Matthew R. Hamel

Elected 2022. Originally Republican, switched to Democrat Nov 2024. Won re-election Nov 2025 (57% vs 43% over David Mick R). [2026-06 RESOLUTE refinement] Roster verified: sitting Chesapeake Commonwealth's Attorney, re-elected 11/4/2025 (57-43 over GOP challenger Mick) as a Democrat after resigning from the Chesapeake GOP 11/5/2024; current term through Jan 1, 2030. HARD evidence: (1) public statement to WAVY/Yahoo (Sept 17, 2025) explicitly framing violent crime in 'public health' terms — 'Breaking the cycle of violent crime requires treating the illness and not just the symptoms' — directly contradicts public_justice q3 → q3 FALSE. Mixed-signal cases that did NOT score: (a) public_justice q0 — created an Elder Abuse Task Force partnering with local + federal LE and explicitly emphasized 'multi-agency task forces,' but no documented FOP / police-union endorsement and a 2025 PAAF (Bill Barr / Tim Griffin's Protecting Americans Action Fund) five-figure ad buy classified him among 'radical progressive prosecutors' for refusing to denounce Jay Jones's 'two bullets to the head' texts about Speaker Gilbert — net null on q0; (b) public_justice q1 — PAAF 'radical progressive prosecutor' classification + GOP challenger Mick's documented allegations (Brady-vacated murder conviction; speedy-trial-dismissed malicious-wounding case; <5% conviction rate on juvenile-weapons-at-school cases) are real concerns, BUT counter-evidence is Hamel's explicit statement that 'plea agreements are generally NOT appropriate for domestic violence and DUI cases' (WAVY 9/9/2025) AND no documented Soros / Justice & Public Safety PAC / Real Justice PAC / Fair and Just Prosecution-letter signature — net null on q1 (mixed; not the Soros-prosecutor archetype the rubric singles out); (c) public_justice q2 — diversion-for-NONVIOLENT offenders (Drug/Recovery Court, Behavioral Health Court, veterans court; 'second largest Recovery Court in Virginia') does not directly contradict victim restitution / proportional punishment of evildoers (it addresses different offenders) → null. NO EVIDENCE on sanctity_of_life (was NOT a CA in 2020 so could not have signed the 2020 abortion-non-prosecution letter; no signature on 2022 Fair and Just Prosecution post-Dobbs joint statement; no individual statement located), biblical_marriage, family_child_sovereignty (juvenile-case prosecution record is mixed but doesn't map to school-choice/parental-notification/CRT cells), christian_liberty (Catholic parishioner is identity, no policy stance on q0/q2/q3/q4 located), economic_stewardship (statement that the CA's office is 'inadequately funded' is pro-spending posture but does not address deficit/balanced-budget rubric), election_integrity, public_justice q4 (no death-penalty / mandatory-minimums / asset-forfeiture statement located), refuse_state_overreach, border_immigration (Chesapeake Sheriff's separately-elected ICE IGSA expansion is not Hamel's record and he did NOT publicly oppose it — silence is not a scoreable position here), self_defense.