Chris Head Seeks to Fill 17th HOD Seat

Chris Head addresses supporters during the last primary.

by Valerie Garner

Business owner Chris Head announced his candidacy Wednesday for the Republican nomination in the 17th District of the House of Delegates. He seeks to replace Delegate Bill Cleaveland who is retiring after one term in the legislature. The 17th House of Delegates district encompasses Roanoke County and parts of Roanoke City and Botetourt County.

“Delegate Cleaveland has served this district well, and his presence in the legislature will be missed,” Head said.

Head, 48, operates Home Instead Senior Care along with his wife Betsy. Home Instead has locations in Lynchburg and Roanoke. “In the past 10 years, we’ve been able to create almost 350 jobs here at Home Instead, but in that time I have learned how cumbersome and ridiculous some of the regulatory barriers are that limit the ability to create those jobs,” Head said. “

His campaign will focus on smaller government, lower taxes, controlling runaway spending and more local control of government.

“Government agencies are not spending their money. They are spending our money, and it’s time we put a stop to it,” Head said. “If we reign in government spending and reduce the redundancy that exists among state agencies, we might just be able to balance the budget and reduce taxes at the same time.”

His top priority in the legislature is job creation. “We have companies that leave here for greener pastures. It is vitally important that we make sure that these pastures are the greener ones and remove any governmental obstacles that would keep them away,” said Head.

He supports conservative, faith based, family oriented values and will defend the constitution. “If the people send me to Richmond, I promise that I will hold fast to those values and will stand strong … I love this valley, and I have a vested interest in looking out for all of it,” said Head.

Head lives in Botetourt County with his wife and their three children, Tori, Abby and Michael. He is a deacon at Bonsack Baptist Church and volunteers in his church and community. He is also a member of the National Rifle Association. He is pro-life vowing to protect the unborn.

Head came in second in a five-way primary race to replace retiring William Fralin in 2009 with Cleaveland winning the nomination.

In a call to attorney Josh Johnson he said that he has no plans to run for the seat. Johnson came in third in the 2009 primary. Attorney Melvin Williams and Mike Wray were other contenders in 2009. Wray said he was weighing his options for a possible candidacy indicating it might not be for the HOD.

In an email Brian Lang Roanoke County Democratic Chair said, “No Democratic challenger has stepped forward yet.” Don Caldwell Roanoke City Democratic Chair said, “At this point, nobody, officially or unofficially, has contacted me about running for this seat.”

 

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