Nick Freitas

Freitas, who is of Portuguese ancestry, was born in Chico, California, on August 29, 1979, the son of Robin McMichael and John Freitas.{{cite web | url=https://www.virginiamercury.com/2019/11/05/its-a-free-pen-in-culpeper-delegates-write-in-effort-gets-literal/ | title='It's a free pen': In Culpeper, delegate's write-in effort gets literal | date=5 November 2019 }} After graduating high school, Freitas joined the United States Army and subsequently graduated from Henley-Putnam School of Strategic Security with a B.S. in Intelligence Management.

Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, Freitas joined the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) and served two tours in Iraq. After being honorably discharged in 2009, Freitas moved to Culpeper County, Virginia in 2010 and served as an operations director for a service-disabled veteran-owned company.{{Cite news |last=Close |first=Gary |date=January 13, 2015 |title=Freitas to challenge Scott for delegate nomination |work=Culpeper Star-Exponent |url=http://culpepertimes.com/2015/01/12/freitas-to-challenge-scott-for-delegate-nomination/153788/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523100413/http://culpepertimes.com/2015/01/12/freitas-to-challenge-scott-for-delegate-nomination/153788/ |archive-date=May 23, 2018}}

Freitas became the chairman of the Culpeper County Republican Committee in 2010.

Freitas is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 62. He assumed office in 2016, and his current term ends on January 14, 2026.

In 2015, Freitas ran for the Virginia House of Delegates for the 30th district, then held by Republican Ed Scott. After Scott announced his retirement, Freitas was unopposed in both the Republican primary and the general election, and took office in January 2016.{{Cite news |last=Champion |first=Allison |date=February 11, 2015 |title=Reeves endorses Freitas for delegate |work=Culpeper Star-Exponent |url=http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexponent/news/reeves-endorses-freitas-for-delegate/article_97f45ede-b270-11e4-b043-7b406b665ca5.html |access-date=February 16, 2016}}{{Cite news |last1=Close |first1=Gary |last2=Sherman |first2=Anita |date=November 5, 2015 |title=Walther and Jenkins ride to victory on election day |work=Culpeper Times |url=http://www.northernvatimes.com/culpeper/article/walther-and-jenkins-ride-to-victory-on-election-day |url-status=dead |access-date=February 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109234435/http://www.northernvatimes.com/culpeper/article/walther-and-jenkins-ride-to-victory-on-election-day |archive-date=November 9, 2015}}

The 30th district comprises Madison County, Orange County, and the southern half of Culpeper County.

He ran for re-election in 2017 and won with 62% of the vote over Democrat Ben Hixon.{{Cite web |title=2017 November General |url=http://results.elections.virginia.gov/vaelections/2017%20November%20General/Site/GeneralAssembly.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108094435/http://results.elections.virginia.gov/vaelections/2017%20November%20General/Site/GeneralAssembly.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 8, 2017 |access-date=2018-03-13 |website=results.elections.virginia.gov |language=en-US }}

On July 18, 2019, Freitas withdrew from the 2019 election for House of Delegates after failing to submit required paperwork to the Board of Elections in the Commonwealth of Virginia by the deadline.{{Cite web |title=GOP del. Nick Freitas tells election officials he's withdrawing as a candidate |date=18 July 2019 |url=https://www.richmond.com/news/plus/gop-del-nick-freitas-tells-election-officials-he-s-withdrawing/article_73d6ba0c-c926-589b-961f-8dc72ec9b717.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720013925/https://www.richmond.com/news/plus/gop-del-nick-freitas-tells-election-officials-he-s-withdrawing/article_73d6ba0c-c926-589b-961f-8dc72ec9b717.html |archive-date=2019-07-20 |access-date=2019-07-20}} On August 8, 2019, Freitas announced that he would mount a write-in campaign for re-election and won with 57.89% of the vote.{{Cite web |last=Star-Exponent |first=Allison Brophy Champion Culpeper |title=Freitas write-in campaign focused on winning, supporting other GOP candidates |url=https://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/freitas-write-in-campaign-focused-on-winning-supporting-other-gop/article_0fd0e98b-33e4-5b4d-b25f-d03de9e72ffa.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011001006/https://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/freitas-write-in-campaign-focused-on-winning-supporting-other-gop/article_0fd0e98b-33e4-5b4d-b25f-d03de9e72ffa.html |archive-date=2019-10-11 |access-date=2019-10-18 |website=Fredericksburg.com |date=20 August 2019 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Holladay |first=Hilary |title=Nick Freitas plans write-in campaign |url=https://www.dailyprogress.com/orangenews/news/nick-freitas-plans-write-in-campaign/article_943b4fa2-be08-11e9-8493-5365432b1562.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011001005/https://www.dailyprogress.com/orangenews/news/nick-freitas-plans-write-in-campaign/article_943b4fa2-be08-11e9-8493-5365432b1562.html |archive-date=2019-10-11 |access-date=2019-10-18 |website=The Daily Progress |date=15 August 2019 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Del. Nick Freitas to run a write-in campaign |url=http://wina.com/news/064460-del-nick-freitas-to-run-a-write-in-campaign/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011001005/https://wina.com/news/064460-del-nick-freitas-to-run-a-write-in-campaign/ |archive-date=2019-10-11 |access-date=2019-10-18 |website=NewsRadio WINA |language=en-US}}

As a member of the House of Delegates, Freitas serves on the following committees: Science and Technology; Militia, Police and Public Safety; and Finance.{{Cite web |date=2019-12-02 |title=Delegate Nicholas J. (Nick) Freitas |url=https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php?id=H0279#personalInfo |access-date=2019-12-02 |website=Virginia General Assembly.gov}}

Freitas ran for re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 30. He won in the general election on November 2, 2021.https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=945436

Freitas ran for re-election again in 2023, in the post-reapportionment District 62. He won the general election on November 7, with 62% of the vote.{{Cite web|url=https://dailyprogress.com/news/community/madisonnews/madison-voters-choose-incumbents/article_ea3a6230-8280-11ee-8264-b343780f4793.html|title=Madison voters choose incumbents |first=Gracie|last=Hart Brooks|date=November 16, 2023|website=The Daily Progress}}

{{main|2018 United States Senate election in Virginia}}

Freitas sought the Republican nomination for the United States Senate seat in the 2018 election.{{Cite news |last=Wilson |first=Patrick |date=December 9, 2017 |title=Virginia Republicans assess November's electoral defeats and plan for the future at annual retreat |work=Richmond Times-Dispatch |url=http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/state-del-nick-freitas-formally-announces-gop-run-for-u/article_d60617d9-a297-5815-9814-c5fe9c30ff8e.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209160525/http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/state-del-nick-freitas-formally-announces-gop-run-for-u/article_d60617d9-a297-5815-9814-c5fe9c30ff8e.html |archive-date=December 9, 2017}} He was endorsed by Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee.{{Cite news |date=5 January 2018 |title=Rand Paul endorses "liberty Republican" Nick Freitas to challenge Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine |publisher=Rare.us |url=http://rare.us/rare-politics/rare-liberty/rand-paul-endorses-liberty-republican-nick-freitas-to-challenge-virginia-sen-tim-kaine/ |url-status=dead |access-date=16 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215011447/https://rare.us/rare-politics/rare-liberty/rand-paul-endorses-liberty-republican-nick-freitas-to-challenge-virginia-sen-tim-kaine/ |archive-date=15 February 2018}} During the Republican primary campaign, Freitas characterized his rival, Prince William County Chairman Corey Stewart, as a "hate-monger."{{Cite web|newspaper=Richmond Times-Dispatch|author=Patrick Wilson|title=Senate candidate Nick Freitas unloads on rival Corey Stewart: "Time we defeat the hate mongers"|date=6 June 2018 |url=https://richmond.com/news/local/government-politics/senate-candidate-nick-freitas-unloads-on-rival-corey-stewart-time-we-defeat-the-hate-mongers/article_4ed92ecf-278f-5adf-9130-92b23c18f5aa.html|access-date=2020-07-19}} He said, "we must reject Corey Stewart's dog-whistling of White supremacists, anti-Semites, and racists."

In the June 2018 primary, Freitas narrowly lost the Republican nomination. Stewart took 44.9% of the vote, Freitas took 43.1% of the vote, and E. W. Jackson took 12.0% of the vote."[https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/virginia-senate-primary-election Virginia Senate Results: Corey Stewart Wins Republican Primary], New York Times (June 2018).

{{main|2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia#District 7}}

In December 2019, Freitas announced his candidacy for Virginia's 7th congressional district, in which he sought and won the Republican Party nomination to challenge incumbent Representative Abigail Spanberger in the 2020 general election. Freitas earned early endorsements from conservative organizations the Club for Growth and FreedomWorks.{{Cite news |last=Portnoy |first=Jenna |date=December 2, 2019 |title=Va. Del. Nicholas J. Freitas joins Republican race to challenge U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/del-nick-freitas-joins-republican-race-to-challenge-rep-spanberger/2019/12/02/c20455d8-1528-11ea-a659-7d69641c6ff7_story.html |access-date=3 December 2019}} Freitas was considered to be an early front-runner for the Republican nomination due to opinion polls giving him the lead in support and name recognition. Freitas's state delegate district includes much of the congressional district's western portion.

Freitas lost the closely fought election,[https://apnews.com/article/4896f05baeb84dd0be9d305c9dd0cad0 VA-House-7-elected], Associated Press (November 8, 2020). receiving about 49% of the vote to Spanberger's 51% of the vote. Spanberger dominated in the most populous parts of the district, in Chesterfield and Henrico counties in Greater Richmond, while Freitas led in the less-populous parts of the district in outlying Culpeper, Orange, Spotsylvania, Louisa, Goochland, Powhatan, Amelia, and Nottoway counties. Ultimately, Spanberger's combined 43,000-vote margin in Henrico and Chesterfield proved too much for Freitas to overcome; it was more than five times Spanberger's overall margin of 8,400 votes.[https://www.cnn.com/election/2020/results/state/virginia/house/district-7 Election results] from CNN

In the House of Delegates, Freitas has been described as having a "conservative voting record and libertarian streak."{{Cite news |date=December 10, 2017 |title=Delegate Joins Senate Race to Challenge Tim Kaine |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/virginia/articles/2017-12-10/delegate-joins-senate-race-to-challenge-tim-kaine |url-status=live |access-date=December 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171211105214/https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/virginia/articles/2017-12-10/delegate-joins-senate-race-to-challenge-tim-kaine |archive-date=December 11, 2017}}

He has called for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), describing it as a "cancer."Bill Bartel [https://pilotonline.com/news/government/politics/virginia/article_dc2a3b22-4ce2-11e8-a34d-fb20b060946d.html Virginia Republican Senate candidates repeatedly attack Obama, barely mention Kaine] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523100942/https://pilotonline.com/news/government/politics/virginia/article_dc2a3b22-4ce2-11e8-a34d-fb20b060946d.html|date=2018-05-23}}, The Virginian-Pilot (May 1, 2018). He supports the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico. In 2016, he urged the Culpeper County School Board to disregard an Obama administration mandate that transgender students be allowed the use of the restrooms that correspond to their gender identity.{{Cite web|title=Culpeper delegation addresses transgender bathroom use|url=https://dailyprogress.com/archives/culpeper-delegation-addresses-transgender-bathroom-use/article_30582770-31d0-11e6-891b-b36c9567ce0a.html|access-date=2020-07-19|website=The Daily Progress|date=13 June 2016 |language=en}} He called it unconstitutional, and said the Obama administration does not "get to arbitrarily redefine what gender means."

In 2018, Freitas praised Donald Trump, saying he had been a stronger leader in his first year than Barack Obama had been during his eight years. Freitas has called for abolishing the federal income tax, replacing it with a national sales tax. He supported the 2017 Republican tax legislation. In 2018, Freitas opposed the Iran nuclear agreement and supported Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from it.

In 2020, Freitas voted against legislation in the Virginia General Assembly to gradually increase the state minimum wage to $12 per hour by 2023.[https://wina.com/news/064460-064460-general-assembly-okays-a-higher-minimum-wage/ General Assembly okays a higher minimum wage], WINA (2020). He opposes proposals to increase the federal minimum wage.Michael Martz, [https://richmond.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/spanberger-and-freitas-split-on-minimum-wage-health-care-pandemic-during-televised-forum/article_fa3b12ea-18af-50bf-b13a-0c24b2d0ce53.html Spanberger and Freitas split on minimum wage, health care, pandemic during televised forum], Richmond Times-Dispatch (October 20, 2020).Warren Fiske, [https://vpm.org/news/articles/17666/politifact-va-spanberger-claims-minimum-wage-workers-are-mostly-moms Spanberger Claims Minimum Wage Workers are Mostly Moms], Politifact VA/VPM News (October 30, 2020).

Freitas voted in favor of marijuana decriminalization during the January 2020 session of the General Assembly. He stated: "I'd rather we use law enforcement resources to go after violent criminals and people that are creating victims."{{Cite web |last=Oliver |first=Ned |date=2020-02-10 |title='I just have a libertarian streak.' Nine House Republicans vote with Democrats to decriminalize marijuana. |url=https://www.virginiamercury.com/blog-va/i-just-have-a-libertarian-streak-nine-house-republicans-vote-with-democrats-to-decriminalize-marijuana/ |access-date=2020-02-11 |website=Virginia Mercury |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213111615/https://www.virginiamercury.com/blog-va/i-just-have-a-libertarian-streak-nine-house-republicans-vote-with-democrats-to-decriminalize-marijuana/ |archive-date=2020-02-13 |url-status=live }}

In a speech given in March 2018 on the floor of the House of Delegates, Freitas voiced opposition to further gun control proposals following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.Gregory S. Schneider, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/gun-control-issue-boils-over-in-virginia-house-after-fiery-speech-from-delegate/2018/03/02/991938d4-1e42-11e8-ae5a-16e60e4605f3_story.html Gun-control issue boils over in Virginia House after fiery speech from delegate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180312094501/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/gun-control-issue-boils-over-in-virginia-house-after-fiery-speech-from-delegate/2018/03/02/991938d4-1e42-11e8-ae5a-16e60e4605f3_story.html |date=2018-03-12 }}, Washington Post (March 2, 2018). The speech went viral and drew over 11 million views on Freitas's Facebook page.{{Cite news |last=Moomaw |first=Graham |date=March 5, 2018 |title=As Freitas' guns speech goes viral, Virginia Democrats say slavery remarks reopened racial wounds |work=Richmond Times-Dispatch |url=http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/general-assembly/as-freitas-guns-speech-goes-viral-virginia-democrats-say-slavery/article_1146f933-82e2-5983-bb2c-da430aacc397.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615091959/http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/general-assembly/as-freitas-guns-speech-goes-viral-virginia-democrats-say-slavery/article_1146f933-82e2-5983-bb2c-da430aacc397.html |archive-date=June 15, 2018}}

Freitas is a Protestant Christian and attends Mountain View Church in Culpeper. He married Tina M. Pierce, whom he met in high school. They have three children. Freitas is a member of the Heritage Foundation and the National Rifle Association of America.{{Cite news |title=Issues {{!}} Nick Freitas for U.S. Senate |language=en-US |work=Nick Freitas for U.S. Senate |url=https://nick4senate.com/issues/ |url-status=live |access-date=2018-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313153620/https://nick4senate.com/issues/ |archive-date=2018-03-13}}

In 2019, Freitas' wife challenged incumbent Republican Emmett Hanger for his Senate seat in Virginia's 24th district.{{Cite web |last=Friedenberger |first=Amy |date=2019-06-01 |title=Facing challenger from his right, Republican Sen. Emmett Hanger fights to hold the center |url=https://www.roanoke.com/news/local/facing-challenger-from-his-right-republican-sen-emmett-hanger-fights/article_dd31f27d-68b6-581b-acc2-02be4093d46b.html |access-date=2019-12-03 |website=The Roanoke Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608200516/https://www.roanoke.com/news/local/facing-challenger-from-his-right-republican-sen-emmett-hanger-fights/article_dd31f27d-68b6-581b-acc2-02be4093d46b.html |archive-date=2019-06-08 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }} She was defeated in the primary, gaining 43% of the vote to Hanger's 57%.{{Cite web |last=Brophy |first=Allison |date=2019-08-06 |title=Freitas urges State Board to allow Republican on ballot in November |url=https://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/freitas-urges-state-board-to-allow-republican-on-ballot-in/article_bf5306be-94aa-5640-9f3e-a767a928c155.html |access-date=2019-12-03 |website=Culpeper Star-Exponent |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806180426/https://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/freitas-urges-state-board-to-allow-republican-on-ballot-in/article_bf5306be-94aa-5640-9f3e-a767a928c155.html |archive-date=2019-08-06 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}

Freitas hosts a YouTube channel called The Why Minutes where his stated goal is to "provide insight regarding some of the most pressing questions we ask about how society works. We explore the underlying reasons, motivations, and philosophies that inform decisions, promote greater understanding, and advance a society dedicated to preserving and advancing freedom."{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/c/TheWhyMinutes/videos | title=The Why Minutes with Nick Freitas - YouTube | website=YouTube }}

Freitas also hosts a podcast called Making the Argument with Nick Freitas, in which he talks about political issues.{{cite web |last1=Freitas |first1=Nick |title=Making the Argument with Nick Freitas |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-argument-with-nick-freitas/id1506127536 |website=podcasts.apple.com |publisher=Apple Podcast |access-date=25 February 2023}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.nickforva.com/ U.S. House campaign website]
• [http://www.vpap.org/candidates/255076-nick-freitas/ Nick Freitas] at the Virginia Public Access Project
• [https://www.c-span.org/person/?115685/NickFreitas Appearances] on C-SPAN

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{{s-bef|before=Carrie Coyner}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Freitas, Nicholas}}

Category:1979 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century members of the Virginia General Assembly

Category:21st-century Protestants

Category:American gun rights activists

Category:American libertarians

Category:American people of Portuguese descent

Category:American Protestants

Category:Candidates in the 2018 United States Senate elections

Category:Candidates in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections

Category:Christian libertarians

Category:Members of the United States Army Special Forces

Category:Politicians from Chico, California

Category:Politicians from Culpeper County, Virginia

Category:Protestants from Virginia

Category:Republican Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates

Category:United States Army non-commissioned officers

Category:United States Army personnel of the Iraq War