Matt Strickler
for Congress
For Country. For Commonwealth.
Why Matt?
Matt Strickler is a lifelong Virginian, public servant, outdoorsman, and proud American running to represent Virginia’s Second District in Congress.
Matt is running for Congress because Washington isn’t working for the people of Southeastern Virginia. He believes we need to present a positive vision for the future, one where people can build a good life for themselves and their families, and where government focuses on solving problems, not creating them. Today, the rich and powerful are pulling away while middle-class families are working harder than ever but falling behind. The American Dream is becoming harder to achieve and that’s not right.
Matt believes we can build a stronger, safer, more prosperous country for everyone but first we need to bring Americans together instead of ripping them apart. We don’t have an enemy within — we only have each other. Imposing arbitrary tariffs on our trade partners, turning our back on our allies and ceding global leadership to our rivals, mistreating federal workers, cutting health care and food assistance, and snatching citizens off the street because of the color of their skin is not who we are, and it is hurting us.
The Second District will be one of the most competitive in the country in the 2026 midterms. It is a must-win district to flip control of the House of Representatives and ensure that Congress can and will stand up to Trump’s assault on Americans, our democracy, and our institutions.
Matt’s career has spanned quite a few places and positions — but his focus has always remained on Virginia and the communities in Hampton Roads and on the Eastern Shore. Matt understands what it will take to run a winning campaign and to represent the Second District effectively in Congress.
Matt’s vision is a stronger, fairer country where everyone has a path to the American Dream and the support to achieve it.
Standing Up To Trump
We have to fight back against Trump’s abuses and enact new safeguards against the corruption and executive overreach that has weakened our country both at home and abroad. This means making it clear that no President may use the office for profit or to persecute political opponents. It means protecting our civil rights, our civil liberties, and our elections. Instead of making law and order a spectacle, we should focus on justice and immigration reforms that actually make our communities safer while treating people with basic human dignity. It means reclaiming Congress’ power to make decisions about tariffs and trade, war, and the existence and purpose of institutions it creates. And it means strengthening and respecting our military, working with our allies, and restoring the soft power and moral authority that support our global might. Matt has a long track record of pushing back against Trump and his harmful policies as a cabinet secretary under Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, as an appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration, and as senior committee staff on Capitol Hill.
Fighting for Fairness
To make our country fairer, we need to get serious about affordability, equality, and supporting workers, families, veterans, and the Main Street businesses that drive our unique coastal economy. Instead of giving tax breaks to billionaires we should invest in education, apprenticeships, job training, and housing options to make sure all Americans can thrive in today’s economy and tomorrow’s. Instead of making it harder and more expensive for people to get quality health care, we should ensure that every American has portable health insurance for free while working to reduce costs for both public and private care. Instead of eliminating public health and environmental standards that save lives and protect the places we love, we should end the assault on science and demand clean, affordable energy and action to reduce pollution and address the impacts of climate change. Matt has fought hard throughout his career to make the communities of South Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore more resilient and livable, and he’ll continue to do that in Congress.
Restoring Faith in Government
And to make it stick for the next 250 years and beyond, we must show Americans that their government is working for them, not just for the rich and well-connected. People across the country and across the political spectrum believe the system is rigged and they are correct. We should start fixing this by getting corporate PAC money, dark money, and unlimited spending out of our elections, enacting a ban on stock trading by members of Congress as well as a requirement that they actually live in the districts they seek to represent, and mandating that all states use independent commissions to draw Congressional districts. Congress has also failed to protect Americans from online misinformation, scams, and abuse that are tearing us apart. It is past time for strong rules to ensure safety, transparency, and accountability in social media and artificial intelligence so people can tell real from fake and fact from fiction. And we need to seriously consider bold ideas like a universal public service experience for all young Americans to bond us together despite different backgrounds and policy views. Elevating public service, restoring faith in government, and rebuilding community and civility are critical to creating a strong social fabric that reminds us we are all on Team America. The political establishment – including Democrats – has failed to do this and we need a new generation of leaders like Matt with the courage to stand up for what’s right regardless of who is telling him to stand down.
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Matt's Story
Matt grew up in a middle-class family, the son of a public school teacher and a Virginia Military Institute graduate who worked hard and taught him fiscal responsibility and the importance of service. Both his parents were raised in Virginia Beach and as a kid he spent summers with his grandparents on the Eastern Shore, where he worked for his grandfather – a World War II veteran – and developed a lifelong love for the outdoors and a deep connection with the Chesapeake Bay. Today, Matt lives on the Shore with his wife Laura and their rescue dog, Hooper. He raises oysters and fishes when he can.
Matt’s passion for the Bay led him to a career in public service. He worked his way through college at Washington and Lee and graduate school at William and Mary and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Matt has served at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Natural Resources Committee for the House of Representatives, as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks at the Department of the Interior, and as a close aide to then-Senator Ralph Northam, working on constituent services and legislation to improve life and the economy in Hampton Roads and on the Eastern Shore.
Matt was honored to serve as Virginia’s Secretary of Natural Resources and Historic Resources and Chief Resilience Officer under Governor Northam, where he oversaw five state agencies with more than 2,000 employees and managed a half-a-billion dollar budget. As Secretary, Matt led the strongest Bay cleanup effort in Virginia history, developed Virginia’s first coastal resilience master plan, and worked with the General Assembly to help communities across the Commonwealth fight back against flooding. He also took on special interests to reduce air and water pollution, promote affordable clean energy, fight climate change, and conserve marine resources like oysters, striped bass, and Atlantic Menhaden.
Matt believes in working hard, leading by example, and above all, listening. His motivation has always been serving others, not promoting himself. In Congress, Matt will work every day to restore accountability and make our economy work for regular people again. He’ll fight to bring down the cost of energy, health care, and housing, and to make government more efficient and transparent so it respects and serves taxpayers and shows them how they are helping make our country a better place. And unlike our current Congress, Matt will have the courage to be an independent voice who will stand up against policies that hurt Virginia, no matter who is in the White House.