Scott Lingamfelter

Col. Lee Scott Lingamfelter
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 31st district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 9, 2002
Preceded by	Jay Katzen
Personal details
Born	(1951-03-27) March 27, 1951 New York, New York
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Shelley Elizabeth Glick
Children	Amy, John, Paul
Residence	Woodbridge, Virginia
Alma mater	Virginia Military Institute, University of Virginia
Committees	Appropriations; Education; Militia, Police and Public Safety
Awards	Bronze Star Medal, Legion of Merit
Website	[1] (House district) [2] (LG campaign)
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1973–2001
Rank	Colonel

Lee Scott Lingamfelter (born March 27, 1951) is an American politician and soldier. He has been a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates since January 2002, representing the 31st district in Fauquier and Prince William Counties, and was a candidate for the 2013 Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Previously, Lingamfelter was an officer in the United States Army 1973–2001, reaching the rank of colonel. Lingamfelter has stated, "I am a Reagan Republican, period." He also considers Kirk Cox to be one of his mentors. Dick Black describes Lingamfelter as "a classic Virginia conservative." Lingamfelter's catchphrase with which he concludes most speeches and emails is, "On to victory!"

Early life and career

Education

Lingamfelter was raised in Richmond, Virginia where he attended public and parochial schools. He then attended the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Virginia where he earned a B.A. in History in 1973. He graduated from VMI as a Distinguished Military Graduate (DMG), he was commissioned in the Regular Army of the United States and began a career as a Field Artilleryman.

In 1979, the Army awarded him a scholarship to the University of Virginia (UVa) where he earned a Master of Arts in Government and Foreign Affairs in 1981. He rose to the rank of Colonel. His last military assignment in the Army was as Military Assistant to the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the U.S. Armed Forces Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College where he served as class president.

Military career

Lingamfelter was Executive Officer of the 1st Infantry Division Artillery, Fort Riley, Kansas, and fought with the "Big Red One" during Operation Desert Storm. He was the 1st Infantry Division Artillery S3. He served as a battery commander in the 2d Battalion, 92d Field Artillery, Executive Officer of the 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery, and Assistant S3 of the 3d Infantry Division Artillery and Chief of the Fire Support Element of the 3d Infantry Division, Germany. He also commanded the 6th Battalion, 37th Field Artillery (MLRS), 2d Infantry Division Artillery, in Korea.

Lingamfelter sought to use rockets to surprise Iraqi troops and devastate their prized artillery defenses, declaring, "We want them to be there dealing cards and eating out of cans and all the sudden it's on them. We want the shock effect. It is time they woke up and smelled the coffee." He also said, "There's no place for them to hide. We're just going to duke it out." He pointed to the sky and said, "All that belongs to the United States and the allies. Nothing like the smell of cordite to make the day right." As the rounds impacted, he grinned and said, "That's their wakeup call. It says, 'Hello, boys, are you having fun now?' Artillery is the king of the battlefield. We probably haven't put this much artillery together since World War II. This saves American lives."

In August 1991, Lingamfelter wrote an article, "Improving the FA [Field Artillery] After Operation Desert Storm," which argued for the battery rather than platoon concept in cannon artillery, on the grounds that the best effects could be gained by massing fires (not less than a battery) on targets in serial fashion; that movement by battery simplified the command and control environment; and that avoiding too much dispersal avoided deadly situations in which individual platoons and howitzers made contact with bypassed enemy tanks.

In October 1994, Lingamfelter became commander of Task Force 6-37, which was organized during the WARSTEED exercise. It included the "Rocketeers" of 6th Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, a Multiple Launch Rocket System unit, with support from other field artillery units, air defense artillery, military police, signal, infantry and engineer units. Lingamfelter said, "This was a ground breaking concept to put together an artillery task force. No other division in the Army has made this kind of commitment to the fire support component." In April 1995, Lingamfelter wrote an article, "Stay Hot, Shoot Fast: An Evolving Concept in MLRS Tactics" in which he argued for bold tactics.

He retired after 28 years of active duty service. Among his awards and decorations are the Defense Superior Service Medal; two Legions of Merit; the Bronze Star Medal; two Defense Meritorious Service Medals; four Meritorious Service Medals; three Joint Service Commendation Medals; the Army Commendation Medal; the National Defense Service Medal with battle star; the Southwest Asia Service Medal with three battle stars; the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia); the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait); and the United Nations Service Medal.

Private sector career

Since retiring from the military, he has worked for the private sector focused on strategic planning in support of the senior leadership for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he has worked in the emergency management and homeland security arena in support of federal agencies, states and localities.

Political career

House of Delegates

Elections

Lingamfelter ran for the 31st District seat in the House of Delegates in 2001; his predecessor, Jay K. Katzen, was running for lieutenant governor, leaving the seat open. Lingamfelter defeated Democrat Michele Krause 56%–44%. He assumed office in January 2002. He was re-elected in 2003, defeating Democrat David Brickley 55%–45%. He was unopposed for re-election in 2005. He was re-elected in Virginia's 31st House of Delegates district election, 2007, getting 55% of the vote to 44% for Democrat Bill Day. He was unopposed in 2009. In 2011, he won re-election with 59% of the vote over Democrat Roy Coffey. In 2013, he won re-election 50%–49% edging out Democrat Jeremy McPike. In 2015, he defeated middle school teacher Sara Townsend with 53.37% of the vote.

In 2017, Lingamfelter is running against fellow Republican B.J. Brown in the 13 May district mass meeting. Democrats Sara Townsend and Elizabeth Guzman are seeking the Democratic nomination to run against him. Lingamfelter is among 11 Republican delegates targeted by Democrats as sitting in vulnerable seats.

Tenure

He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, (Sub-Committee Chairman of the Capital Outlay Committee of Appropriations), a member of the Education Committee, and Chairman of the Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee. He also serves on the Chesapeake Bay Commission. He is also the Co-Chairman of the Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, a bipartisan group of stakeholders that seeks to promote awareness of issues facing Virginia’s outdoorsmen and sportsmen.

Lingamfelter was the recipient of the National Rifle Association's Carter-Knight award in 2013 for his successful efforts to repeal Virginia's gun rationing (one-gun-per-month) law.

Delegate to the 2012 Republican National Convention

Lingamfelter was one of three delegates representing Virginia's First Congressional District at the 2012 Republican National Convention. Lingamfelter viewed the outcome of the convention as a mixed bag.

Candidate for Lieutenant Governor

In June 2012 he announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor in 2013. During that primary season, a number of attacks were made against Lingamfelter by a group called Americans for Growth and Opportunity. Some evidence suggested that Corey Stewart was behind the ads, although some attempted to blame Susan Stimpson. Robocalls cited the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and the Virginia Education Association as examples of left-wing special interest groups that had donated to Lingamfelter. It also said that he took money from the "liberal Democrat mayor of Norfolk," Paul Fraim. Lingamfelter said, "If you have an issue with Scott Lingamfelter, debate him face-to-face." Lingamfelter also expressed a concern that Stimpson was engaging in slating, saying that "the tactic is very anti-Ronald Reagan in my view".

Some Ron Paul voters were displeased when Lingamfelter stated, "It sickens me that our party — the party of Reagan — could put on a Republican stage a candidate who holds our party, our process, our principles and our nation in such utter contempt." Lingamfelter admitted that some of his words were written out of the anger stemming from the moment, given his personal experience dealing with the death of fellow soldiers. He praised Paul for raising awareness for issues such as auditing the Federal Reserve.

After losing in the convention, Lingamfelter threw his support behind Pete Snyder.

Political positions

Abortion

In 2006, Lingamfelter introduced a bill prohibiting state funds from going to organizations that provide abortion services. The Virginia Society for Human Life PAC endorsed Lingamfelter in 2011. In 2017, Lingamfelter was a sponsor of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would have provided that when an abortion is not prohibited post-20 weeks' gestation, and if the woman elects to have an abortion, the physician is required to terminate the pregnancy in a manner that would provide the unborn child the best opportunity to survive.

Article V constitutional convention

Since 2014, Lingamfelter has called in every General Assembly for a convention to propose amendments to the United States Constitution to limit federal power. He says that Article V of the United States Constitution was designed to deal with situations in which the federal government has become so powerful that the rights of the people and the states have been destroyed. His efforts were defeated when Sen. Dick Black sent an e-mail circulating rumors that billionaire philanthropist George Soros and dozens of liberal groups, such as Occupy Wall Street, were the ones pushing for the Convention of States Project.

Crime

In 2016, Lingamfelter supported a bill to allow a person to petition for expungement of convictions and deferred disposition dismissals for marijuana possession, underage alcohol possession, and using a false ID to obtain alcohol when the offense occurred prior to the person's 21st birthday and five years have elapsed since the date of completion of all terms of sentencing and probation. Lingamfelter supports having felons return to local jails in their communities as they approach the end of their sentences.

Education

Lingamfelter has advocated for "real school choice" as a way of getting a better return on education investment; closing the U.S. Department of Education; and focusing more on private sector apprenticeships in trades such as plumbing, masonry, carpentry, etc.

Environment

Lingamfelter opposes the dumping of raw sewage into the Potomac River. He considers dangers surrounding fracking to be urban legends.

Family

In 2013, Lingamfelter said, "The family is the civilizing agent of our society." In 2011 and 2013, his votes in the General Assembly earned him a perfect score on the pro-life, anti-gay rights, anti-Obamacare, anti-eminent domain, pro-abstinence education, pro-vaginal ultrasonography mandate, anti-HPV vaccine mandate, pro-Parental Rights Amendment, anti-stem cell research, pro-public prayer, anti-Planned Parenthood Family Foundation's report card.

Farming

In 2013, Lingamfelter introduced the Boneta Bill, limiting local government's regulation of retail sales and other activities on farms, in reaction to Fauquier's zoning citation of Martha Boneta. That bill died, but a similar bill passed in 2014 and was signed by the Governor.

Felon disenfranchisement

In March 2013, Lingamfelter supported legislation to help prevent felons from voting in Virginia by requiring the State Board of Elections to make additional checks for felony convictions on the Central Criminal Records Exchange (CCRE).

In 2016, Lingamfelter opposed Governor McAuliffe's executive orders restoring the political rights of 206,000 convicted felons. He stated that McAuliffe's actions "all but guaranteed that now violent felons will sit on juries judging other violent felons." In 2017, Lingamfelter is running against a convicted felon whose voter rights were restored by McAuliffe.

Guns and other weapons

In 2006, Lingamfelter sponsored a bill that would prohibit companies from banning guns in their parking lots, arguing that parking lot prohibitions make the constitutional right to carry guns difficult at a practical level. He also favors reciprocal agreements with other states concerning concealed weapons permits. Lingamfelter also supported allowing members of the military to receive concealed handgun permits at age 18.

In 2011, Lingamfelter also supported loosening Virginia's gun laws to allow the purchase of more than one gun per month. He cited the right of law-abiding citizens to buy as many guns as they choose. In 2014, Lingamfelter joked to his committee about gun control: "This is HB 100. It makes possession of howitzers legal. Woke you up, didn't I?"

In 2015, Lingamfelter opposed a bill to take away gun rights of those against whom a temporary restraining order has been issued, arguing that some women may falsely claim to be abused.

In 2016, Lingamfelter supported a bill under which a person could be convicted of brandishing a firearm only if he intended his conduct to cause fear or should have reasonably known that it would, as opposed to merely brandishing it in a way that "reasonably" induces fear in a person of being shot or injured. The Virginia Citizens Defense League strongly supported this legislation, but Democrats opposed it and cited it as a reason why Lingamfelter needs to be voted out of office in 2017. The Governor vetoed the bill, writing, "Making the change requested in this bill would create unintended consequences for prosecutors and law enforcement officers attempting to secure convictions for violators of this law. This proposed modification would unnecessarily burden our public safety officials and potentially create a defense for individuals who recklessly handle firearms."

In 2016 and 2017, Lingamfelter supported a bill to allow retired law-enforcement officers to serve as armed guards at schools, calling it "a common-sense measure to protect our children and teachers from the unthinkable."

In 2017, Lingamfelter addressed a pro-gun rally on behalf on Ed Gillespie, saying that the candidate in the Virginia gubernatorial election, 2017, "will oppose any effort to infringe on our Second Amendment right and he will use his veto pen when he needs to."

Lingamelter carries a concealed firearm, which he says he prefers to a blackjack for situations requiring self-defense. He supports legalizing brass knuckles, throwing stars, ballistic knives and other similar weapons, as long as it is not on school property.

Health care

Lingamfelter has consistently opposed Medicaid expansion. In September 2014, he said that going door to door over the summer, he found that more than 60 percent of his constituents opposed Medicaid expansion.

Immigration

In 2011, Lingafelter sought to take Corey Stewart's Prince William County immigration crackdown statewide, by filing a bill requiring police to check the immigration status of arrested persons if there is probable cause to believe they are in the country illegally.

Miscellaneous

Lingamfelter supports a compromise in the Sea of Japan naming dispute that would use both the terms Sea of Japan and East Sea, against official federal practice of using only a single geographical name. He also supported allowing the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to sell 151-proof liquor. Lingamfelter supports voter registration by political party. Lingamfelter, along with Rich Anderson and Mark Dudenhefer, issued a joint statement in 2012 opposing the appointment of Tracy Thorne-Begland as general district judge.

Presidential politics

Lingamfelter supported Marco Rubio in the United States presidential election, 2016, and said that Donald Trump "was not my first, second, or third choice". But after Trump won the Republican nomination, Lingamfelter called on Republicans to support him, saying that "something I learned in combat was this. You fight with the team you have. That may not be the team you wanted, but opposite a determined enemy who will destroy this country, color me 'in the fight'."

Taxation

Lingamfelter supports a simplified and flatter tax.

Third parties

Lingamfelter has urged against non-voting and voting third party on pragmatic grounds.

Transportation

Lingamfelter proposes removing all earmarks on federal transportation funding. ^{Superscript text}

Personal life

Lingamfelter is married to the former Shelley Glick of Bridgewater, Virginia. They have three children: Amy, a Christian musician, John, a United States Air Force officer; and Paul, who works in the finance industry. The Lingamfelter family attends Christ Our Lord Anglican Church. Lingamfelter has a yellow Labrador, Sonny, that on 11 December 2013 spotted an injured red-shouldered hawk that appeared to have been hit by a car and dragged under the vehicle. Lingamfelter named the hawk Lucky and handed him over to the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia, where it was nursed back to health and released on 27 September 2014 at Prince William Forest Park. The dog was present to watch the hawk's release.

External links

• Official website
• http://dela.state.va.us/dela/MemBios.nsf/a7b082ef6ed01eac85256c0d00515644/74fa4ae4515ee8d385257535005773d2?OpenDocument
• Virginia Public Access Project: L. Scott Lingamfelter
• 2012 legislative session
• Appearances on C-SPAN