Carl Bedell is the only Democratic candidate competing for the 7th District who is not centered in Prince William County. He’s hardly an outsider, however. For Bedell, it’s all about “being present.”
FXBG Advance: Tell us how arrived at this point in your life; what fueled your run for Congress?
Carl Bedell: I grew up in a military family, and I continued that tradition as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army. I left military service in 2005 and from there moved on to law school.
After graduation, I began joining community boards and discovered that I had skills as a fundraiser. Early on in my career I was encouraged to get involved in politics, but I didn’t want to because I felt the system was broken and it wasn’t an effective way to get things done. I’m a person who likes to get things done, and believed I’d be more effective by not running for office.
FXBG Advance: What changed your mind?
CB: I was unsatisfied with the quality of the people being sent to Washington, and I realized that good people wouldn’t run because of what they had to go through in order to successfully gain office. I felt that the country deserved better. With Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger running for governor, I realized it was the right time to run.
FXBG Advance: You’re the only Democrat in this primary race not from Prince William. How does that affect the way you run your race?
CB: This is a purple district. Spanberger won the moderate votes in the rural counties, establishing that a Democrat outside the urban centers of the district could be successful.
I live in Greene County, and think I understand the rural communities, but I also get the people who live in the I95 corridor. I lived in Northern Virginia for 12 years, and I understand the increase in crime in Prince William County, as well as the infrastructure issues these urban areas are facing.
The key is being present for your constituents. Representative Spanberger did a great job of this across the district. That’s something that I would also strive to do well.
FXBG Advance: What type of government contracting business do you run?
CB: The company is called Ilion Management Strategies and it’s headquartered in Arlington. However, it operates predominantly as a remote business. We focus on helping the federal government to improve transparency and accountability of the tax dollars they spend.
The other benefit to my work is that I understand continuing resolutions, and how budgets and CRs affect veterans and workers when the government shuts down.
FXBG Advance: Development issues are a major concern here in Fredericksburg and the surrounding counties. What, if anything, can you do from Congress to help our region deal with these problems?
A lot of these issues are local ones, but what it boils down to is quality of life, and the comfortableness of people with where they live. It’s worth noting we have the same concerns in the rural areas, where developers can build data centers and apartment complexes by-right, and people are worried about their land becoming overcrowded and creating change in the character of the places they live.
However, we have to be involved in this development. The best approach is to get involved with developers so that their work doesn’t change the character of our counties. If you fight the change, you don’t get a seat at the table. But if you work with them, you can help shape this growth.
We have to allow for growth, because this brings jobs and is our future.
FXBG Advance: What’s your strategy for running this campaign?
CB: Campaigns are expensive. Fortunately, I have a lot of experience raising money for nonprofit orgs. We have about 10 staff members workers between paid and volunteers working on this campaign.
People should know that I’m doing this full-time, and that means meeting regularly with community leaders and citizens. You talk with and listen to them. And you win votes.
What’s important is that you’re out and talking people and convincing people to turn out and vote on June 18.
Beyond this, I let people know that though I haven’t previously held elected office, I’m not a political novice.
I have a lot of experience on boards. I’m currently the vice chair of the Virginia Board of Veterans Services, now on my second term. I’ve also had board positions in the arts and other veterans’ organizations.
When I lived in Arlington, for example, I chaired their public art committee. One of our roles was to evaluate the proffers. So this is important experience for understanding the day-to-day challenges facing citizens in the 7th District.
Six years ago, Abigail Spanberger was in the same position.
FXBG Advance: What would be your priorities should you win the seat?
CB: It’s important that we begin by passing some laws that get the budget straight.
Moreover, living in Greene County, I’m highly engaged with farmers and want to be sure that we are supporting them. To that end, I’d like to pursue a seat on the Agriculture Committee and continue the good work that Abigail Spanberger has done there.
FXBG Advance: Political parties have been undergoing significant change over the past decade, and a lot of people talk about the weakness of the parties and the two-party system. What do you think is the great strength of your party right now?
CB: Without a doubt, the growing number of veterans who are actively engaged with the Democratic Party.
