The Richmond Times Dispatch [1] is now reporting that Faquier County State Senator Jill Holtzman Vogel has announced that she will be running for Lieutenant Governor in the 2017 election. Rumors abounded that Senator Vogel would run for the 5th District Congressional seat vacated by Robert Hurt. However, it seems Senator Vogel has set her sights south of the Potomac.
“We need to get our mojo back as a party,” she said of her decision. She stressed that in the immediate future, however, her focus is on completing the General Assembly session that is scheduled to end Saturday, and helping Republicans win this November.
In a brief interview, Vogel said she would bring a fresh perspective as a working mother who runs her own business while managing the demands of family and her role as public servant.
Vogel is managing partner with Holtzman Vogel Josefiak Torchinsky PLLC, based in Warrenton and Washington, where she specializes in nonprofits, ethics, campaign finance and tax exempt organizations.
“I think I have something to contribute,” she said.
Vogel is married to attorney Alex Vogel, a partner at the firm and co-founder and managing partner of VogelHood Research, based in Georgetown, a political analytics firm specializing in Wall Street.
Jill Vogel is stepmother to Alex Vogel’s two teenage children from a previous marriage. The couple have four children together, ages 3, 7, 10 and 12.
She was re-elected in November to a third term in the Virginia Senate from the 27th District, which includes Clarke, Fauquier and Frederick counties and the city of Winchester, as well as part of Culpeper and Loudoun and Stafford counties.
In the Senate, Vogel chairs the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections.”
According to Senator Vogel’s campaign website, she is a mom of six children and an attorney. She has an impressive list of awards given to her [2], along with an astounding [3]biography [2]. She worked with then RNC Chairman, now gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie, as the Chief Counsel of the Republican National Committee. Senator Vogel previously served as the Deputy Counsel at the Department of Energy. She served as Counsel to the Bush Cheney 2000 campaign in the Florida recount and Counsel to the 1996 Republican National Convention.
Senator Vogel holds high ratings [4] from the Virginia Association of Realtors (100%), Virginia Chamber of Commerce (98%), Virginia FREE (87%), Virginia League of Conservation Voters (90%), NRA (100%), and the Family Foundation (87%). Senator Vogel recently opposed Governor McAluiffe on Parole Reform [5]proposals. Senator Vogel has been rather busy this session with multiple bills on a wide variety of topics [6].
Her competition includes her colleague Senator Bryce Reeves and RPV Finance Chairman Pete Snyder. Delegate Scott Taylor was running, however he has since put his LG campaign on hold to run for Congress. It is speculated that failed US Senate candidate Shak Hill and failed 2013 LG candidate EW Jackson may throw their hats in the ring.
Mother of 6, powerful attorney, and top notch Senator with connections to NOVA fundraising. If I had to describe her candidacy in one word it would be electable. She’s the type of candidate that RPV has been looking for to win back the top three offices in Richmond. It will be interesting to see how Senator Vogel does in her campaign.
UPDATE: Susan Stimpson, failed 2013 LG candidate and failed House of Delegates candidate [7], decided to throw her two cents in on Twitter.
[8]
I could say a lot of nasty things about Mrs. Stimpson. I could call her a loser, a really big loser who lost by almost a 2,000 vote margin in a House of Delegates primary loser. I won’t be doing that because I have class, tact, and southern dignity.
So all I have to say to Mrs. Stimpson.
Bless your heart.