7th District Candidate Doug Ollivant (R)
Campaign Website: https://www.dougforvirginia.com/
Candidate Questionnaire from VPM:
This candidate did not respond to multiple messages seeking answers to the VPM News candidate questionnaire. The answers attributed to Ollivant use his known public stances, statements and policy positions in order to inform Virginia’s voters.
Q: Where in Virginia do you live?
Ollivant lives in Culpeper County, according to his campaign website and candidate paperwork.
Q: What is your current job? How would you describe your career?
Ollivant is the managing partner of Mantid International LLC, a global consulting firm that his campaign website says “combats corruption and promotes accountability in some of the world’s toughest regions.” The retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel also taught politics at West Point for three years and was a senior fellow at the think tank New America.
Q: List any college degrees or professional certifications you hold.
Ollivant’s campaign website says he has “advanced degrees from Indiana University, James Madison University, and Wheaton College.” A LinkedIn page purporting to be Ollivant lists a BA in political science from Wheaton College, an MBA from James Madison University and a Ph.D. from Indiana University Bloomington.
Q: Have you served in an elected or appointed political office before? When, where and in what position?
Ollivant served as thedirector for Iraq at the National Security Council during the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Q: Please describe any ways you’ve used generative artificial intelligence in your campaign.
Doug Ollivant has not publicly addressed AI usage in his congressional campaign.
Q: What should constituents know about you?
Doug Ollivant's campaign website's states he “is a father, husband, and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel who brings a results-oriented approach to leadership, grounded in service, integrity, and common sense.”
Q: In a word or phrase, tell us: What do you think your race is about?
Ollivant did not respond to VPM News’ questionnaire.
The information uses Doug Ollivant's known public stances, statements and policy positions in order to inform Virginia’s voters.
Q: How should the federal government address the ongoing affordability challenges?
Ollivant has previously said one way to address the high cost of living is to try to lower people’s power bills. He argued ata GOP candidate forum in June that the US needs to rely on “clean coal” and natural gas as a bridge to the real long-term solution of utilizing modular nuclear plants to help deal with energy demand.
Q: What do you see as Congress’ role in acting as a check and balance on the other branches of the federal government?
VPM News did not find public statements from Doug Ollivant about his views on Congress’ role as a check on the other branches of the federal government.
Q: What kinds of proposals should Congress consider as data centers become more common nationwide?
Doug Ollivant has said that local governments should make decisions on whether to accept data centers. The Fredericksburg Free Press reported that he considered the facilities "necessary and a military asset."
Q: If elected, how would you use your position to help alleviate the housing crisis in your district, Virginia and nationally?
Ollivant believes giving subsidies “will not fix the core problem of insufficient supply,” according to his campaign website. He added that the best way to increase supply is to cut regulations for “development, redevelopment, and building supply chains, while creating some legal protections against frivolous zoning disputes.”
Q: How do you personally use artificial intelligence in your life? What specific regulations do you propose for companies producing AI?
VPM News could not verify whether Doug Ollivant has publicly addressed personal AI usage.
Q: What is the largest issue facing your district right now, and how would you work to address it from Washington, DC?
In a March interview before he won the nomination, Doug Ollivant said his top priority is “the federal piece of returning manufacturing to Virginia.”
Q: A hospital or multiple health care centers in your district are at risk of service cuts/closure due to Medicaid changes. How would you advocate for your district’s health and wellness?
Ollivant has previously highlighted his priority of ensuring people get nutritious food. At a candidate forum, he said, “we are broke because we are sick,” and that he would seek to curb the influence of “Big Food” as much as possible.
Q: Where do you stand on the pending Dominion Energy–NextEra merger?
VPM News could not find public statements from Doug Ollivant on the pending merger.
Q: As a Virginian, what are your thoughts on Ballot Question 1?
Ollivant opposes the ballot measure to enshrine reproductive access, including abortion rights, in the state constitution.
Q: As a Virginian, what are your thoughts on Ballot Question 2?
VPM News could not find public statements from Doug Ollivant about his views on enshrining marriage equality in the state constitution.
Q: As a Virginian, what are your thoughts on Ballot Question 3?
VPM News could not find public statements from Doug Ollivant about his views on changing the voting rights restoration process in Virginia's constitution.
Q: What is your stance on the United States’ foreign policy with Israel?
VPM News could not verify public statements from Doug Ollivant about the US foreign policy relationship with Israel.
Q: What is your stance on the United States’ foreign policy with Iran?
According to WVIR, Doug Ollivant said in June that “Iran has been a thorn in the side of American presidents for almost fifty years now, and I applaud President Trump for finally saying we need to settle this problem. That said, of course we are very sensitive to the price of all the inputs.”
Ollivant has addressed US–Iran relations inpast interviews and anextensive panel discussion. When speaking withNPR in 2019, Ollivant noted Iran’s support for terrorist groups when he said the country was “not a friend of the United States.”
In the interview, he said rising tensions at the time would not be in anyone’s interest.
“And that while certainly the outcome of a military confrontation between the United States and Iran is not in doubt - the United States is still the supreme military power and could wipe their army off the map in a couple days - the Iranians would have the ability to totally disrupt the region, disrupt the flow of oil,” Ollivant told NPR. “And there would be huge shocks in oil markets were there to be any major military confrontation or even minor military confrontation in the region.”
Q: What is your stance on the United States’ foreign policy with Ukraine?
VPM News could not find public statements from Doug Ollivant about the US’s foreign policy with Ukraine.