Barry Knight is the Republican candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates District 81. His name will appear on the ballot on Nov. 2.
Candidate: Barry Knight
Race: Virginia House of Delegates District 81
Party: Republican
Website: barrydknight.com
Biography: I started working mowing yards at a very young age, and then went to work on Mr. Brown’s Dairy Farm at 14 years old. I continued to work on his farm after graduation from high school. After Brown sold his dairy herd, we then just raised corn, wheat, and soybeans. He let me raise my own crops using his equipment and tractors, and let me raise some hogs in his old barns. In the winter when the crops were out, I drove tractor trailers and saved my money. When I was 26 years old, I purchased a small farm to raise hogs on. I then grew it to the largest independent hog farm in the state. I started a business from scratch and grew it to a sustainable business.
Why should Virginians re-elect you to the Virginia House of Delegates?
I have served the citizens of Virginia and the 81st District ably and responsibly, always listening and helping my constituents.
What do you hope to accomplish, if elected?
I will continue to make Virginia a great place to raise a family, work, and start a business. I will continue to protect our law enforcement and first responders. I will pay our teachers a fair salary and insist that we teach our children in a fair and balanced way. Being a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I will ensure that our state balances our budget, and we reduce our tax burden on our citizens.
What is the most important issue facing your district, and what is your position on it?
I have a very broad district, but recurrent flooding is certainly a major concern. I have had money appropriated to have a test study on grasses effect on water movement in Back Bay. I am working collaboratively with the federal government and Virginia Beach City Council on issues to mitigate flooding. We have some items that we will be implementing as soon as we get regulatory approval.
What is your position on Virginia’s overall response to the coronavirus pandemic, and what might you have done differently?
The initial rollout was terrible. Long lines, computer issues, etc. We should have hired the young adults that run the Chic-Fil-A lines. They would have done a better job.
What are the top three issues created by the coronavirus pandemic in your district, and how would you plan to address them?
Our kids needed in-person school instruction at least as an option. Our test scores are terrible after this last virtual school year. I will not tolerate virtual-only schools. We needed to stop giving federal government money for as long as we did. People had no incentive to go back to work. Businesses and the general public are suffering shortages as a result. I will see that no state monies are used to continue to pay folks not to work. Parents have seen how, and what, their children are taught and are angry. We need to teach our kids how to learn and form their own opinions and not be led to believe certain ideals.
