Candidate Profile: Anne Ferrell Tata (Va. District 99)

Anne Ferrell Tata is a Republican candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates District 99. Her name will appear on the ballot on November 7, 2023.

She is running against Cat A. Porterfield.

10 On Your Side reached out to all of the candidates running in this race with specific questions. The responses below came directly from the candidate and are unedited. If you do not see the candidate listed with a profile, we did not receive one.

Name: Delegate Anne Ferrell Tata

Race: Virginia House of Delegates District 99

Party: Republican

Website: www.teamtata.org

Biography: Delegate Anne Ferrell Tata and her husband, former Naval officer Bob Tata, raised their four children right here in Virginia Beach. She understands the importance of plentiful job opportunities and pro-business policies that make this region’s economic engine thrive.

Why are you running for this office. 

 I currently serve in the House of Delegates representing our district, the 82nd, which was redrawn into the 99th in the recent redistricting.  I serve on the committees on Education, Transportation and Communications, Technology & Innovation.  My subcommittees include Early Childhood/Innovation, K-12, Highway Safety & Policy, and Transportation Infrastructure and funding.

Although it was my first term, I was very successful in securing millions of dollars of funding for stormwater management and resilience.  I was also a leader on issues facing our veterans, fighting antisemitism and discrimination, and helping with transitions that foster children face. 

What is the most important issue facing Virginia, and what is your position on it? 

Our most important issue continues to be economic.  Although our small businesses in our district have made great strides since the pandemic, high national inflation, a difficult labor market and rising interest rates have made it difficult to keep business doors open and almost impossible to expand or to start new businesses.  I voted to lighten the tax burden on our small businesses and to give permanent tax relief to families, but it was stopped in the Democratic Senate.

What it the top challenge facing your district, and how would you address it? 

I will defend our crimefighters and first responders.  We made great strides in reversing some of the criminal first – victim last policies of the previous administration, but there is more work to do.  Many commonsense reforms like “truth in sentencing,” stopping early release of violent felons, and cracking down on drug dealers who kill people with fentanyl were stopped by the Senate.  We will continue the fight for these reforms.

What is your view on Governor Glen Youngkin’s proposal for a 15-week abortion ban with restrictions. 

At 4 months of pregnancy, a baby can feel pain, and the sex of the baby is discovered, and most Virginians agree that limiting abortions after that point is reasonable, with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

How do you feel about the politicization of public education?

We need to restore parents as the leader in the education of their children. Parents matter, and we need to remind the school administrations to respect that truth.  Past years we’ve seen politics enter the classrooms and result in less focus on education and more focus on social indoctrination.  I want education to focus on education, and that’s what parents want.

What legislation would you plan to sponsor in your first year? 

I will again sponsor the Virginia Promise to Veterans Act to guarantee college admission to disabled veterans.  It passed unanimously in the House but was stopped in the Senate.

What is your view on unlimited campaign contributions? Should that change? 

I believe that disclosure is key and VPAP makes it easy to see who has supported candidates with contributions.  Voters can decide their votes based on this information.

How will you still value constituents with whom you disagree with? 

When a constituent calls our office for help, we have no idea if he or she is a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green Party or Independent.  We help everyone we can as often as we can.  I have views on issues, but I like to hear from those who have different views, and it’s important that we all listen to each other and learn.

In recent years, controversy has emerged over Virginia Beach state lawmakers pushing forward legislation against city wishes. What will your relationship be like with City of Virginia Beach leadership? 

I try to have open communication with City Council and School Board members, especially in my district.  We are a Dillion rule state, so the state decides many things that cities aren’t empowered to decide, but open dialogue is crucial, and I think it’s important to maintain that.