North Richmond Today

Lee Peters III is one of seven candidates endorsed by the American Federation for Children to win a primary on June 20 for a statewide seat in Virginia. He will run for a seat in House District 65 on the Nov. 7 ballot.  

"To the voters across the 65th District who placed their trust in me, thank you!" Peters, a Republican, wrote in a June 20 Facebook post. "It is the honor of a lifetime to have been elected your Republican nominee to serve our community in the House of Delegates. To every neighbor who knocked on doors, wrote a postcard, spread the word to your friends - I am endlessly grateful. The real work begins tomorrow, and I hope you will continue to stay engaged as we take the fight to Joshua Cole in November."

“It’s happening,” school choice activist Corey DeAngelis tweeted after the Virginia primaries were held on June 20, according to Old Dominion News. He joined the American Federation for Children in celebrating the seven out of eight total candidates endorsed by the AFC that won in the state’s primary election who will advance to the November 2023 general election ballot for positions in the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate. The seven candidates included Peters as well as Emily Brewer (SD17), Tara Durant (SD27), John Stirrup (HD21), Wren Williams (HD47), Mark Earley (HD73) and Mike Dillender (HD84).

Peters is running for his first position in office, according to Ballotpedia, aiming for a seat in the House of Delegates. He will run against Democrat Joshua Cole in the November election.

Peters is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and has spent almost two decades serving in law enforcement in the state. “I am running for Delegate to keep our streets safe, help our students, families, and small businesses thrive, and always put Fredericksburg first,” he said on his campaign website.

An AFC press release celebrated the news, congratulating the winners and the growing focus of the state and residents on the issue of school choice for their families and students. “The VFC PAC invested more than $300,000 in state races to support school choice proponents during the 2023 primary,” according to the press release.

The American Federation for Children is an organization that fights for school choice rights for all families at the state and federal level. “When funding for education follows students to the school of their choice, families win,” according to the organization's website. “We believe all parents should have a wide range of high-quality educational options to choose from, regardless of income.”

According to EdChoice.org, Virginia has varying types of options for school choice available to K-12 students. They have intradistrict school choice, allowing families to transfer within their district, and also offers a private school scholarship program. This scholarship is open to families earning less than 300% of the federal poverty line, or students of special needs. The program allocates only $25 million annually to students, an average of $2,918 per student scholarship, which equals about 23 percent of the normal per pupil state spending.

“The education establishment in Virginia has fought the ability for parents to select the best education options for their children, but parents made their wishes clear again at the ballot box this week,” AFC National Director of Government Affairs Ryan Cantrell said, according to the press release. “The victories tonight are just the first step in bringing true school choice to Virginia, and parents are well-positioned to elect a school choice majority in both chambers in November’s general election.”