Skip to content

Goodlatte Gets 2018 Democratic Challenger

Political novice Peter Volosin looks to unseat 13-term Republican

Democrat Peter Volosin plans to go on a listening tour of Virginia's 6th Congressional District this fall. (VoteVolosin.com)
Democrat Peter Volosin plans to go on a listening tour of Virginia's 6th Congressional District this fall. (VoteVolosin.com)

Peter Volosin was in elementary school when Rep. Bob Goodlatte won his first campaign for Virginia’s 6th Congressional District. Now 31, the political novice hopes to unseat the 13-term Republican.

Volosin, a native of Roanoke, will seek the Democratic nomination in the 6th District, The Roanoke Times reported.

Having recently moved back to Roanoke after living in Washington, D.C., for seven years, Volosin said the district “needs new vision.”

“The politics of today is not working, so it’s time to take a new approach to governing,” Volosin said on his campaign website. “We can no longer have our representative side with big business and special interests at our community’s expense.”

Employed as a regional planner, Volosin said he has helped improved communities around the world. According to his website, Volosin has worked in the hospitality industry, where he negotiated a contract to increase worker wages, and as an EMT, where he said he “saw first-hand how unjust the healthcare system can be putting profits before patients.”

An issue of personal significance to Volosin is reforming the nation’s immigration system as his husband, Malcolm Quigley, is a U.S. green card holder from Ireland. Quigley is working toward full citizenship.

This fall, Volosin will go on a listening tour of the district to hear from voters.

“I’m willing to listen to anybody because we need to have everybody at the table and come up with these creative solutions,” he said.

Volosin’s parents live in Roanoke. His mom was an elementary school teacher and his dad runs a restaurant.

In his first campaign, Volosin faces stiff competition from Goodlatte, who has never dipped below 60 percent of the vote in the general election.

Out of his 13 runs for office, Goodlatte was unopposed in six of them.

Goodlatte is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which oversees legislation dealing with federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement entities.

A spokesperson for Goodlatte told the newspaper that the congressman planned to seek re-election but declined to comment further.

Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the 6th District as Solid Republican.

Recent Stories

Johnson: Budget blueprint not ready for prime time

Federal judge orders pause on USAID administrative leave

Trump gives DOGE new marching orders as Japan’s Ishiba tries a little flattery

Graham unveils budget blueprint ahead of markup next week

‘It’s a dumb time’ — Congressional Hits and Misses

US ordered not to release list of FBI agents tied to Jan. 6 cases