legislaors who have a vested interest in the outcome.[8] | ” |
| —Francis Edwards | ||
| “ | I believe we need to invest in 21st century technology, infrastructure and education in rural Virginia. This will create jobs, reduce poverty, reverse population shifts from metro areas relieving metro traffic and infratructure issues.[8] | ” |
| —Francis Edwards | ||
| “ | I believe race relations in Virginia are very poor. I believe that laws that either directly or indirectly discriminate should be changed to provide social justice for every Virginian. Virginia should introduce early voting and "no excuse" voting by mail.[8] | ” |
| —Francis Edwards | ||
Candidate website
Edwards’ campaign website highlighted the following issues:
| “ | Education I will fight for public education improvements. I will use my analytical skills to address the inequities in the composite index that reduce state funding for public schools in the Northern Neck. I will use my knowledge of the cable and satellite industries to craft new and innovative ways to subsidize and expand high speed internet access. Environment My running route takes me by wooded areas, crop fields, and-- when the road bends, close to the river shoreline. For me it is an ever-present reminder of the beauty of the land and waterways valued by those of us lucky enough to call the area home. For my neighbor the waterman, for my neighbor the farmer, though, it is much more. It is how they make a living. How they put food on the table and a roof overhead. It is also why I am the Anti-Fracking candidate, the one who will work to protect our waterways and the Chesapeake Bay. Because one wrong blast, one spill, and our way of life is gone forever. We can’t gamble with our future. Health Care Virginians know that without the security of affordable health care it is difficult to pursue your dreams, to exercise your inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness written in the Declaration of Independence. That is why time and time again Virginians agree with the expansion of Medicaid in our state and why I will fight to improve the access to affordable and meaningful health care for everyone in the 99th District. Jobs I learned the value of work at a young age. Growing up in a family of five kids, we all shared in the household chores. Our weekly allowance was earned only if we completed our chores, which were assigned on a rotating schedule. Sometimes I would negotiate for an extra allowance by weeding mom’s flower garden. My wife cut grass for 50 cents an hour to earn the money to buy her first transistor radio to listen to the weekly Top 40 countdown. (She still has that radio!) While there is value in hard work, hard work alone often is no longer enough for the well-paying jobs of the 21st century. Workers need a skill set that matches the requirements of the high paying jobs of today and the future. In the information age, education and access to high speed internet are critical. Social Justice Our democracy is a beacon to the world. To keep that light shining from sea to shining sea means all citizens must be encouraged to participate in and given the opportunity to fully engage in keeping our democracy strong. This is especially critical when it comes to voting rights. We need to make voting in our democracy, having a say in who governs us and how they govern, easier, not more difficult. Legislative attempts to reduce voter turnout, to infringe on this right, must be stopped.[8] |
” |
| —Francis Edwards, [9] | ||
See also
2019 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Edwards4delegate.com, "About," accessed May 16, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Democrats, "CANCELLED 99TH DISTRICT CALL TO CAUCUS FOR HOUSE OF DELEGATE SEAT," accessed May 13, 2019
- ↑ King George Democratic Committee, "Meet the Candidates," accessed May 13, 2019
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Candidacy Requirements for the November 7, 2017 General Election," accessed March 21, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 November General Unofficial Results," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 June Democratic Primary," accessed July 6, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 June Republican Primary," accessed July 6, 2017
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Edwards4delegate.com, "Issues," accessed May 16, 2017
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
Patrick Hope (D)
District 2
Adele McClure (D)
District 3
Alfonso Lopez (D)
District 4
District 5
District 6
R.C. Sullivan (D)
District 7
District 8
Irene Shin (D)
District 9
Karrie Delaney (D)
District 10
Dan Helmer (D)
District 11
David Bulova (D)
District 12
Holly Seibold (D)
District 13
Marcus Simon (D)
District 14
Vivian Watts (D)
District 15
Laura Jane Cohen (D)
District 16
Paul Krizek (D)
District 17
Mark Sickles (D)
District 18
Kathy Tran (D)
District 19
Rozia Henson (D)
District 20
District 21
Joshua Thomas (D)
District 22
Ian Lovejoy (R)
District 23
Candi King (D)
District 24
Luke Torian (D)
District 25
Briana Sewell (D)
District 26
Jas Singh (D)
District 27
Atoosa Reaser (D)
District 28
David Reid (D)
District 29
Marty Martinez (D)
District 30
Geary Higgins (R)
District 31
Delores Oates (R)
District 32
Bill Wiley (R)
District 33
Vacant
District 34
Tony Wilt (R)
District 35
Chris Runion (R)
District 36
Ellen Campbell (R)
District 37
Terry Austin (R)
District 38
Sam Rasoul (D)
District 39
Will Davis (R)
District 40
Joseph McNamara (R)
District 41
Chris Obenshain (R)
District 42
Jason Ballard (R)
District 43
Will Morefield (R)
District 44
Israel O'Quinn (R)
District 45
Terry Kilgore (R)
District 46
Jed Arnold (R)
District 47
Wren Williams (R)
District 48
Eric Phillips (R)
District 49
Danny Marshall (R)
District 50
Tommy Wright (R)
District 51
Eric Zehr (R)
District 52
Wendell Walker (R)
District 53
Tim Griffin (R)
District 54
Katrina Callsen (D)
District 55
Amy Laufer (D)
District 56
Thomas Garrett (R)
District 57
David Owen (R)
District 58
Rodney Willett (D)
District 59
Buddy Fowler (R)
District 60
Scott Wyatt (R)
District 61
Michael Webert (R)
District 62
Nick Freitas (R)
District 63
Phillip Scott (R)
District 64
Paul Milde (R)
District 65
Joshua Cole (D)
District 66
Bobby Orrock (R)
District 67
Hillary Kent (R)
District 68
Keith Hodges (R)
District 69
Chad Green (R)
District 70
Shelly Simonds (D)
District 71
Amanda Batten (R)
District 72
Lee Ware (R)
District 73
Mark Earley (R)
District 74
Mike Cherry (R)
District 75
Carrie Coyner (R)
District 76
Debra Gardner (D)
District 77
Michael Jones (D)
District 78
Betsy Carr (D)
District 79
Rae Cousins (D)
District 80
District 81
Delores McQuinn (D)
District 82
Kim Taylor (R)
District 83
H. Wachsmann (R)
District 84
Nadarius Clark (D)
District 85
Marcia Price (D)
District 86
Aijalon Cordoza (R)
District 87
Jeion Ward (D)
District 88
Don Scott (D)
District 89
N. Baxter Ennis (R)
District 90
Jay Leftwich (R)
District 91
Cliff Hayes (D)
District 92
Bonita Anthony (D)
District 93
Jackie Glass (D)
District 94
Phil Hernandez (D)
District 95
Alex Askew (D)
District 96
District 97
Michael Feggans (D)
District 98
Barry Knight (R)
District 99
District 100
Robert Bloxom (R)
Democratic Party (51)
Republican Party (48)
Vacancies (1)
