Nicholas Betts

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Nicholas Betts

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011

Law

Washington & Lee University School of Law, 2019

Personal

Birthplace

Silver Spring, Md.

Religion

Christian: Catholic

Profession

Law clerk

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Nicholas Betts (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Virginia's 6th Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Betts completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Betts was late to submit the necessary paperwork to appear on the general election ballot. His campaign submitted the paperwork after the deadline on June 9, 2020. On July 7, 2020, the Virginia Department of Elections decided that Betts, along with seven other candidates, should be granted the extension and the submitted paperwork was accepted.

Biography

Nicholas Betts was born in Silver Spring, Maryland. He received an undergraduate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011 and a J.D. from Washington & Lee University School of Law in 2019. Betts' professional experience includes working as a law clerk and in landscaping, construction, education, and business.

Elections

2020

See also: Virginia's 6th Congressional District election, 2020

Virginia's 6th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 23 Republican primary)

Virginia's 6th Congressional District election, 2020 (May 9 Democratic convention)

General election

General election for U.S. House Virginia District 6

Incumbent Benjamin Lee Cline defeated Nicholas Betts in the general election for U.S. House Virginia District 6 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Benjamin Lee Cline (R)	64.6	246,606
		Nicholas Betts (D)	35.3	134,729
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	478

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 381,813
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Aaron Luciani (Independent)

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Benjamin Lee Cline advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Virginia District 6.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Caleb Quinton (G)

Democratic convention

Democratic convention for U.S. House Virginia District 6

Nicholas Betts advanced from the Democratic convention for U.S. House Virginia District 6 on May 9, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Nicholas Betts (D)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= 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.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Nicholas Betts completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Betts' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I earned my Bachelor's Degree in History with a minor in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University, my Master's degree in History from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Juris Doctor Degree from Washington & Lee University School of Law. I am a resident of Lexington, Virginia, where I live with my wife, Lindsey Betts. I work as a law clerk for a law firm in Roanoke, Virginia. My work experience in education includes working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for Virginia Commonwealth University and I also have worked as a Substitute Teacher. I worked for a small family business as a consultant and later as a contracts manager. I have a strong interest in public service and I want to fight for all Americans to have a chance to live the American Dream.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I believe healthcare should be viewed as a right and a public necessity. We are all safer and the country can be more prosperous when everyone has access to healthcare.
• Americans having access to higher education is crucial if we want to stay the world leader in innovation in the 21st century. We have a student loan debt crisis, with over 44 million borrowers who have $1.6 trillion in student loan debt. This stifles economic growth and is an impediment for many citizens seeking to further educate themselves. Higher Education must be made more affordable, and one way to do that is to make 0% interest rates permanent for student loans. If we make Higher Education more affordable and increase accessibility, America will be more prosperous as a country.
• We need to protect the environment. One way we can start is to encourage businesses to develop and utilize clean energy sources such as solar and wind energy. These are technologies that other countries are developing and we cannot afford to be left behind if we want to maintain our position as the world leader in the 21st century.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about developing and implementing programs that help average, everyday, hard working Americans. Specific areas I'd like to focus on are: increasing access to healthcare, increasing access to affordable Higher Education, properly funding K-12 education, and making sure that all Americans have access to reliable high-speed internet connections.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

An elected official should be a good listener, have a very good understanding of the policies they are advocating for, and make sure those policies help their constituents and the American people. An elected official should be able to work with other elected officials with similar views as well as elected officials with different views if a reasonable and Constitutional compromise can be found.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave the American people in a better position than when I enter Congress. And I'd like to voice a message of unity, compassion and respect that continues after I have left office.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was working landscaping and construction while I was pursuing my Bachelor's Degree. I worked this job over the summer, and sometimes during the school year. I know what it's like to work hard to earn your paycheck.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

I think the United States House of Representatives is unique within the Federal Government because it allows elected officials to interact directly with many of their constituents and advocate for them in Washington.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

We need to find a way to work together to accomplish common goals that will benefit the American people.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Committees I am interested in are: Education and Labor Committee, Small Business Committee, and the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2020 Elections

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Government

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External links

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Footnotes

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Virginia's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Tim Kaine (D)

Mark Warner (D)

Representatives

District 1

Rob Wittman (R)

District 2

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

District 3

Bobby Scott (D)

District 4

Jennifer McClellan (D)

District 5

John McGuire (R)

District 6

Benjamin Lee Cline (R)

District 7

Eugene Vindman (D)

District 8

Donald Sternoff Beyer (D)

District 9

H. Morgan Griffith (R)

District 10

Suhas Subramanyam (D)

District 11

James Walkinshaw (D)

Democratic Party (8)

Republican Party (5)