Steve Woll is a Navy Veteran, a Scientist, a Businessman, and a Problem Solver and he is running to represent the citizens of Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District. He grew up in Pittsburgh - a city that taught me strength, decency, and the value of work. He got a world-class education, held a dozen different jobs, and lived across this country before the Navy brought him to the Hampton Roads area. He served in the Navy for 21 years as a Meteorology and Oceanography Officer, working with ships, submarines, aircraft, and naval special warfare across the country and across the globe. He was aboard the USS Harry S Truman on September 11th and deployed to the multinational Air Component Commander for Operation Iraqi Freedom. He led support operations for a dozen aircraft carriers and large-deck amphibious ships across the Atlantic Fleet. The Navy taught him one thing above everything else: mission clarity and team trust are worth more than any individual talent. That’s not a philosophy - it’s a fact I’ve tested under pressure. After 21 years in uniform, he brought those same scientific, analytical, and leadership skills to the private sector, helping companies and clients leverage data, technology, and teamwork to solve their most challenging operational problems. Including highly successful public-private partnerships right here in Hampton Roads. For the last several years, he has been working with a veteran-inspired service organization dedicated to bridging the civic divides that have fractured this country. Not theorizing about it - doing the work. Sitting across from people who disagree with me and finding common ground. It’s harder than it sounds. It’s also the only thing that works. Hampton Roads is home to the largest concentration of active-duty service members and veterans of any congressional district in America - more than 220,000. More than 55% of post-9/11 vets here are unaffiliated with either party - because they’ve seen what real leadership looks like, and what they’re watching in Washington doesn’t qualify. Representative Bobby Scott has held this seat since 1993. Thirty-three years. There has been no Democratic primary in this district since 2018. No real general election competition in a decade. The district has been on autopilot while the world has changed around it. Hampton Roads drives 40% of the regional GDP through its military economy. We have the infrastructure, the workforce, and the strategic importance to lead this country on AI, defense technology, offshore energy, and workforce development. All of those need a regional perspective, active engagement, and close collaboration with the major federal agencies in D.C., not 30 plus years of doing it the way we’ve always done it. This district can do more than survive in Washington - it can lead it. But only with the right representation. https://www.stevewoll.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.independentsforamerica.com/subscribe
