Meet the 2022 Congressional candidates for Virginia’s 5th district
Students registered to vote in Lynchburg will make their voices heard on Election Day, Nov. 8.
The Liberty Champion compiled a short interview with both candidates for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District.
The Champion asked candidates to submit a short bio and photograph.
The candidates were also given identical questions and a word count for their answers.
The opinions expressed within these articles are of the individual candidates, not of the Liberty Champion or Liberty University.
Their biographies and answers serve to give an overview of the candidates, why they want to serve our district and will help voters in making their decisions.
Bob Good
Born in Pennsylvania before moving to New Jersey, Bob’s family relocated to Lynchburg, Virginia, when he was 9 years old. One of four boys, he grew up in a modest home and learned the necessity of hard work from a young age. With his family struggling for essentials, Bob learned to appreciate the generosity of others who assisted his family during those challenging times. Thanks to that benevolence, Bob was able to attend high school at Liberty Christian Academy where he became a state champion wrestler and earned a partial scholarship to Liberty University. His involvement in wrestling would span four decades as competitor, coach and administrator, and the lessons learned in the sport still impact his life today. Bob graduated from Liberty University in 1988 and married his college sweetheart, Tracey. With a degree in finance, he was hired by CitiFinancial in its lending division. During his 17-year tenure, Bob became a district manager, overseeing operations in Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia. Bob left CitiFinancial in 2005 to become the senior associate athletic director for development and executive director of the Flames Club at Liberty. Serving for 15 years, he raised $20 million to help student-athletes receive an outstanding Christ-centered education while competing in NCAA Division I athletics. Bob received his MBA in leadership from Liberty in 2010. Bob is a born-again Christian, and his faith is the guiding influence in his life. He served more than 15 years as an adult Sunday school teacher and for 10 years as a church deacon. He is a member of Thomas Road Baptist Church. Bob was elected to the Campbell County Board of Supervisors in 2015 and served a four-year term. He was first elected to Congress in 2020 and is recognized as one of the most conservative members in the House. Bob serves on the board of the House Freedom Caucus and on the Budget and Education & Labor committees. He is leading the fight for the Life at Conception Act, and his legislation has prioritized oppressive government overreach, securing the border, cutting federal spending and empowering parents in education. Bob has been married to Tracey for 34 years and is the proud father of three grown children: Patrick, Sydney and Conner (wife Tori).
What is a strong personal belief that grounds your political work?
As a born-again Christian, my faith is the most important thing in my life and directs my worldview, my primary life purpose and my political philosophy. The decision to run for public office was truly an answer to a call, as my wife and I sought the Lord’s leading as others encouraged me to run. All believers should be in ministry, regardless of their vocation, as we are called to be “salt and light” wherever the Lord places us. My Christian faith shapes my approach to the issues, and I am seeking to glorify the Lord and influence others for eternity through the position and platform that God has given me.
How do you plan to work across the aisle in 2023-2024?
Many of the most important issues facing our country should not be partisan. Securing our border, strengthening our military, supporting law enforcement, truly putting children first in education and empowering parents, reducing reckless spending and balancing our budget, reestablishing American energy independence (and) respecting the Constitution and protecting individual freedoms are issues of great importance to the vast majority of Americans, and both parties in Washington should work together toward these objectives. Patriotism, pursuing an America-first agenda and recognizing America’s unique position as the beacon of hope and freedom in the world should unite all Americans and their elected representatives.
What will be your top three priorities leading into 2023-2024?
1 – Secure our border and stop the invasion that brought five million illegal immigrants into our country from 160 countries during Biden’s first two years. Complete the wall, enforce our laws, permit Border Patrol to do their job, end catch-and-release, reinstate “Remain in Mexico” and implement E-Verify.
2 – Stop the reckless spending that has given us $31 trillion in debt, or about $90,000 per citizen, balance our federal budget and restore fiscal sanity. Otherwise, we will crush the financial future of younger Americans with more inflation, higher interest rates and increased taxes to service the debt.
3 – Hold Biden accountable for his weaponization of the federal government against Conservatives, two-tiered justice system, harmful COVID policies and other violations of the Constitution.
Why should LU students vote for you?
I ran as a “biblical and constitutional Conservative” in 2020 and have done what I said I would do. I am leading the fight for Life at Conception following the reversal of Roe v. Wade. I have boldly pushed back against the radical left’s assault on morality, the family, religious freedom and the definition of sex and gender. I have sponsored 35 bills, primarily addressing the issues I ran on two years ago: 1) border security and lawful immigration, 2) our reckless spending and national debt and 3) the leftist assault on our K-12 and college education system. Finally, I have courageously spoken and fought for two years against the trampling of our most fundamental freedoms in the name of the COVID virus.
Josh Throneburg
Josh Throneburg is a father of two young children and an ordained minister who now owns a small business in Charlottesville. He is running for Congress to represent the people of Virginia’s 5th District. Josh grew up in a small farming community of just 500 people. He grew up bailing hay, detasseling corn and going to the country church in town with his family. After college, Josh moved to South Korea, which is where he met his wife of almost 20 years, Minhee. They moved back to the U.S. together, and Josh went to seminary, ultimately becoming the lead minister at Highrock Church in Brookline, Massachusetts. Josh and Minhee’s older daughter Lucy was born in Haiti and was adopted after the Haitian earthquake. Their younger daughter Agnes was born a few years later. Josh and Minhee moved to Charlottesville to raise their family and there, started Nooks & Crannies Cleaning, a small, eco-friendly cleaning company. As a minister and a person who cares deeply about community, Josh has always been driven by the desire to serve. But as politics got sharper and more divided and the climate prognosis became increasingly pessimistic, Josh began to worry more about the world his daughters were going to inherit. His principal concern is the existential threat that climate change poses. Josh is pushing for policy change that would put thousands of Virginians to work creating and manufacturing cutting-edge green energy technology, rebuilding our infrastructure and helping redress air and water pollution. As part of a multiracial family and a citizen of a town that is still grappling with the effects of the Unite the Right rally, Josh is a passionate advocate for racial justice. As a resident of the 5th District who grew up in a small town, Josh is keenly aware of the unique challenges that rural communities face and the unique solutions that will be required if we are all going to rise together.
What is a strong personal belief that grounds your political work?
I’m a pastor. I was raised in the church, and my faith has always been the foundation for my life. The slogan for my campaign is “Compassion and Common Sense,” which I believe is reflective of the attitude of Jesus. Toward those that were oppressed, marginalized or in trouble, he showed great compassion. Toward those who did the oppressing, he had a much more common-sense, and even combative, posture. I do not believe in legislating by any particular faith tradition (the Constitution forbids that), but I am personally guided by
my faith.
How do you plan to work across the aisle in 2023-2024?
My life has built me for bipartisanship. As a pastor, I have worked with and cared for people of all different political backgrounds. I became a Democrat as an adult because the Democratic platform was more aligned with my values, but I grew up in a Republican family and community, and I respect their views, even if we disagree sometimes. In Congress, I will work with anyone of goodwill who is eager to improve the lives of Americans. My opponent was ranked 431 out of 435 in bipartisanship. I will be a very different kind of legislator.
What will be your top three priorities leading into 2023-2024?
To ensure a future where we can flourish, we must ensure a habitable planet and a functioning democracy. My first priority is protecting our environment. We must create a sustainable future for our youth, protect the farms of the 5th District from climate change and build a stronger local economy through green energy, technology and manufacturing. My second priority is protecting our democracy by improving voting rights, strengthening the foundations of our republic and working toward, bipartisan consensus. My third priority is reinvesting in rural communities by bringing access to broadband internet, quality education, affordable healthcare and more.
Why should LU students vote for you?
The job I am applying for is to represent the people of Virginia’s 5th District in Congress. Too often, rather than representing their constituents, leaders in Washington D.C. are fighting culture wars and protecting their own power. I refuse to do those things. My slogan for the campaign is “Compassion & Common Sense,” and that is the lens through which I will make every decision and cast every vote. I hope LU students will vote for me because I am a person of character and conviction, and I will work incredibly hard to improve the lives of those I represent.