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Mark Dudenhefer
L. Mark Dudenhefer is a former Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 2 from 2012 to 2014 and from 2016 to 2018.[1] Dudenhefer did not seek re-election in 2017.[2]
Biography
Dudenhefer earned his B.S. in economics from Louisiana State University in 1974. He later received an MBA from Tulane University in 1987 and his master's in computer information systems from the University of Phoenix in 2000. Dudenhefer served in the United States Marine Corps, retiring after 30 years of service as a Colonel.
Committee assignments
2016 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2016 legislative session, Dudenhefer served on the following committees:
| Virginia committee assignments, 2016 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • Science and Technology |
| • Transportation |
2012-2013
In the 2012-2013 legislative session, Dudenhefer served on the following committees:
| Virginia committee assignments, 2012 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • Science and Technology |
| • Transportation |
Campaign themes
2013
Dudenhefer's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[3]
- Transportation
Excerpt: "Transportation issues represent the single greatest challenge facing Prince William and Stafford. Each day commuters and those that travel in our community waste thousands of hours sitting in traffic. As the only member of the House of Delegate who commutes 30 miles in Northern Virginia to work, I recognize the detriment these problems are to our quality of life, our economic productivity, and our safety on the roads."
- Economy/Jobs/Business
Excerpt: "I am and will continue working hard to ensure that Virginia remains the place to do business. Under the conservative leadership of the Speaker and the Governor, we enacted policies that have lowered Virginia’s unemployment rate to 5.2%, balanced the budget, and put money into the Rainy Day Fund."
- Education
Excerpt: "The first step to a great education is having a great teacher. That is why I voted for teacher pay raises so we can maintain and recruit high quality educators. Next, we must ensure that parents are able to stay informed and involved. Because of that, I supported legislation that will give each school an A-F grade so parents can clearly understand their school’s performance, hold them accountable, and make informed decisions about their children’s education. Finally, our schools must be safe and harassment free."
- Military and Veterans
Excerpt: "I work closely with veterans groups and the Department of Veterans Services to formulate policy for both active duty military personnel and veterans."
- Values
Excerpt: "Families are the foundation of our society. It is the unit that holds us together and helps us through the good and bad times. In the House of Delegates, I will stand strong on our values and will fight for to support Virginia Families. That is why I have supported and will continue efforts to protect parental rights and the right-to-life. I also consistently vote to support the Second Amendment and your right to own firearms."
2011
Dudenhefer's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[4]
- Transportation
Excerpt: "As our Delegate, Mark will advocate for funding for the widening of Rt. 1 in Prince William and Stafford counties, fair funding allocations to local governments to fix secondary road problems and he will work with the DoD to mitigate BRAC related traffic congestion."
- Jobs
Excerpt: "As our Delegate in Richmond, Mark will be guided by the principles of free enterprise and entrepreneurship. Mark understands that government doesn't create jobs; only the private sector and hard working individuals with the entrepreneurial spirit create jobs."
- Taxes and Spending
Excerpt: "Mark believes that government should focus on its core services and infrastructure, and that's what he'll fight for in Richmond."
- Education
Excerpt: "As out Delegate, Mark will fight to make sure that more of every dollar is directed to the classroom where it can most improve educational opportunities, attract and retain quality teachers, provide in-classroom tools teachers need and give parents a greater say in their child's education."
- Values
Excerpt: "Mark shares our values and will stand up to protect families, the right to life and the 2nd Amendment."
Elections
2017
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.[5] Jennifer Carroll Foy (D) defeated Mike Makee (R) in the Virginia House of Delegates District 2 general election. Republican primary winner Laquan Austion dropped out of the general election on August 11, 2017, after it was reported that he had falsified his education credentials.[6] He was replaced by Makee.[7]
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 2 General Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Jennifer Carroll Foy |
63.14% | 13,366 | |
| Republican | Mike Makee | 36.86% | 7,803 | |
| Total Votes | 21,169 | |||
| Source: Virginia Department of Elections | ||||
2015
Elections for the Virginia House of Delegates 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.[8] Joshua King was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Mark Dudenhefer defeated Timothy Ciampaglio in the Republican primary. Dudenhefer defeated King in the general election.[9][10]
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 2 General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Mark Dudenhefer |
50.5% | 5,839 | |
| Democratic | Joshua King | 49.5% | 5,714 | |
| Total Votes | 11,553 | |||
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 2 Republican Primary, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|
Mark Dudenhefer |
59.5% | 1,595 |
| Timothy Ciampaglio | 40.5% | 1,086 |
| Total Votes | 2,681 | |
2013
Dudenhefer ran in the 2013 election for Virginia House of Delegates District 2. Dudenhefer was unopposed in the June 11 Republican primary. He was defeated by Michael Futrell (D) in the general election on November 5, 2013.[11]
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 2 General Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Michael Futrell |
50.6% | 8,189 | |
| Republican | Mark Dudenhefer Incumbent | 49.2% | 7,966 | |
| Other | Write-in | 0.3% | 43 | |
| Total Votes | 16,198 | |||
Race snapshot
Dudenhefer faced political newcomer Michael Futrell in this newly-formed and fast-growing exurban and suburban district south of Washington, DC. The district gave Governor Bob McDonnell (R) 58 percent of the vote in 2009, but Democrats hoped to replicate the results of 2012, when President Barack Obama (D) earned 58 percent of the vote in this district. Dudenhefer only had one election before the 2013 race, but Futrell posted information copied from another candidate's website on his own page, reportedly mistakenly, which some interpreted as indicating a lack of organization in his campaign.[12][13]
2011
On November 8, 2011, Dudenhefer won election to District 2. He was uncontested in the August 23 primary and defeated Esteban Garces (D) in the November 8 general election.[14]
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 2 General Election, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Mark Dudenhefer |
56.1% | 5,767 | |
| Democratic | Esteban Garces | 43.9% | 4,507 | |
| Total Votes | 10,274 | |||
Campaign finance summary
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Scorecards
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.
2017
In 2017, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 11 through February 25.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- The Family Foundation of Virginia: 2016-2017 report card
- 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."
- NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia: 2016-2017 legislative voting record
- Legislators are scored based on their voting record on reproductive issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the climate and energy.
- Virginia Citizens Defense League: 2017 scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the Second Amendment.
- 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 based on their votes toward various bills supported by the organization
2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2016, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 13 through March 11.
|
Endorsements
2011
Dudenhefer was endorsed by the Washington Post in October 2011.[15]
Presidential Preference
2012
Mark Dudenhefer endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.[16]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Dudenhefer and his wife, Kay, have two living children and four grandchildren. They currently reside in Stafford, Virginia. Dudenhefer's third child, Emily, died in an automobile accident in 2004.[17][18]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Mark + Dudenhefer + Virginia + House"
See also
- Virginia State Legislature
- Virginia House of Delegates
- Virginia House of Delegates Committees
- Virginia state legislative districts
External links
- 2013 Campaign website
- 2011 Campaign website
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Mark Dudenhefer on Facebook
- Twitter page
- Dudenhefer's YouTube channel
Footnotes
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Virginia General Assembly Candidate Filings," accessed April 23, 2015
- ↑ WVTF, "Eight House of Delegates Members Won't Seek Re-Election; Seven Republicans and One Democrat," April 6, 2017
- ↑ Delegate Mark Dudenhefer, "Issues," accessed August 27, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ 2011 Campaign website
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Candidacy Requirements for the November 7, 2017 General Election," accessed March 21, 2017
- ↑ insidenova.com, "New candidate picked for 2nd District delegate race," August 15, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 November General Unofficial Results," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "2015 November Election Calendar," accessed January 2, 2015
- ↑ Virginia Board of Elections, "2015 Primary election results," accessed September 1, 2015
- ↑ Virginia Board of Elections, "2015 General election candidates," accessed September 1, 2015
- ↑ Virginia Board of Elections, “Official Results - 2013 General Election," accessed December 2, 2013
- ↑ The Free Lance-Star, "Political website a copy?" March 12, 2013
- ↑ VPAP, "House of Delegates District 2," accessed October 2, 2013
- ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "November 2011 General Election Official Results," accessed May 15, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "The Post’s Virginia House endorsements," October 20, 2011
- ↑ Mitt Romney for President, "Mitt Romney Announces Virginia Leadership Team," December 29, 2011
- ↑ Delegate Mark Dudenhefer, "About," accessed August 27, 2013
- ↑ Delegate Mark Dudenhefer on YouTube, "Delegate Dudenhefer Comments on Transportation," accessed January 25, 2013
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Michael Futrell (D) |
Virginia House of Delegates District 2 2016-2018 |
Succeeded by Jennifer Foy (D) |
| Preceded by Clarence E. Phillips |
Virginia House of Delegates District 2 2012-2014 |
Succeeded by Michael Futrell (D) |
