Matt Strickler
for Congress
For Country. For Commonwealth.
Why Matt?
Matt Strickler is a lifelong Virginian, public servant, outdoorsman, and proud American running to represent Virginia’s Second District in Congress.
Matt is running for Congress because Washington isn’t working for the people of Southeastern Virginia. He believes we need to present a positive vision for the future, one where people can build a good life for themselves and their families, and where government focuses on solving problems, not creating them. Today, the rich and powerful are pulling away while middle-class families are working harder than ever but falling behind. The American Dream is becoming harder to achieve and that’s not right.
Matt believes we can build a stronger, safer, more prosperous country for everyone but first we need to bring Americans together instead of ripping them apart. We don’t have an enemy within — we only have each other. Imposing arbitrary tariffs on our trade partners, turning our back on our allies and ceding global leadership to our rivals, mistreating federal workers, cutting health care and food assistance, and snatching citizens off the street because of the color of their skin is not who we are, and it is hurting us.
The Second District will be one of the most competitive in the country in the 2026 midterms. It is a must-win district to flip control of the House of Representatives and ensure that Congress can and will stand up to Trump’s assault on Americans, our democracy, and our institutions.
Matt’s career has spanned quite a few places and positions — but his focus has always remained on Virginia and the communities in Hampton Roads and on the Eastern Shore. Matt understands what it will take to run a winning campaign and to represent the Second District effectively in Congress.
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Matt's Story
Matt grew up in a middle-class family, the son of a public school teacher and a Virginia Military Institute graduate who worked hard and taught him fiscal responsibility and the importance of service. Both his parents were raised in Virginia Beach and as a kid he spent summers with his grandparents on the Eastern Shore, where he worked for his grandfather – a World War II veteran – and developed a lifelong love for the outdoors and a deep connection with the Chesapeake Bay. Today, Matt lives on the Shore with his wife Laura and their rescue dog, Hooper. He raises oysters and fishes when he can.
Matt’s passion for the Bay led him to a career in public service. He worked his way through college at Washington and Lee and graduate school at William and Mary and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Matt has served at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Natural Resources Committee for the House of Representatives, as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks at the Department of the Interior, and as a close aide to then-Senator Ralph Northam, working on constituent services and legislation to improve life and the economy in Hampton Roads and on the Eastern Shore.
Matt was honored to serve as Virginia’s Secretary of Natural Resources and Historic Resources and Chief Resilience Officer under Governor Northam, where he oversaw five state agencies with more than 2,000 employees and managed a half-a-billion dollar budget. As Secretary, Matt led the strongest Bay cleanup effort in Virginia history, developed Virginia’s first coastal resilience master plan, and worked with the General Assembly to help communities across the Commonwealth fight back against flooding. He also took on special interests to reduce air and water pollution, promote affordable clean energy, fight climate change, and conserve marine resources like oysters, striped bass, and Atlantic Menhaden.
Matt believes in working hard, leading by example, and above all, listening. His motivation has always been serving others, not promoting himself. In Congress, Matt will work every day to restore accountability and make our economy work for regular people again. He’ll fight to bring down the cost of energy, health care, and housing, and to make government more efficient and transparent so it respects and serves taxpayers and shows them how they are helping make our country a better place. And unlike our current Congress, Matt will have the courage to be an independent voice who will stand up against policies that hurt Virginia, no matter who is in the White House.