On Saturday, 37 delegates from the VA-5th Congressional District decided by secret ballot to replace Tom Garrett with Denver Riggleman in a contentious convention.
Months after Garrett, the incumbent and member of the Freedom Caucus, won the nomination, Garrett decided not to run amid his ongoing battle with alcoholism.
Hours after Garrett’s decision not to pursue reelection, former Air Force Intelligence Officer, NSA Electronic Warfare contractor and consultant, and Distillery Owner, Denver Riggleman entered the race.
At the convention, Riggleman ran against Cynthia Dunbar, an RNC national committeewoman; Michael Del Rosso, who ran for the same seat in 2016; Michael Webert, a member of the House of Delegates; Martha Boneta, a well known VA conservative activist; and Joe Whited. State Senator Bill Stanley, a supposed favorite, decided not to run upon arrival at the convention.
The convention involved three rounds of voting and speeches. Dunbar took a large lead after the first round of voting with 15 votes compared to Riggleman’s six. After three more rounds of contentious voting, Denver Riggleman clawed back to complete an impressive upset, defeating Dunbar by a single vote.
I was fortunate enough to conduct a phone interview with Riggleman the night he won the nomination.
Congress continues to work with the Trump Administration to uncover more details about the president’s strategy in Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern countries. Moving forward, Riggleman believes his extensive military experience can be of service to facilitate coherent policy between Capitol Hill and 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Riggleman enlisted in 1992 and qualified for the SOAR scholarship for outstanding airmen. In 1998, Riggleman graduated from UVA with a BA in foreign affairs. After 9/11, in Operation Enduring Freedom, Riggleman was part of the first deployed B1 bomber squadron, and was a strategist for bombing operations in Afghanistan.
As for his perspective on President Trump, Riggleman said he is a staunch supporter of President Trump’s policies pertaining to the economy. He has no problem with praising Trump’s policies when they are consistent and conservative but also critiquing Trump when he is inconsistent and acts with questionable character.
“We have a president creating a good economy that has improved the lives of so many living in Virginia’s fifth district,” said Riggleman. “I’m proud to run on that.”
In 2017, Riggleman had a rather successful, short stint, running for the Republican gubernatorial bid before it was given to Ed Gillespie. When asked what he thinks will push him over the line against Democratic opponent Leslie Cockburn, Riggleman said, “There are not many people I’m afraid of. I’m a veteran and a former CEO. When you have that experience, Democrats and politics don’t tend to scare you. I’m going to have a transparent campaign. Since I’m new to politics, I can stand up for Virginian values because I owe no one anything.”