A.C. Cordoza is the Republican candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates District 91. His name will appear on the ballot on Nov. 2.
Candidate: A.C. Cordoza
Race: Virginia House of Delegates District 91
Party: Republican
Website: cordozaforvirginia.com
Biography: A.C. Cordoza is a proud graduate of Hampton High School and Thomas Nelson Community College. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and cyber security expert for Newport News Shipbuilding where he focuses on keeping our U.S. Naval assets safe against enemy threats. Cordoza lives in Hampton where he enjoys attending church, spending time with family, watching the New York Knicks, and volunteering in the community.
Why should Virginians elect you to the Virginia House of Delegates?
As a veteran and cyber security expert at the Newport News Shipyard, I believe that I am uniquely qualified to bring fresh ideas to the Virginia House of Delegates. The Peninsula needs leaders with commonsense values that will work across party lines and listen to the people that actually live in the community, not out of state special interests. If elected I would be the first African American person elected to this seat.
What do you hope to accomplish, if elected?
When elected, I want to bring unity to our community and the Virginia House of Delegates. I want people to feel safe, get a quality education, and have a solid job. It is my mission to ensure our region is not forgotten in our state budget, I will fight to bring back our tax dollars to benefit our community.
What is the most important issue facing your district, and what is your position on it?
Every evening when I walk the neighborhoods, I hear the same message: Cost of living is soaring, and it is harder to pay the bills. We must stop squeezing working-class families with unnecessary tax increases and burdensome fees so that they can support their families. No family should have to pick between gas to get to work and putting food on the table.
What is your position on Virginia’s overall response to the coronavirus pandemic, and what might you have done differently?
The response has been a failure. We have let so many working Virginians down through the failures of the Virginia Employment Commission. When elected, I will lead the charge to reform the system. Vaccines were not dispersed efficiently, as it was not long ago that Virginians fled to North Carolina to receive their vaccines. Children should have been back in school sooner with safety measures implemented, and there was no discussion of child care options for single working parents. We must remain vigilant in our fight against COVID-19.
What are the top three issues created by the coronavirus pandemic in your district, and how would you plan to address them?
- Economic instability: We must freeze the gas tax increase, reform the Virginia Employment Commission, work with the Hampton Roads Workforce council to connect employers and workers, continue to modernize our government institutions for online services without hindering in person services, like the DMV, and ensure that we practice safety measures in the workplace to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- Disruption of education: We must work to bring a sense of normalcy back to education. Virginia must keep our schools open with serious safety protocols in effect to keep students and staff safe. Students are being left behind from the pandemic. Programs must be instituted and funded to address solutions for students who have fallen behind. Our schools must focus on retaining quality staff and I support pay increases for staff like teachers, bus drivers, and counselors.
- Inadequate mental health services: As a veteran, I have seen first hand the struggles our neighbors face daily. Whether it be veterans, children, our senior population, or people who are facing financial hardship, we have a mental health crisis in the community. Good people are in need of services that are not advertised or available. I will fight for community partnerships and increased funding for our community services boards and other programs that help those facing these difficult times.
