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Republican

Rick Smithers

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Republican

Rick Smithers

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VA-07 Republican nominee?

$61.8K

AUG 5, 2026

Primary Election

Party selects its nominee.

2 more

Overview

Current rolePastor

PartyRepublican

Political ideologyConservative Republican

GenderMale

LocationVirginia

BackgroundPastor

Notable personal detailsRick S. Smithers is a Republican candidate for the U.S. House in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District in 2026. He is a pastor and construction business owner, and has been described as a veteran. News coverage in June 2026 reported he lived in Franklin County (outside VA-07) and said he would move into the district if he wins the primary.

SourcesShow

vpm.org fredericksburgfreepress.com ballotready.org ricksmithersforcongress.com arlnow.com politics1.com elections.virginia.gov legalclarity.org wvtf.org fec.gov oce.pr.gov docquery.fec.gov en.wikipedia.org saos.fec.gov in.gov arxiv.org potomaclocal.com ffxnow.com predictionhunt.com 12onyourside.com waysandmeans.house.gov dccc.org everything.explained.today suffolk.edu newspapers.swco.ttu.edu hac.virginia.gov civicmedia.us kpbs.org nfib.com nhpr.org pbs.org facebook.com 29news.com ballotpedia.org virginiamercury.com instagram.com cvilletomorrow.org wtop.com veterans.senate.gov energycommerce.house.gov democrats-veterans.house.gov history.house.gov welch.senate.gov huffman.house.gov congress.gov govinfo.gov foreignaffairs.house.gov veterans.house.gov energy.senate.gov durbin.senate.gov sbc.senate.gov whitehouse.senate.gov

Positions

LiberalConservative

Economy & Taxes

Rick Smithers’ publicly documented platform includes lowering taxes and slashing federal spending. He has also framed economic policy around limiting the growth of large corporate projects when they could raise utility costs for ordinary Virginians.

Climate & Energy

Smithers’ public campaign materials on environment and energy are broad and focus on protecting family farms, rural communities, and Virginia’s natural beauty. In forum remarks, he raised concerns about data centers driving higher utility bills and massive energy demand, but did not lay out a detailed climate policy.

Public Safety & Guns

Supports Second Amendment rights and national concealed carry reciprocity. Emphasizes self-defense and lawful carry while respecting background checks.

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