Introduction
Amanda Chase (née Freeman; born December 1, 1969) is an American politician and financial planner.She is currently a member of the Virginia Senate for the 11th District, representing Amelia County, the city of Colonial Heights, and part of Chesterfield County. On February 17, 2020, Chase announced her intentions to run for Governor of Virginia in 2021, making her the first Republican candidate for governor in that election.
Early life and education
Chase was born in Sheffield, Alabama to Dorsey and Tena Freeman.She grew up in the community of Bon Air, Virginia, and attended Chesterfield County Public Schools.
After graduating from Monacan High School in 1988, she went on to attend Virginia Tech.In 1992, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business, majoring in Corporate Finance and Business Management.
Professional career
Since June 2013, Chase has worked as an Independent Division Leader with Primerica Financial Services.Prior to that, she served in management roles at First North American National Bank, Signet Bankcard (now Capital One), the Virginia Student Assistance Authorities and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Political career
Chase first became involved in local politics due to a zoning issue that affected her neighborhood, serving on a steering committee that would ultimately succeed in blocking the proposed zoning change.
She then went on to serve as the Chesterfield County Coordinator for Attorney General candidate Ken Cuccinelli, Deputy Volunteer Coordinator for the McDonnell Inaugural Committee and as Political Director for then-Congressman Eric Cantor (2010) and Randy Forbes (2012).Chase was briefly the Campaign Manager for Congressman Dave Brat following his defeat of Cantor in the 2014 primary.
From 2010 to 2014, Chase ran a campaign management firm that sought to help grassroots conservatives run for office.Her clients included 2010 U.S. Senate Candidate Jamie Radtke, Congressman Randy Forbes (VA-4), 2013 Republican Lt. Governor Candidate Susan Stimpson, 2014 Republican Congressional Candidate Dave Brat (VA-7), the Women for Ken PAC, and many other local and state legislators and elected officials.
Virginia State Senate
On July 10, 2014, Chase filed to run for the Republican nomination in Virginia's 11th State Senate District.Her primary opponents were incumbent Senator Stephen H. Martin and businessman Barry Moore.Despite being heavily outspent, she defeated both challengers and went on to face Democrat Wayne Powell in the general election.
At the general election on November 3, 2015, Chase defeated Powell by a wide margin to become the district's Senator-Elect.She assumed office on January 13, 2016.
On November 22, 2019, Chase announced that she will no longer caucus with the Republicans in the State Senate in 2020, although she still considers herself a Republican.
Election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Amanda Chase | 35,147 | 69.39 | |
| Democratic | Wayne Powell | 15,481 | 30.56 | |
| None | Write-In | 24 | 0.05 | |
| Total votes | 50,652 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Amanda Chase | 4,907 | 40.48 | |
| Republican | Stephen H. Martin (incumbent) | 4,238 | 34.96 | |
| Republican | Barry Moore | 2,977 | 24.56 | |
| Total votes | 12,122 | 100 | ||
Controversies
Wearing a firearm in session
On January 15, 2019, Chase openly carried a .38 caliber firearm in a custom holster while presenting bills to a Senate committee. She said "it’s a deterrent for over-exuberant folks" in explaining why she openly carried a loaded firearm into the Senate committee meeting.
Cursing at Capitol Police officer over a parking spot
On March 22, 2019, Chase reportedly became "irate" and used profanities at Capitol Police officers after being told that she was not allowed to park in the secured Pedestrian Plaza on Bank Street.
Comments about rape
Chase had made a controversial statement about rape. In a post on Facebook about the Second Amendment, which was made on Tuesday, July 2, 2019, she said "[i]t’s those who are naive and unprepared that end up raped. Sorry. But I’m not going to be a statistic." This statement of hers was subject to considerable backlash. Many people asserted that her comment was insensitive to the predicament of recovery that many rape victims undergo and other people asserted that she was blaming victims. In response to the public criticism, Chase posted a video to the same Facebook page as the one that she used to make the comment about rape. She did not apologize in the video and she said that her reply was "taken out of context." She also attacked her critics as "trolls".
Confederate monuments
Chase opposes removing the Robert E. Lee Monument in Richmond, Virginia, which has become a flashpoint of protests in recent times. "Removing the Robert E. Lee statue is a cowardly capitulation to the looters and domestic terrorists." Chase further stated that the removal of Confederate statues is an "overt effort to erase all white history."
Additional sources
- "Campaign Website". Archived from the original on 2016-01-09. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
- "2015 Senate District 11 Results". Archived from the original on 2015-11-07. Retrieved 2015-11-04.