“There’s no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.”

Ronald Reagan

A smiling couple dressed in formal attire, standing by a stone wall next to a body of water with lush green trees and fields in the background, under a cloudy sky.
A smiling couple dressed in formal attire, standing by a stone wall next to a body of water with lush green trees and fields in the background, under a cloudy sky.
Four people sitting at a diner counter, holding coffee cups, with a window showing a parking lot and shops outside.
A smiling woman with glasses and long wavy hair wearing a tan jacket is handing a man a fried food item in a paper wrapper. The man, wearing a denim shirt, gray pants, and a gray baseball cap, is holding a cup of coffee in his left hand and a white plastic bag in his right hand. The background shows an outdoor setting with a cloudy sky, distant landscape, and a road.
A smiling woman with glasses and long wavy hair wearing a tan jacket is handing a man a fried food item in a paper wrapper. The man, wearing a denim shirt, gray pants, and a gray baseball cap, is holding a cup of coffee in his left hand and a white plastic bag in his right hand. The background shows an outdoor setting with a cloudy sky, distant landscape, and a road.
Five people standing together outdoors in a forested area, smiling and posing for the photo. Four of them are wearing casual clothes and one is holding a stick.
Five people standing together outdoors in a forested area, smiling and posing for the photo. Four of them are wearing casual clothes and one is holding a stick.
A man with short hair, beard, wearing a beige polo shirt, sitting at a table in a restaurant with large glass windows. There are wine glasses and bottles on the table, and other diners can be seen in the background.

Who is Tony?

Hi, I’m Tony — and here’s the reader’s digest of my life story:

I’m from Augusta County. I grew up in what my dad called a “glorified double-wide”. My mom was a nurse, my dad was a used-car salesman, and my older sister was—well, a pain in the butt, but a lovable pain. I went to Buffalo Gap High School and was a mixed bag: a football player, a theatre kid, President of Student Council, Forensics captain, Debate captain, and a member of the Academic team. Mostly, I was an ambitious kid with big dreams and an idealistic sense of America.

After I graduated high school, I moved to New York to pursue acting. I spent several years up there, performing, writing, and playing music. After a while, I moved back to Virginia and played in a band for several years. We toured all around Virginia and the East Coast, and it was a great way to spend your early-to-mid-twenties.

Then, I moved out to California to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing. I spent a few years in Los Angeles, living, teaching undergraduates, and writing. Tired of the scene and the cost, I moved back to Virginia and bought an old farmhouse (1750) with my longtime best friend and the love of my life, Kennedy.

Shortly thereafter, I became a Fellow at the International Center for Jefferson Studies, worked as a Communications Director on a U.S. Senate campaign, and began investing my time in studying and practicing politics.

I’ve always been an avid reader and researcher, deeply interested in American History and Politics, but I assumed someone more qualified than I could fill the political role. My interests were in the Arts, but over time, I realized I could use my writing skills to help shape the world around me. I also found that most people in politics aren’t who I had assumed (or hoped) they were—today’s politicians aren't geniuses; they aren’t Jefferson, Adams, or Lincoln. Mostly, they're people with access to money, with giant egos, and entrenched narcissism who care little about helping the public.

So, I figured, I could at least try to be better than that—and that’s where I’m starting. I don’t have the cookie-cutter background of a young politician—no private schools, no Ivy League, no internships with my father’s Washington buddies— I didn’t spend my life trying to be a politician; I spent my life being a regular person, a reader, a writer, an observer of the world, and I think that gives me something unique to offer. My skills lie in my ability to listen, research, and simplify complicated issues.

My goal is not to work across the aisle but to sit right smack down in the middle of it. To hear both sides, keep my head low, and produce tangible, positive results for our district.