The following press release is from the Andy Parker for VA05 campaign. Parker is running for the Democratic nomination to take on one of the worst of the worst Republicans in Congress – insurrectionist, extremist and overall embarrassment Bob Good. Of course, that assumes Good survives a primary challenge (from “Conservative Republican” Dan Moy). Also note that VA05 leans Republican (R+14, according to FiveThirtyEight.com), but hopefully there are enough Republican voters in that district who find Good to be such a disgrace that they’ll either stay home on election day or vote Democratic. We’ll see. Regardless, good luck to Andy Parker, who really showed his grit, courage and determination after his daughter Alison was shot and killed on live TV, then “channeled his grief into action, becoming a global advocate for common-sense gun legislation and took on Facebook and YouTube when they refused to remove the videos of Alison’s murder from their platforms.” Impressive!

Andy Parker Announces Run for Congress in Virginia’s 5th District

Today, advocate and author Andy Parker announced that he’s filed to run for the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia’s 5th Congressional District.

“It’s become clear over the last two years that southside Virginia lacks a common-sense voice in Washington,” Parker said. “Instead of causing problems, I will work hard to fix them.”

In 2015, Parker’s daughter, journalist Alison Parker, was shot and killed on live television by a mentally ill co-worker.. He channeled his grief into action, becoming a global advocate for common-sense gun legislation and took on Facebook and YouTube when they refused to remove the videos of Alison’s murder from their platforms.

Parker’s decision to run for office is inspired not just by previous advocacy for his child but what he sees as terrible leadership in Washington to protect children all across central Virginia.

“I’m running for Congress to limit the influence of giant tech companies and billionaires,” he says. “To make the internet safer for kids and families and make the economy fairer for everyone.“

Before his advocacy and run for Congress, Parker was an executive recruiter and was a member of the Henry County Board of Supervisors from 2004-2008. He was in the middle of a run for a second term on the board in 2015 when his daughter, Alison, was killed,. Soon after, he withdrew from the race.

“I have the local government experience necessary to help bring federal resources to the heart of Virginia,” he says. “Charlottesville needs upgrades to its airport. Lynchburg has problems with sewer overflow. The recently signed infrastructure bill gives us the opportunity to do great things if we work together in Washington.”

Also motivating Parker to run is the inexcusable rhetoric and embarrassing behavior by current 5th District Congressman, Bob Good (R-VA). Good has repeatedly revealed himself to be a conspiracy theorist, determined to undermine a pandemic that has hurt everyone, regardless of their party.

“Bob Good desecrates the Capitol every time he steps into it,” he says. “He’s one who has continually pushed the ‘Big Lie;’ he didn’t even have the decency to vote to honor the Capitol Police officers who bravely risked their lives to preserve our republic.”

Good also has been a leader in the new “Lost Cause” claiming the 2020 election was “stolen” from former President Donald Trump.

“He’s Virginia’s version of Marjorie Taylor Greene,” he says. “I don’t want, and I know the people of central and Southside Virginia don’t want, someone in office that isn’t respectable enough to represent them. I want to restore decency and common-sense leadership to the job.”

Previously, Parker has testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, requesting changes to Section 230 that protects social media from legal action. He has filed Federal Trade Commission complaints against both Google and Facebook and his Change.org petition asking Gray Television to grant him co-copyright of that video has garnered more than 180,000 signatures.

He has appeared on ABC, NBC, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and CBS, including 60 Minutes and Face the Nation. He has also been interviewed by multiple international news outlets and has been a contributor to such national publications as the Washington Post, Time, Newsweek, Huffington Post, and USA Today.

Parker lives with his wife, Barbara, and their two golden retrievers. Their son, Drew, lives in North Carolina.

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CNN Interview with Erin Burnett following Parker’s FTC complaint against Facebook: https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2021/10/12/andy-parker-slain-daughter-facebook-intv-ebof-sot -vpx.cnn

Washington Post coverage on 10/13/20

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/10/13/videos-his-daughters-murder-still-lingerfacebook-hes-calling-ftc-step/

60 Minutes segment from January 2021 talking about YouTube and Facebook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=492&v=2A2e35sIelM&feature=youtu.be

Andy Parker’s Change.org petition with over 159,000 signers targeting Gray Television: www.change.org/GrayTV

Roanoke Times coverage from March 2021 about Andy’s fight against Facebook, YouTube, and GrayTV:

https://roanoke.com/news/casey-grieving-dad-still-endures-online-videos-of-his-daughters-murd er/article_676b5134-90cf-11eb-af5a-6f965aa9b084.html

In 2015, my 24-year-old daughter, Alison Parker, was shot and killed on live television. I had a choice to retreat into my grief or honor Alison’s life through action. I chose the latter. I’m running for Congress because Central and Southside Virginia need a fighter in Congress. pic.twitter.com/3Y0iTv7Blx

— Andy Parker (@AndyParkerVA) January 27, 2022