Former Delegate Jeff Frederick Runs for Virginia Senate

Jeff Frederick has a history of winning elections in tough political climates.

In 2007, he won his seat in the House of Delegates with 59 percent of the vote in what he called “the worst year for Republicans.” This year, he is campaigning for one of the most talked-about races in the state. 

Frederick is running against Tito Munoz for the 36th District Republican nomination. Frederick and Munoz will face off in the Republican primary election on Aug. 23. 

Frederick, who is of Colombian descent, was raised in Springfield and attended college at Emory University before joining the Navy. After spending some time in the military, he returned to Northern Virginia. He ran for the House of Delegates in 2004 when he was 28 years old, and won.  

“Life was all about my path,” said Frederick. “If I wasn’t on the path I was on, I wouldn’t have met my wife, or get elected to the House of Delegates at 28.” 

Frederick spent five years in the House of Delegates before leaving office in 2009 to focus on his business and on raising his family. While he was in office, he fought against tax increases proposed by then-Govenor Mark Warner.

“In 2004 Mark Warner passed the largest tax increase in the state,” said Frederick. “There were 12 freshmen, and I was the only one to vote no on the tax hike.”

He continued, “My priority was improving [constituents’] quality of life. People knew I was going to do what I was going to do to improve their quality of life.”

When he decided to run for the Virginia Senate, he planned carefully. Most of the new 36th District encompasses his old House district, so Frederick was already familiar with those constituents. As a result, he saw that he had a strong chance of winning.

Frederick explained, “My thought was that Republicans were getting slaughtered. It’s a pendulum. So I thought, I’ve been successful in winning elections in tough years for Republicans. Not because I diluted my principals. Not because I mislead people. I’m not confrontational when I disagree with others. I’m very responsive and I want to know what people want.  I really care about communicating while we have different perspectives. Maybe I could change it. I could bring my brand of Republican to Virginia.

“I think people crave more intellectual honesty in politicians and in debates,” he remarked.

His priorities include keeping taxes low for Virginians and pushing for responsible state spending. 

“You have an obligation as a public servant to make sure money is spent wisely. It’s not your money,” said Frederick. “When you’re the steward of someone else’s money, you have to be more careful with it.”

Former Delegate Jack Reid worked with Frederick on the Education Committee until his retirement in 2008.

“I think he would be a great addition to the Senate,” commented Reid. “He’s energetic, he has good ideas, and he did a good job representing the people who sent him there when he was in the House of Delegates.”

Frederick lives in Montclair with his wife, Amy, and three children. He is the CEO of GXS Strategies, Inc., an IT and communications company.