Ward: 'I am in this for the right reasons'

Following a 25-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, Dan Ward gained experience in Washington, D.C. during three years as a senior military advisor for the U.S. State Department.

Now, he wants to go back with a new title: U.S. Congressman.

Ward is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Republican Dave Brat for Virginia’s Seventh District seat in Congress.

“I tell people all the time, I am not a career politician. I am doing this for the right reasons and I will go to Washington and make the hard votes,” he said.

Ward, a graduate of Madison County High School and Vanderbilt University, believes his experience as a Virginian and a veteran has positioned him well for the role.

“I’m from here. I have a farm. I’m a veteran. I lived in the heart of Brat country,” Ward said. “I’m going to take some of these votes, and what I’ve maintained [is that] with knowledge comes responsibility. It’s time to step up, and that’s what I’m  doing.”

Ward is running on three main issues: taking power away from Republicans in Congress, improving education systems for his constituents in the district and rolling back regulations that tear down the working class.

“Congress is not doing its job,” Ward said. “They’re not holding President Trump accountable for his actions. So that’s why the Democrats need our lever of power in the House of Representatives to do that – to protect our institutions and let them do their job. To hold this president accountable for his actions.”

Ward describes Congressman Dave Brat as a “yes-man” who has done little or nothing for his constituents in the Seventh District.

"Our education system is not equitable, and we need to do a better job of training our next generation of Americans to compete in the 21st century economy,” he said. “Our roads and bridges are falling apart. We need to fix those, and it doesn’t need to be on the toll system, which is what they’re proposing right now.”

Ward also wants to focus on healthcare.

“Access to healthcare is not healthcare. I’m tired of people talking about access to healthcare. We need healthcare, not access to healthcare.”

Ward also wants to give a stronger voice to the working class. “When we have a voice together we can get a fair shake in this world,” he said. “But they have taken our ability to work together collectively away. It is time for us to put that back into place.”

Ward is very clear on his stance with gun control. He favors universal background checks, raising the age at which a citizen may purchase weapons and closing a loophole to ban so-called assault-weapons. He also supports a buy-back program for such weapons.

“If you own one, and you don’t want to do the buy-back program you should be able to keep it in the armory, just like I did in the Marine Corps,” he said. “You check your weapon out, you shoot, you clean it, you turn it back in and then you go home.”

Ward has had his fair share of ups and downs and has been on unemployment before. He has a perspective that other political candidates may lack, he said.

“I grew up humbly; we never had much,” he said. “I mean, I was not born on third base acting like I hit a triple. We were relatively poor growing up. I know what it’s like to require the democratic policies that provide us a social safety net. I understand that, I’ve needed them before.

“I am in this for the right reasons. I am in this to do something for the people.”