FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2025
Press Contact: Josh Harris
josh@jasonknappforcongress.com
Veteran fighter pilot with over 20 years of service will take on career politicians and corporate special interests to restore trust, lower costs, and deliver for working families and veterans across VA-01.
Reedville, VA – Navy fighter pilot, national security expert, and lifelong advocate for working families Jason Knapp today officially announced his campaign for Congress in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. As someone who grew up relying on food stamps, Jason launched his campaign with a clear mission: restoring the promise of America for those who have been left behind by career politicians and corporate special interests.
Jason enters the race grounded in a life of service shaped by humble beginnings. Raised on public assistance by a single mother who worked her way out of poverty and became a critical member of several NASA missions, his journey proves that America can keep its promises — when leaders actually fight for families instead of billionaires.
“As a Navy fighter pilot flying combat missions over Iraq, as an Executive Officer at NATO working with twenty-eight allied nations, and as a Defense Fellow in Congress, I learned that trust is everything — and that America keeps its promise when leaders put people first,” said Jason. “I fought for this country abroad. Now I’ll bring that same determination and moral compass to fight for you in Congress. After years of being ignored by career politicians backed by corporate special interests, working families and veterans deserve better. I’m running to restore that trust and ensure America keeps its promise to every community in VA01.”
For more than two decades, Jason has served on the front lines of America’s national security — from carrier decks to coalition embassies in Baghdad — and brings deep experience in defense, foreign policy, and economic resilience. He also previously served as a Veterans Advanced Energy Fellow with the Atlantic Council, where he focused on strengthening America’s energy security and competitiveness. Today, he continues that mission as the founder of Capitol Energy Advocacy, where he advances clean-energy and advanced-manufacturing policy — work he is deeply committed to as he helps shape a stronger, more sustainable future for the country and for his wife and their three children in Virginia.
WATCH JASON'S ANNOUNCEMENT VIDEO:
Knapp’s campaign will focus on delivering real economic relief for the families of VA-01 and building a future rooted in opportunity, fairness, and security. His top priorities include:
- Lowering costs for working families across VA-01 by taking on price-gouging corporations and protecting hard-earned paychecks.
- Tackling housing affordability, ensuring every Virginian has access to a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.
- Expanding affordable, accessible healthcare, with a special focus on veterans and rural communities that have been ignored for too long.
ABOUT THE VA-01 RACE: Virginia’s 1st District spans the Middle Peninsula,Northern Neck, Historic Triangle, and part of the Capital region.. The district blends military communities, critical farmland, rural working-waterfront communities, and fast-changing suburban regions that have increasingly trended competitive in recent cycles. The 2026 race is expected to be one of Virginia’s most competitive. With a Cook PVI of R+3, VA-01 is considered a top Red-to-Blue pickup opportunity as shifting demographics and economic pressures reshape the district. Incumbent Republican Rob Wittman is seeking reelection, but analysts note the district’s lean makes it more flippable than in past cycles — a dynamic reinforced by Abigail Spanberger’s recent victory, which underscored the strength of a people-focused, national-security Democrat and demonstrated that voters in VA-01 respond to leaders who put service and families first.
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