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John Winfrey
From Ballotpedia
John Winfrey was a 2017 independent candidate for District 24 of the Virginia House of Delegates.
Campaign themes
2017
Ballotpedia candidate survey
Winfrey 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 Winfrey's 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 one book you would suggest for someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
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?
What should the legislature's relationship with the governor be, and how would you personally work towards actualizing that?
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 manage its relations with military veterans?
In regard to economic and business regulations such as the minimum wage and professional licensing, what role do you think the state should play?
What do you think about the relationship between religion and laws that regulate discrimination in employment or public accommodations?
What is your opinion on the roles of police officers and protesters, respectively, in the public space? Are there any specific events that have influenced your thinking?
What should the state’s role be in regard to early childhood care? What do you envision this relationship looking like as a child grows older?
How should the state legislature view areas with natural resources (such as coastlines) when developing economic policy?
What would your approach be to issues related to crime and incarceration?
What news sources do you follow? What factors do you consider when selecting a news source? How do you think the public views the media?
How do you think about immigration policy? Are there policies in Virginia or other states that you have opinions on? What about at the national level?
Do you have an opinion on the role of campaign finance in legislative politics?
How do you view the current state of transportation and infrastructure in Virginia? What role, if any, should the state have in those two areas?
How do you view the current state of prescription opioid use in America?
What are your views on abortion? How would these views affect you in your position as state legislator?
Describe how you envision the ideal relationship between the state of Virginia and the District of Columbia.
What are your thoughts on higher education? What should the state do, if anything, to increase accessibility?
In recent months, monuments in public spaces and what to do with them have been thrust into the news cycle. What is your opinion about what government should do with existing monuments in public spaces?
Should Virginia have a law that requires people to use the bathroom corresponding with the gender on their birth certificate? Are there any policies related to this issue that you have an opinion on?
What is your opinion on Virginia’s K-12 education system? What issues are important and how can the state legislature address them?
What are your views on proposed oil pipelines that would cross Virginia? In general, how should the state legislature address issues related to environmental regulation?
What do you think Virginia’s economy will look like in 10 years? 20 years? What should the state legislature be doing, if anything, to prepare for the future?
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 are your feelings on Virginia’s current firearms policies?
Is Virginia prepared for a natural disaster such as a hurricane or an earthquake? What should the state legislature do, if anything, in anticipation of these events?
What are your opinions on Virginia’s current taxation policies, for individuals or corporations? Is there anything that you would change?
What is your opinion on income disparities in Virginia?
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?
What should the state’s relationship be with immigrants who are living in Virginia without legal permission?
Who do you think the key stakeholders are in Virginia politics? Do you have opinions on any of these stakeholders or ways in which you would approach them as a state legislator?
| “ | Virginia District 24[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | inform and represent my constituents[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | I am active in many communities. I participate in many organizations of government, business, schools, churches, fairs, downtown development, and other plannng commissions,[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Linwood Holton was very effective. McAuliffe was less effective due to partisan conflicts. I will attempt to form bipartisan grooups that can reduce the present state of dysfunction. Virginians deserve legislators who care more about the well-being of their constituents and less about playing politics. I am am Independent Candidate[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Please read: John Winfrey, SOCIAL ISSUES, the ethics and economics of taxes and public programs. I am an economist and a teacher. This book outlines the ethics and economics of government's part in our economy and society. There are several "market failures" that require intervenrtion. Public goods, such as defense, requires government intervention in the form of taxes using resources and personnel to produce the good. Education is not a pure public good, but it has several "externalities" for children, their parents, businesses, and the economy as a whole. Moreover, our society feels an obligation to provide opportunity for our young people to acquire the skills necessary to pursue their "unalienable right to pursue happiness."[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Our state government plays a vital role in creating jobs and growth. I would welcome the opportunity to participate.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Broadly speaking, I hope to contribute to the well being of all Virginians.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | The Governor and the legislature should complement each other. The list of failures is long and costly. Our failure to accept the Medicaid Extension is costing us millions of dollars every day. It has led to the closure of several community hospitals. Over 400,000 working families have been denied health insurance. These families are near or below the poverty level and thus are vulnerable to financial ruin if a serious emergency arises. How many more deaths will this unconscionable political ploy cause? I will work towards building coalitions that can work around them until our voters send them away.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | I favor the popular Medicare-for-All approach. At the national level, the Donald Trump-Steve Bannon White House and the Republicans in Congress produce one disaster after another. I hope that in the not-too-distant future the Medicare-for-All healthcare program will be enacted. At the same time a rational drug prescription system must be introduced. Some of our physicians are not being fairly rewarded by current Medicare payments. Fortunately, the new Medicare-for-All will save so much money that we will be able to afford more appropriate payments.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | This question is somewhat vague. I am proud that I am a veteran and come from a family of veterans. Like most Virginians, I honor our veterans. We should treat them with respect and dignity.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Like most economists, I consider the minimum wage a valuable means of raising the income of the most vulnerable. It should be set at $15 and raised periodically.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | This question could relate to a wide range of situations. Generally I would not approve of discrimination. Most Virginians respect the religion of others. Each case must be judged on its own merits.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | The recent events in Charlottesville shocked most Virginians. Obviously mistakes were made. The police have the responsibility to disallow or monitor demonstrations that are likely to turn violent. There may be situations where counter protests are disallowed. They should not e allowed in any situation that could erupt in violence.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | The state has an obligation to protect children. Our agencies should continue to be vigilant on the child's behalf.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Our legislalture most protect our environment when it is threatened by unscrupulous business tactics.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Our prisons are packed with young people who should not be there. We need a thorough study of how best to deal with the offenders. There are many examples in other states.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | The media is shirking its responsibility to check the validity of he "news" it reports. Any "fake news" should be labeled as such.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Immigration policy should be determined at the national level. Of course we as citizens should object if the White House is inhabited by an immoral, megalomaniac. We have a moral duty to resist.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Campaign finance desperately needs to be regulated.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Our transportation and infrastructure is an embarrassment. There is no one answer. A multipronged program must be undertaken NOW.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Our government must wage war on the opioid epidemic. Every regulatory agency as well as the police must be mobilized.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | I support Roe vs. Wade. Abortion is a tragic decision. We must make every effort to reduce unwanted pregnancies. My political opponent opposes contraception and sex education.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | These two entities must cooperate on many levels. A mutually beneficial transportation system must be developed. The funding should be worked out according to the benefits. These calculations are difficult but necessary.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | I am an educator. I have an appreciation for all of the benefits that that redound to the students, their families, businesses, the economy, and society as a whole. I will be an advocate Accessibility should be increased. Throughout history educational opportunity has greatly increased upward mobility.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Most existing monuments should be preserved and protected. They are part of our history. We have made major mistakes. We need to be reminded of them.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | No. We need to provide more bathrooms and more private stalls.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Our K-12 system works well.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | The arguments against the pipelines are persuasive. The arguments for using oil tankers are also persuasive. I assume the pipelines will be built. We must use great care to minimize the risks.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Trannsportation and infrastructure will remain key issues. Basic research and education will spur growthl Without more progressive taxes at the federal and state levels our middle class will continue to suffer. The One Percent must be reined in.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Gerryman dering must come to an end. We Virginians are better than that. It must be accomplished by an indepenent council. When voting is fair the majority actually wins.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | My thinking about gun registration has changed. We really can't trust the Trump government. He promised the Dreamers security if they would sign up and then threatened to deport them. Of course he will probably change his mind tomorrow. And of course we will eventually elect a government we can again trust. But for now we certainly cannot ask our gun owners (like me) to register. Instead of gun registration, I would focus on the gun dealers. They should be regulated. They should not be allowed to sell guns to felons. That will not solve the problem of felons getting guns but it will help. We should continue our efforts to promote gun safety. Episodes of children playing with guns are tragic.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | We can never be adequately prepared for natural disasters. We must continue to search for and enforce safe building codes along our beaches and rivers. Our sea levels are rising. Our state governments must have policies in place for deployment of agencies such as the national guard.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | Generally, Virginia's taxation policies are fair. I believe that a thoroough study would reveal that their regressiveness unduly hurts the poor.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | See above and note my endorsement of a higher minimum wage. And of course we need to promote the creation of higher paying jobs.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | The events in Charlottesville that featured the Trump-Bannon "Make-America-Great Again" protestors as well as other groups demonstrated that racism is alive and well in Virginia. Bannon's white supremacists celebrate Nazi and Putin at the expense of Jews, latinos, muslims, and all other immigrants. At the federal level these groups have not been adequately disavowed. Our state government's disavowal has been more appropriate. Obviously we have a long way to go.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | In 2013 Congress almost approved bipartisan legislation for a pathway to citizenship for the Dreamers. This legislation was certain to pass both the Senate and the House. The American public supported this legislation with great enthusiasm. Bob Goodlatte singlelhandedly destroyed this legislation by not allowing it to be voted on and approved. We should never forgive him for that betrayal of trust and now Donald Trump is playing his own games.[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
| “ | The stakeholders in Virginia politics include families, workers, businessmen, and educators. All Virginians hope that our political institutions will be responsive to their preferences. Unfortunately our political system is broken. Our Legislature is owned by the One Percent. Money talks. What would it take to make our political system responsive to voters? . . . a complete overhaul. We could start with how we run elections. They are much too long and much too expensive. That is one reason that money talks. Our legislators must depend on the One Percent and their Superpacs. Perhaps term limits and redistricting would allow us to "clean house" and then elect representatives with some integrity. It would be refreshing for our government to consider the wants and well-being of the voters. We now must depend on opinion polls to find what voters prefer. Our legislators play politics. Let's make a list of what Virginians really want (even though there is NO chance that our legislators will ever consider them).[1] | ” |
| —John Winfrey | ||
Candidate website
Winfrey sent the following statement to the website 50 Ways-Rockbridge.[2]
| “ |
I am running against Ben Cline because Ben Cline is letting down his Republican base on the two most vital issues facing Virginia. The federal government has been trying to give Virginia millions of dollars to expand Medicaid for 400,000 working families. Many Republican states have decided to provide this health insurance. Our Republican House of Delegates has refused. This means that these families suffer. They forego preventive health care until it is too late. Many of our community hospitals have had to shut down. A second issue Ben Cline should address is our unfair political system. The Republicans in the House of Delegates have chosen to play politics rather than pass legislation that Virginians need. Virginia rivals North Carolina and Texas in its successful use of Gerrymandering. Even though the majority votes against Republicans in the House, they still keep their strangle hold on the Legislature. Yet Virginians are fortunate that we did not sink as deeply into Tea Party rule as our neighbors in North Carolina. The Governor Pat McCrory instituted the whole Tea Party wish list of curtailing civil rights, unemployment insurance, public education, and health care. Adam O’Neal, the life-long Republican mayor of Belhaven, pleaded with McCrory to accept the Medicaid Extension. Belhaven had just lost its community hospital. O’Neal predicted that people would die if they had to be transported to the nearest emergency room. O’Neal tried to gain publicity by staging a “daily march” towards Washington. Ironically, a young woman had a heart attack and had to be transported to Greenville. She died on the way. Would she have lived? Probably; we don’t know for sure. We don’t even keep the figures–not that people like Ben Cline and Bob Goodlatte would feel any responsibility. The good news for North Carolina is that in the 2016 election the Tea Party was overwhelmingly repudiated. Their new governor, Roy Cooper, will promote public education and health care. The bad news is that North Carolina is extremely gerrymandered so that the Republicans have retained power in the legislature. They are attempting to limit Cooper’s power as much as possible. The lesson for Virginians is that it will take much more than a simple majority to rid us of the Tea Party malignancy. Fortunately public opinion polls show Trump and Congress with the lowest levels ever recorded. We need for the GOP to start the process of filling its ranks with moderate conservatives, like when it was truly the Grand Old Party. First and foremost, we need to Clean House. We need your vote. |
” |
Elections
2017
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.[3] Incumbent Ben Cline (R) defeated John Winfrey (Independent) in the Virginia House of Delegates District 24 general election.[4]
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 24 General Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Ben Cline Incumbent |
72.19% | 17,351 | |
| Independent | John Winfrey | 27.81% | 6,683 | |
| Total Votes | 24,034 | |||
| Source: Virginia Department of Elections | ||||
Democratic primary election
No Democratic candidate filed to run for this seat. [5]
Ballotpedia will publish vote totals here after they become available.
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 24 Democratic Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | ||
Republican primary election
Incumbent Ben Cline ran unopposed in the Virginia House of Delegates District 24 Republican primary.[6]
Ballotpedia will publish vote totals here after they become available.
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 24 Republican Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | ||
| Ben Cline Incumbent | ||
See also
- State legislative elections, 2017
- Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2017
- State legislative special elections, 2017
- Virginia House of Delegates
- Virginia State Legislature
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 50 Ways-Rockbridge, "John Winfrey announces he is running for Delegate.," April 11, 2017
- ↑ 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
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
Todd Gilbert (R)
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 (49)
