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A Roanoke millennial will oppose Rep. Bob Goodlattes 2018 re-election bid.

Democrat Peter Volosin plans to run against Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County, who is serving his 13th term in the House of Representatives.

Volosin, 31, has never sought office before. He moved home to Roanoke in May after living in Washington, D.C., for about seven years.

Dozens of Democratic candidates have entered Virginias 2017 House of Delegates races and next years congressional races as a reaction to President Donald Trump and his policies, but Volosin says hes not running because of the Trump factor.

Tired of partisan politics in Washington, Volosin said he is seeking the 6th District Democratic nomination because hes fed up with political gridlock at the federal level.

With the way government is these days, with nothing getting done, I felt like that its time that we get somebody in there who wants to build collaboration, build partnerships and nobody else has come up so why not do it myself, he said.

Goodlatte, 64, plans to seek re-election, spokeswoman Beth Breeding said Friday.

She declined to comment further.

The 6th District has been in Republican hands since Goodlattes election to Congress in 1992. In 2016, Goodlatte, chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, beat his Democratic opponent with 66 percent of the vote. At the end of June, Goodlatte had close to $1 million in cash on hand for his 2018 re-election bid, according to the latest campaign finance reports.

Volosin is an independent contractor whose work revolves around urban planning. He earned his bachelors degree from Brown University and obtained his masters degree in urban and regional planning from Georgetown University.

He has worked a number of jobs over the years, serving as a desk clerk at a San Diego hotel, a paramedic and nurse in Washington, D.C., and eventually, consulting on regional planning efforts for various cities in Indonesia.

Volosin is an avid swimmer who qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic trials.

Hes also the son of Jimmy Volosin, who owns Jimmy Vs restaurant in Roanoke.

While Volosin is still forming his campaign platform, he believes health care is a right for all citizens, and he aims to reform the countrys immigration system so it is more welcoming to immigrants and refugees. Volosins husband, Malcolm Quigley, is from Ireland and a U.S. green card holder working toward full citizenship.

With the 2018 election still a distant glimmer on the horizon, Volosin will go on a listening tour this fall to hear from 6th District residents.

Im willing to listen to anybody because we need to have everybody at the table and come up with these creative solutions, he said.

Democrat Kai Degner, who opposed Goodlatte in 2016, conducted numerous listening tours while on the campaign trail. After losing the election, Degner has been raising money to form a super PAC devoted to unseating Goodlatte.

He recently started manufacturing Beat Bob bumper stickers and promises to refund the $3.99 shipping and handling fee for anyone who receives a sticker within 30 days of Goodlatte losing an election or retiring.

Democrats are lining up in record numbers to challenge Virginias Republican congressional representatives.

Seven Democrats oppose Rep. Barbara Comstock of Fairfax, six oppose Rep. Dave Brat of Henrico County and five oppose Rep. Tom Garrett of Buckingham.

Several Democrats are mulling a challenge to Reps. Scott Taylor of Virginia Beach, and Rob Wittman, of Westmoreland County.

No Democrats have emerged to challenge Rep. Morgan Griffith of Salem.

Read more here:
Roanoke Democrat to challenge Bob Goodlatte - Roanoke Times