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Virginia House of Delegates
Tom Garrett
House of Delegates — District 56
Republican
Campaign Website →
RESOLUTE Citizen Score
89
/ 100
B
Raw: 34 of 38 dynamic max
· 19 of 49 answered
State tier49 of 50 rubric questions apply at this office level — federal-only questions are marked N/A and excluded from the dynamic max. How tier grading works →
Last verified: · from claim evidence
✝ God First
26/ 70
🏛️ State First
8/ 30
National Rank
#4,008 of 9,024 · top 44.4% among candidates with at least one scored answer
See the full rankings →Contact This Official
Call804-698-1056Send MessageOfficial PageEmaildeltgarrett@house.virginia.govX / Twitter@GarrettforVA
Reach out directly. Your voice matters. Proverbs 29:2 — When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.
Next Election
November 2, 2027
General · Seat up at next election
— until
Registration deadline: 2026-10-13
Early voting: 2026-09-18 – 2026-10-31
State elections office: (804) 864-8901
Voter status: Check registration
State elections site: Virginia Department of Elections
Official Profile
Education: University of Richmond (BS History, JD)
Birthplace: Virginia
Background: U.S. Army officer (Field Artillery, Captain, 1995-2000); former Louisa County Commonwealth's Attorney and Assistant Attorney General; former VA State Senator (22nd Dist., 2012-17) and U.S. Congressman (VA-05, 2017-19, House Freedom Caucus). University of Richmond (B.A., J.D.). Won HD-56 in 2023; member since 2024.
X / Twitter: @GarrettforVA
Evidence_state finalization 2026-06-02. Conservative Republican with one documented cross-party deviation: voted YEA on HJ9 (2025) repealing the man-woman marriage provision, explaining 'I'm defending people's right to be free' (biblical_marriage scored FALSE accordingly). Otherwise: NAY on HJ1 (repro amendment), '100% pro-life / no exceptions' pledge; chief patron HB2073 (anti-debanking with explicit anti-ESG and religious-institution conscience carve-outs) and HB984 (cash-payment protection); HB993 (2026, discontinue driver privilege cards for undocumented immigrants); HB981 (prosecutorial-misconduct accountability) and HB1968 (crime-victim compensation); repeated floor speeches against the 2024/2026 gun-control packages; endorsed by NRA/VCDL/Gun Owners of America. Religion invoked rhetorically ('the Creator') but no denomination publicly documented (left unset). Past U.S. House controversies noted but not scored.
Category Breakdown
Candidate affirms life begins at conception and personhood from conception
1 claim
A lifelong pro-life legislator who, as a Virginia State Senator and later as a U.S. Representative (VA-5th, 2017-2019), introduced federal legislation to prohibit abortions at 20 weeks post-fertilization. Returned to the House of Delegates in 2024 with the same commitment, stating publicly: 'I assure you that on issues of life, I will vote to protect the first and foremost inalienable right given to us by the Creator. No exceptions.' Voted NO on Virginia's Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment (HJR 1, 2026), which would have constitutionalized abortion-on-demand in Virginia.
- BallotpediaCenter
- WikipediaEncyclopedia
- BallotpediaCenter
Candidate has voted for or sponsored state legislation moving toward abortion abolition (e.g., heartbeat ban, total ban) — not merely restrictions
TRUE (+2)[2]
Candidate opposes state funding for embryonic stem-cell research and supports state IVF embryo-protection laws
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes state physician-assisted suicide laws and opposes state Medicaid death-panel rationing
Not yet verified
FEC / state campaign-finance search found no abortion-industry PAC contributions for state-legislative or statewide-office campaigns (as of the cited search date)
Not yet verified
Candidate affirms marriage as exclusively the lifelong union of one man and one woman as instituted by God
Candidate opposes state recognition of same-sex marriage / civil unions / domestic partnerships, and supports state non-recognition resolutions where federally permitted
FALSE (0)[3]
Candidate has voted for state legislation affirming biological sex (bathroom/locker access, sports participation, minor gender-procedure bans)
TRUE (+2)[5]
Candidate supports state no-fault divorce reform and pro-marriage policy (covenant marriage option, waiting periods, etc.)
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes promotion of LGBTQ+ identity in state-funded schools, state agencies, and state corporate-partnership programs
TRUE (+2)[5]
Candidate has voted for state school-choice (vouchers, ESAs, charter expansion) and supports state homeschool freedom statutes
TRUE (+2)[5]
Candidate has voted for state law requiring parental notification + consent on minors' medical, mental-health, and gender interventions (incl. school counseling referrals)
Not yet verified
Candidate has voted for state law restricting CRT/SOGI/comprehensive-sex-ed/gender-ideology curricula in K-12
TRUE (+2)[5]
Candidate has voted for state age-verification laws on pornographic content and state criminal penalties for sexualizing minors
Not yet verified
Candidate has voted for state RFRA-style protections for faith-based adoption + foster agencies; opposes state-mandated SS-couple placement
Not yet verified
Candidate affirms the right to publicly profess Christ in all spheres (workplace, military, public office, schools)
Not yet verified
Candidate has voted for state conscience-exemption laws (state RFRA, medical-professional carve-outs, business-owner protections)
TRUE (+2)[6]
Candidate opposes state-level pronoun mandates + state 'hate speech' laws restricting Christian conviction
Not yet verified
Candidate supports state public-square Christian display protections + state legislative prayer + state Sunday-closure laws
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes state-funded promotion of non-Christian religious displays/curricula/holidays in state institutions
Not yet verified
Candidate has voted for state law protecting cash as legal tender, opposing state-level CBDC pilot programs, and protecting crypto-as-property status
TRUE (+2)[7]
Candidate supports sound-money policies including gold/silver as constitutional money and audit/abolition of the Federal Reserve
N/A · out of tier
Candidate has voted for state balanced-budget compliance + opposed state borrowing for non-capital expenditures
Not yet verified
Candidate has voted for state usury caps + state predatory-lending protections + state charitable-deduction parity
Not yet verified
Candidate has voted for state pension/treasury divestment from ESG-aligned funds (e.g., BlackRock) + state anti-monopoly enforcement against financial cartels
TRUE (+2)[6]
Candidate (state SoS/legislature) has voted for state hand-count requirements / opposed electronic voting machines
Not yet verified
Candidate (state SoS/legislature) has voted for state photo voter ID + citizenship verification at registration
TRUE (+2)[5]
Candidate has voted to restrict state early-voting windows + tighten state absentee qualifications to verified medical/military
Not yet verified
Candidate has voted against state mass mail-in voting expansion, against state drop-box deployment, and against legalizing ballot harvesting
Not yet verified
Candidate (state SoS/legislature) has voted to ban state acceptance of private election grants ('Zuckerbucks') + state penalties for foreign interference
Not yet verified
Candidate (state) has voted for state-funded border-security measures (e.g., TX Operation Lone Star analog, AZ wall expansion)
Not yet verified
Candidate (state) has voted for state laws requiring local cooperation with ICE deportation enforcement
TRUE (+2)[5]
Candidate (state) has voted to preempt or punish sanctuary-city policies + ban state cities from declaring sanctuary status
TRUE (+2)[8]
Candidate (state) has voted for state E-Verify mandate (beyond federal floor) for state employers + state-benefit eligibility verification
Not yet verified
Candidate (state) has voted to restrict foreign ownership of state farmland (e.g., China-buyer prohibitions)
Not yet verified
Candidate supports constitutional carry without permit requirements
TRUE (+2)[2]
Candidate (state) has voted against state red-flag laws, mag-capacity limits, AWBs, and registries (or voted to repeal where enacted)
TRUE (+2)[9]
1 claim
Voted NO on HB 217 (Virginia's 2026 assault-weapons ban) and the broader gun-control package, standing with every House Republican against the most sweeping firearms restriction in Virginia's history. The legislation passed 58-34 on party lines. As a former U.S. Representative backed by the NRA, Garrett has a sustained pro-gun record spanning two decades of Virginia and federal legislative service. NRA-ILA called the package unconstitutional; Gov. Spanberger signed it into law in May 2026.
- Virginia MercuryLean Left
- nraila.orgUnclassified
- WikipediaEncyclopedia
Candidate (state) has voted for state constitutional-carry statute
Not yet verified
Candidate (state) has voted against state universal-background-check schemes
Not yet verified
Candidate (state) has voted to enact / strengthen state Castle Doctrine + stand-your-ground statute
Not yet verified
Candidate has publicly backed law enforcement and opposed defunding/dismantling police
TRUE (+2)[5]
Candidate opposes cashless-bail, soft-on-crime, and rogue-prosecutor (e.g. Soros-DA) policy
TRUE (+2)[7]
Candidate refuses to treat violent crime as a "public health" excuse to avoid punishment
Not yet verified
Candidate affirms the magistrate's God-ordained duty to bear the sword (Rom. 13:4)
Not yet verified
Official has voted for or sponsored 10th-Amendment nullification or anti-commandeering measures
Not yet verified
Official has declined unconstitutional federal mandates or federal strings on the state
Not yet verified
Official has resisted federal overreach on guns, life, education, or religious liberty
Not yet verified
Official affirms state sovereignty against unconstitutional federal action
Not yet verified
Official has opposed federal capture of state elections, data, or land
Not yet verified
Sources & Evidence
1 Lean Left1 Center4 Right8 Official5 Reference6 Other
Vote Smart — Voting RecordReference
reportcard.familyfoundation.org/Right Advocacy
www.vcdl.org/Right Advocacy
reportcard.familyfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2...Right Advocacy
freedomindex.us/va/Right Advocacy
Ballotpedia ProfileCenter
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Garrett,_Jr.Encyclopedia
Vote Smart — Voting RecordReference
www.richmondsunlight.com/legislator/tagarrett/Unclassified
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_A._Garrett_Jr.Encyclopedia
Bias ratings sourced from AllSides and Ad Fontes Media. Classifications for government, reference, and advocacy domains are maintained by U.S.M.C. Ministries; see source_bias.json.
References & footnotes
Every answer above with a [n] marker corresponds to one of the footnotes below. Wayback-archive links preserve the page as it read at our access date so a reader can verify the citation even if the original URL changes or disappears.
- [1]Voted NAY on HJ1 (2025 repro-freedom amendment); '100% pro-life' and pledge to 'support legislation that recognizes life begins at conception.' Official
Voted NAY on HJ1 (2025 repro-freedom amendment); '100% pro-life' and pledge to 'support legislation that recognizes life begins at conception.'
- [2]Voted NAY on HJ1 (2025 repro-freedom amendment); '100% pro-life' and pledge to 'support legislation that recognizes life begins at conception.' Center
Voted NAY on HJ1 (2025 repro-freedom amendment); '100% pro-life' and pledge to 'support legislation that recognizes life begins at conception.'
- [3]CROSS-PARTY DEVIATION: voted YEA on HJ9 (2025) repealing the man-woman marriage definition, explaining 'I reconcile my faith with my vote in saying I'm defending people's right to be free.' Official
CROSS-PARTY DEVIATION: voted YEA on HJ9 (2025) repealing the man-woman marriage definition, explaining 'I reconcile my faith with my vote in saying I'm defending people's right to be free.'
- [4]CROSS-PARTY DEVIATION: voted YEA on HJ9 (2025) repealing the man-woman marriage definition, explaining 'I reconcile my faith with my vote in saying I'm defending people's right to be free.' Unclassified
CROSS-PARTY DEVIATION: voted YEA on HJ9 (2025) repealing the man-woman marriage definition, explaining 'I reconcile my faith with my vote in saying I'm defending people's right to be free.'
- [5]kind: party_platform. 2024 Republican Party Platform (UCSB HTML mirror, fetched 2026-10-07, HTTP 200). No individual statement found this turn that independently quoted the bathroom/locker, sports, and minor-procedure clauses together. Chapter 9, section 5 'Republicans Will End Left-wing Gender Insanity': 'We will keep men out of women's sports, ban Taxpayer funding for sex change surgeries, and stop Taxpayer-funded Schools from promoting gender transition.' Twenty promises also say 'KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN'S SPORTS.' Maps to state biblical_marriage q2 sports-participation clause only. Bathroom/locker access and a minor gender-procedure ban statute were not independently quoted — not claimed. Unclassified
kind: party_platform. 2024 Republican Party Platform (UCSB HTML mirror, fetched 2026-10-07, HTTP 200). No individual statement found this turn that independently quoted the bathroom/locker, sports, and minor-procedure clauses together. Chapter 9, section 5 'Republicans Will End Left-wing Gender Insanity': 'We will keep men out of women's sports, ban Taxpayer funding for sex change surgeries, and stop Taxpayer-funded Schools from promoting gender transition.' Twenty promises also say 'KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN'S SPORTS.' Maps to state biblical_marriage q2 sports-participation clause only. Bathroom/locker access and a minor gender-procedure ban statute were not independently quoted — not claimed.
- [6]Chief patron HB2073 (2025), whose anti-debanking text includes an explicit carve-out protecting religious institutions' right to make service determinations based on religious belief — conscience protection. Reference
Chief patron HB2073 (2025), whose anti-debanking text includes an explicit carve-out protecting religious institutions' right to make service determinations based on religious belief — conscience protection.
- [7]Chief patron HB984 (2026), 'cash payments, discrimination prohibited' — protects cash as accepted tender, aligned with the pro-cash / anti-cashless-control position. Unclassified
Chief patron HB984 (2026), 'cash payments, discrimination prohibited' — protects cash as accepted tender, aligned with the pro-cash / anti-cashless-control position.
- [8]Chief patron HB993 (2026) discontinuing driver privilege cards for undocumented immigrants — opposes a state accommodation of illegal immigration (anti-sanctuary-spirit). Official
Chief patron HB993 (2026) discontinuing driver privilege cards for undocumented immigrants — opposes a state accommodation of illegal immigration (anti-sanctuary-spirit).
- [9]Repeated documented floor speeches opposing the 2024 and 2026 gun-control packages (assault-weapons/magazine bans, red-flag expansion). Lean Left
Repeated documented floor speeches opposing the 2024 and 2026 gun-control packages (assault-weapons/magazine bans, red-flag expansion).
- [10]Chief patron HB1968 (2025, crime-victim compensation, extends filing time); publicly conditioned felon re-enfranchisement on victim restitution first — victim-centered justice. Official
Chief patron HB1968 (2025, crime-victim compensation, extends filing time); publicly conditioned felon re-enfranchisement on victim restitution first — victim-centered justice.
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