Nick Freitas: Difference between revisions

Nick Freitas
Nick Freitas
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; January 13, 2016
Preceded by	Ed Scott
Constituency	30th district (2016–2024); 62nd district (2024–present)
Personal details
Born	Nicholas J. Freitas; August 29, 1979 (age 45); Chico, California, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Tina Freitas
Children	3
Education	Henley-Putnam University (BA)
Website	Campaign website
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1998–2009
Rank	Sergeant First Class
Unit	1st Special Forces Group
Battles/wars	Iraq War

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Nicholas J. Freitas (born August 29, 1979)^[2] is an American politician and social media influencer. A Republican, he has been a member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 2016. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 2018, losing in the primary election to Corey Stewart. He was the Republican nominee in the 2020 election to represent Virginia's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, which he narrowly lost to Abigail Spanberger, the incumbent Democratic congresswoman.^[3] Before entering politics, he served in the United States Army.

Early life and education

Freitas, who is of Portuguese ancestry, was born in Chico, California, on August 29, 1979, the son of Robin McMichael and John Freitas.^[4]^[5] After graduating high school, Freitas joined the United States Army and subsequently graduated from Henley-Putnam School of Strategic Security with a B.S. in Intelligence Management.^[2]

Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, Freitas joined the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) and served two tours in Iraq. After being honorably discharged in 2009, Freitas moved to Culpeper County, Virginia in 2010 and served as an operations director for a service-disabled veteran-owned company.^[6]

Political career

Freitas became the chairman of the Culpeper County Republican Committee in 2010.

Virginia House of Delegates

Freitas is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 62. He assumed office in 2016, and his current term ends on January 14, 2026.

2015

In 2015, Freitas ran for the Virginia House of Delegates for the 30th district, then held by Republican Ed Scott. After Scott announced his retirement, Freitas was unopposed in both the Republican primary and the general election, and took office in January 2016.^[7]^[8]

The 30th district comprises Madison County, Orange County, and the southern half of Culpeper County.

2017

He ran for re-election in 2017 and won with 62% of the vote over Democrat Ben Hixon.^[9]

2019

On July 18, 2019, Freitas withdrew from the 2019 election for House of Delegates after failing to submit required paperwork to the Board of Elections in the Commonwealth of Virginia by the deadline.^[10] On August 8, 2019, Freitas announced that he would mount a write-in campaign for re-election and won with 57.89% of the vote.^[11]^[12]^[13]

As a member of the House of Delegates, Freitas serves on the following committees: Science and Technology; Militia, Police and Public Safety; and Finance.^[14]

2021

Freitas ran for re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 30. He won in the general election on November 2, 2021.

2023

Freitas ran for re-election again in 2023, in the post-reapportionment District 62. He won the general election on November 7, with 62% of the vote.^[15]

Congressional campaigns

2018 U.S. Senate election

Freitas sought the Republican nomination for the United States Senate seat in the 2018 election.^[16] He was endorsed by Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee.^[17] During the Republican primary campaign, Freitas characterized his rival, Prince William County Chairman Corey Stewart, as a "hate-monger."^[18] He said, "we must reject Corey Stewart's dog-whistling of White supremacists, anti-Semites, and racists."^[18]

In the June 2018 primary, Freitas narrowly lost the Republican nomination. Stewart took 44.9% of the vote, Freitas took 43.1% of the vote, and E. W. Jackson took 12.0% of the vote."^[19]

2020 U.S. House election

In December 2019, Freitas announced his candidacy for Virginia's 7th congressional district, in which he sought and won the Republican Party nomination to challenge incumbent Representative Abigail Spanberger in the 2020 general election. Freitas earned early endorsements from conservative organizations the Club for Growth and FreedomWorks.^[20] Freitas was considered to be an early front-runner for the Republican nomination due to opinion polls giving him the lead in support and name recognition.^[20] Freitas's state delegate district includes much of the congressional district's western portion.

Freitas lost the closely fought election,^[21] receiving about 49% of the vote to Spanberger's 51% of the vote.^[3] Spanberger dominated in the most populous parts of the district, in Chesterfield and Henrico counties in Greater Richmond, while Freitas led in the less-populous parts of the district in outlying Culpeper, Orange, Spotsylvania, Louisa, Goochland, Powhatan, Amelia, and Nottoway counties.^[3] Ultimately, Spanberger's combined 43,000-vote margin in Henrico and Chesterfield proved too much for Freitas to overcome; it was more than five times Spanberger's overall margin of 8,400 votes.^[22]

Political views

In the House of Delegates, Freitas has been described as having a "conservative voting record and libertarian streak."^[23]

He has called for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), describing it as a "cancer."^[24] He supports the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico.^[24] In 2016, he urged the Culpeper County School Board to disregard an Obama administration mandate that transgender students be allowed the use of the restrooms that correspond to their gender identity.^[25] He called it unconstitutional, and said the Obama administration does not "get to arbitrarily redefine what gender means."^[25]

In 2018, Freitas praised Donald Trump, saying he had been a stronger leader in his first year than Barack Obama had been during his eight years.^[24] Freitas has called for abolishing the federal income tax, replacing it with a national sales tax.^[24] He supported the 2017 Republican tax legislation.^[24] In 2018, Freitas opposed the Iran nuclear agreement and supported Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from it.^[24]

In 2020, Freitas voted against legislation in the Virginia General Assembly to gradually increase the state minimum wage to $12 per hour by 2023.^[26] He opposes proposals to increase the federal minimum wage.^[27]^[28]

Freitas voted in favor of marijuana decriminalization during the January 2020 session of the General Assembly. He stated: "I'd rather we use law enforcement resources to go after violent criminals and people that are creating victims."^[29]

In a speech given in March 2018 on the floor of the House of Delegates, Freitas voiced opposition to further gun control proposals following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.^[30] The speech went viral and drew over 11 million views on Freitas's Facebook page.^[31]

Personal life

Freitas is a Protestant Christian and attends Mountain View Church in Culpeper. He married Tina M. Pierce, whom he met in high school. The couple have three children. Freitas is a member of the Heritage Foundation and the National Rifle Association of America.^[2]^[32]

In 2019, Freitas' wife challenged incumbent Republican Emmett Hanger for his Senate seat in Virginia's 24th district.^[33] She was defeated in the primary, gaining 43% of the vote to Hanger's 57%.^[34]

Freitas hosts a YouTube channel called The Why Minutes where his stated goal is to "provide insight regarding some of the most pressing questions we ask about how society works. We explore the underlying reasons, motivations, and philosophies that inform decisions, promote greater understanding, and advance a society dedicated to preserving and advancing freedom."^[35]

Freitas also hosts a podcast called Making the Argument with Nick Freitas, in which he talks about political issues.^[36]

References

^ RallyPoint, archived from the original on January 9, 2018, retrieved January 8, 2018
^ ^a ^b ^c "Bio for Nicholas J. Frietas". Virginia House of Delegates. Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
^ ^a ^b ^c Nick Freitas (Republican Party) is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 30. He assumed office in 2016. His current term ends on January 10, 2024. Freitas (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 30. He won in the general election on November 2, 2021.Virginia Election Results: Seventh Congressional District, New York Times (2020).
^ https://m.facebook.com/NickFreitasVA/posts/happy-fathers-day-to-my-dad-john-freitas-my-father-taught-me-a-lot-about-justice/1686833441385164/ ^{[user-generated source]}
^ "'It's a free pen': In Culpeper, delegate's write-in effort gets literal". 5 November 2019.
^ Close, Gary (January 13, 2015). "Freitas to challenge Scott for delegate nomination". Culpeper Star-Exponent. Archived from the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
^ Champion, Allison (February 11, 2015). "Reeves endorses Freitas for delegate". Culpeper Star-Exponent. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
^ Close, Gary; Sherman, Anita (November 5, 2015). "Walther and Jenkins ride to victory on election day". Culpeper Times. Archived from the original on November 9, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
^ "2017 November General". results.elections.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2018-03-13.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "GOP del. Nick Freitas tells election officials he's withdrawing as a candidate". 18 July 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-07-20. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
^ Star-Exponent, Allison Brophy Champion Culpeper (20 August 2019). "Freitas write-in campaign focused on winning, supporting other GOP candidates". Fredericksburg.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
^ Holladay, Hilary (15 August 2019). "Nick Freitas plans write-in campaign". The Daily Progress. Archived from the original on 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
^ "Del. Nick Freitas to run a write-in campaign". NewsRadio WINA. Archived from the original on 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
^ "Delegate Nicholas J. (Nick) Freitas". Virginia General Assembly.gov. 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
^ Hart Brooks, Gracie (November 16, 2023). "Madison voters choose incumbents". The Daily Progress.
^ Wilson, Patrick (December 9, 2017). "Virginia Republicans assess November's electoral defeats and plan for the future at annual retreat". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on December 9, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
^ "Rand Paul endorses "liberty Republican" Nick Freitas to challenge Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine". Rare.us. 5 January 2018. Archived from the original on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
^ ^a ^b Patrick Wilson (6 June 2018). "Senate candidate Nick Freitas unloads on rival Corey Stewart: "Time we defeat the hate mongers"". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
^ Virginia Senate Results: Corey Stewart Wins Republican Primary, New York Times (June 2018).
^ ^a ^b Portnoy, Jenna (December 2, 2019). "Va. Del. Nicholas J. Freitas joins Republican race to challenge U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger". Washington Post. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
^ VA-House-7-elected, Associated Press (November 8, 2020).
^ Election results from CNN
^ "Delegate Joins Senate Race to Challenge Tim Kaine". Associated Press. December 10, 2017. Archived from the original on December 11, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Bill Bartel Virginia Republican Senate candidates repeatedly attack Obama, barely mention Kaine Archived 2018-05-23 at the Wayback Machine, The Virginian-Pilot (May 1, 2018).
^ ^a ^b "Culpeper delegation addresses transgender bathroom use". The Daily Progress. 13 June 2016. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
^ General Assembly okays a higher minimum wage, WINA (2020).
^ Michael Martz, Spanberger and Freitas split on minimum wage, health care, pandemic during televised forum, Richmond Times-Dispatch (October 20, 2020).
^ Warren Fiske, Spanberger Claims Minimum Wage Workers are Mostly Moms, Politifact VA/VPM News (October 30, 2020).
^ Oliver, Ned (2020-02-10). "'I just have a libertarian streak.' Nine House Republicans vote with Democrats to decriminalize marijuana". Virginia Mercury. Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
^ Gregory S. Schneider, Gun-control issue boils over in Virginia House after fiery speech from delegate Archived 2018-03-12 at the Wayback Machine, Washington Post (March 2, 2018).
^ Moomaw, Graham (March 5, 2018). "As Freitas' guns speech goes viral, Virginia Democrats say slavery remarks reopened racial wounds". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018.
^ "Issues | Nick Freitas for U.S. Senate". Nick Freitas for U.S. Senate. Archived from the original on 2018-03-13. Retrieved 2018-03-13.
^ Friedenberger, Amy (2019-06-01). "Facing challenger from his right, Republican Sen. Emmett Hanger fights to hold the center". The Roanoke Times. Archived from the original on 2019-06-08. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
^ Brophy, Allison (2019-08-06). "Freitas urges State Board to allow Republican on ballot in November". Culpeper Star-Exponent. Archived from the original on 2019-08-06. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
^ "The Why Minutes with Nick Freitas - YouTube". YouTube.
^ Freitas, Nick. "Making the Argument with Nick Freitas". podcasts.apple.com. Apple Podcast. Retrieved 25 February 2023.

External links

U.S. House campaign website
Nick Freitas at the Virginia Public Access Project
Appearances on C-SPAN

Virginia House of Delegates
Preceded by Ed Scott	Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 30th district 2016–present	Incumbent

[1] RallyPoint, archived from the original on January 9, 2018, retrieved January 8, 2018

[hod-personal-2] "Bio for Nicholas J. Frietas". Virginia House of Delegates. Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-02-16.

[NYT2020Results-3] Nick Freitas (Republican Party) is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 30. He assumed office in 2016. His current term ends on January 10, 2024. Freitas (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 30. He won in the general election on November 2, 2021.Virginia Election Results: Seventh Congressional District, New York Times (2020).

[4] ttps://m.facebook.com/NickFreitasVA/posts/happy-fathers-day-to-my-dad-john-freitas-my-father-taught-me-a-lot-about-justice/1686833441385164/ ^{[user-generated source]}

[5] "'It's a free pen': In Culpeper, delegate's write-in effort gets literal". 5 November 2019.

[6] Close, Gary (January 13, 2015). "Freitas to challenge Scott for delegate nomination". Culpeper Star-Exponent. Archived from the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2016.

[7] Champion, Allison (February 11, 2015). "Reeves endorses Freitas for delegate". Culpeper Star-Exponent. Retrieved February 16, 2016.

[8] Close, Gary; Sherman, Anita (November 5, 2015). "Walther and Jenkins ride to victory on election day". Culpeper Times. Archived from the original on November 9, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2016.

[9] "2017 November General". results.elections.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2018-03-13.^{[permanent dead link]}

[10] "GOP del. Nick Freitas tells election officials he's withdrawing as a candidate". 18 July 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-07-20. Retrieved 2019-07-20.

[11] Star-Exponent, Allison Brophy Champion Culpeper (20 August 2019). "Freitas write-in campaign focused on winning, supporting other GOP candidates". Fredericksburg.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2019-10-18.

[12] Holladay, Hilary (15 August 2019). "Nick Freitas plans write-in campaign". The Daily Progress. Archived from the original on 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2019-10-18.

[13] "Del. Nick Freitas to run a write-in campaign". NewsRadio WINA. Archived from the original on 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2019-10-18.

[14] "Delegate Nicholas J. (Nick) Freitas". Virginia General Assembly.gov. 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2019-12-02.

[15] Hart Brooks, Gracie (November 16, 2023). "Madison voters choose incumbents". The Daily Progress.

[16] Wilson, Patrick (December 9, 2017). "Virginia Republicans assess November's electoral defeats and plan for the future at annual retreat". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on December 9, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2017.

[auto-17] "Rand Paul endorses "liberty Republican" Nick Freitas to challenge Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine". Rare.us. 5 January 2018. Archived from the original on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.

[:0-18] Patrick Wilson (6 June 2018). "Senate candidate Nick Freitas unloads on rival Corey Stewart: "Time we defeat the hate mongers"". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-07-19.

[19] Virginia Senate Results: Corey Stewart Wins Republican Primary, New York Times (June 2018).

[portnoy-20] Portnoy, Jenna (December 2, 2019). "Va. Del. Nicholas J. Freitas joins Republican race to challenge U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger". Washington Post. Retrieved 3 December 2019.

[21] VA-House-7-elected, Associated Press (November 8, 2020).

[22] Election results from CNN

[23] "Delegate Joins Senate Race to Challenge Tim Kaine". Associated Press. December 10, 2017. Archived from the original on December 11, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2017.

[Bartel-24] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Bill Bartel Virginia Republican Senate candidates repeatedly attack Obama, barely mention Kaine Archived 2018-05-23 at the Wayback Machine, The Virginian-Pilot (May 1, 2018).

[:1-25] "Culpeper delegation addresses transgender bathroom use". The Daily Progress. 13 June 2016. Retrieved 2020-07-19.

[26] General Assembly okays a higher minimum wage, WINA (2020).

[27] Michael Martz, Spanberger and Freitas split on minimum wage, health care, pandemic during televised forum, Richmond Times-Dispatch (October 20, 2020).

[28] Warren Fiske, Spanberger Claims Minimum Wage Workers are Mostly Moms, Politifact VA/VPM News (October 30, 2020).

[29] Oliver, Ned (2020-02-10). "'I just have a libertarian streak.' Nine House Republicans vote with Democrats to decriminalize marijuana". Virginia Mercury. Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2020-02-11.

[30] Gregory S. Schneider, Gun-control issue boils over in Virginia House after fiery speech from delegate Archived 2018-03-12 at the Wayback Machine, Washington Post (March 2, 2018).

[31] Moomaw, Graham (March 5, 2018). "As Freitas' guns speech goes viral, Virginia Democrats say slavery remarks reopened racial wounds". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018.

[32] "Issues | Nick Freitas for U.S. Senate". Nick Freitas for U.S. Senate. Archived from the original on 2018-03-13. Retrieved 2018-03-13.

[33] Friedenberger, Amy (2019-06-01). "Facing challenger from his right, Republican Sen. Emmett Hanger fights to hold the center". The Roanoke Times. Archived from the original on 2019-06-08. Retrieved 2019-12-03.

[34] Brophy, Allison (2019-08-06). "Freitas urges State Board to allow Republican on ballot in November". Culpeper Star-Exponent. Archived from the original on 2019-08-06. Retrieved 2019-12-03.

[35] "The Why Minutes with Nick Freitas - YouTube". YouTube.

[36] Freitas, Nick. "Making the Argument with Nick Freitas". podcasts.apple.com. Apple Podcast. Retrieved 25 February 2023.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|American politician (born 1979)}}
 {{Infobox officeholder
-|name           = Nick Freitas
+| name                = Nick Freitas
-|image          = Nick Freitas1.png
+| image               = File:Nick Freitas smiling.png
+| office              = Member of the [[Virginia House of Delegates]]
-|state_delegate = Virginia
-|district       = [[Virginia's 30th House of Delegates district|30th]]
+| constituency        = [[Virginia's 30th House of Delegates district|30th district]] (2016–2024)<br>[[Virginia's 62nd House of Delegates district|62nd district]] (2024–present)
-|term_start     = January 13, 2016
+| term_start          = January 13, 2016
-|predecessor    = [[Edward T. Scott|Ed Scott]]
+| predecessor         = [[Edward T. Scott|Ed Scott]]
-|successor      =
+| successor           =
+| birth_name          = Nicholas J. Freitas
-|birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1979|8|29}}
+| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1979|8|29}}
-|birth_place    = [[Chico, California|Chico]], [[California]], U.S.
+| birth_place         = [[Chico, California|Chico]], [[California]], U.S.
-|death_date     =
-|death_place    =
+| death_date          =
-|party          = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
+| death_place         =
+| party               = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
-|spouse         = Tina Freitas
+| spouse              = Tina Freitas
-|children       = 3
+| children            = 3
-|education      = [[Henley-Putnam University]] {{small|([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])}}
+| education           = [[Henley-Putnam University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
-|website        = {{url|nick4senate.com|Campaign website}}
+| website             = {{url|http://www.nickjfreitas.com/|Campaign website}}
-|allegiance     = {{flag|United States}}
+| allegiance          = {{flag|United States}}
-|branch         = {{army|United States}}
+| branch              = {{army|United States}}
-|serviceyears   = 1998–2009
+| serviceyears        = 1998–2009
-|rank           = [[File:E-7.png|19px]]  [[Sergeant First Class]]<ref>{{cite |title=RallyPoint |url=https://www.rallypoint.com/profiles/177903-sfc-nick-freitas |accessdate=January 8, 2018}}</ref>
+| rank                = [[File:Army-USA-OR-07.svg|19px]]  [[Sergeant First Class]]<ref>{{Citation |title=RallyPoint |url=https://www.rallypoint.com/profiles/177903-sfc-nick-freitas |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109063810/https://www.rallypoint.com/profiles/177903-sfc-nick-freitas |access-date=January 8, 2018 |archive-date=January 9, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
-|unit           = [[1st Special Forces Group (United States)|1st Special Forces Group]]
+| unit                = [[1st Special Forces Group (United States)|1st Special Forces Group]]
-|battles        = [[Iraq War]]
+| battles             = [[Iraq War]]
 }}
-'''Nicholas J. Freitas''' (born August 29, 1979)<ref name="hod-personal">{{cite web |url=http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php?id=H0279#personalInfo |title=Bio for Nicholas J. Frietas |publisher=Virginia House of Delegates |accessdate=2016-02-16}}</ref> is an [[United States|American]] [[politician]] who is a member of the [[Virginia House of Delegates]] and a candidate for the [[United States Senate election in Virginia, 2018|US Senate]] in 2018. He was first elected in 2015, and represents the [[Virginia's 30th House of Delegates district|30th district]] comprising [[Madison County, Virginia|Madison County]], [[Orange County, Virginia|Orange County]], and the Southern half of [[Culpeper County, Virginia|Culpeper County]] on behalf of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]. Freitas is a [[United States Army]] veteran who served two tours in [[Iraq War|Iraq]].<ref name="Bartel">Bill Bartel [https://pilotonline.com/news/government/politics/virginia/article_dc2a3b22-4ce2-11e8-a34d-fb20b060946d.html Virginia Republican Senate candidates repeatedly attack Obama, barely mention Kaine], ''The Virginian-Pilot'' (May 1, 2018).</ref>
+'''Nicholas J. Freitas''' (born August 29, 1979)<ref name="hod-personal">{{Cite web |title=Bio for Nicholas J. Frietas |url=http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php?id=H0279#personalInfo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308214053/http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php?id=H0279#personalInfo |archive-date=2016-03-08 |access-date=2016-02-16 |publisher=Virginia House of Delegates}}</ref> is an American politician and social media influencer. A [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], he has been a member of the [[Virginia House of Delegates]] since 2016. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for [[United States Senate election in Virginia, 2018|U.S. Senate]] in 2018, losing in the [[Partisan primary|primary election]] to [[Corey Stewart]]. He was the Republican nominee in the 2020 election to represent [[Virginia's 7th congressional district]] in the [[United States House of Representatives]], which he narrowly lost to [[Abigail Spanberger]], the incumbent Democratic congresswoman.<ref name=NYT2020Results>Nick Freitas (Republican Party) is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 30. He assumed office in 2016. His current term ends on January 10, 2024.
+Freitas (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 30. He won in the general election on November 2, 2021.[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-virginia-house-district-7.html Virginia Election Results: Seventh Congressional District], ''New York Times'' (2020).</ref> Before entering politics, he served in the [[United States Army]].
 == Early life and education ==
-Freitas was born in [[Chico, California|Chico]], [[California]], on August 29, 1979. After graduating [[high school]], Freitas joined the [[United States Army]]. He also during this time graduated at [[Henley-Putnam University]].<ref name="hod-personal3" />
+Freitas, who is of [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] ancestry, was born in [[Chico, California|Chico]], [[California]], on August 29, 1979, the son of Robin McMichael and John Freitas.<ref>https://m.facebook.com/NickFreitasVA/posts/happy-fathers-day-to-my-dad-john-freitas-my-father-taught-me-a-lot-about-justice/1686833441385164/ {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.virginiamercury.com/2019/11/05/its-a-free-pen-in-culpeper-delegates-write-in-effort-gets-literal/ | title='It's a free pen': In Culpeper, delegate's write-in effort gets literal | date=5 November 2019 }}</ref> After graduating [[high school]], Freitas joined the [[United States Army]] and subsequently graduated from [[Henley-Putnam School of Strategic Security]] with a B.S. in Intelligence Management.<ref name="hod-personal" />
-Following the [[September 11 attacks|September 11 terrorist attacks]], Freitas joined the [[Special Forces (United States Army)|U.S. Army Special Forces]] (Green Berets) and served two tours in [[Iraq]]. After being [[Military discharge|honorably discharged]] in 2009, Freitas moved to [[Culpeper County, Virginia]] in 2010 and served as an operations director for a service-disabled veteran-owned company.<ref>{{cite news |last=Close |first=Gary |date=January 13, 2015|title=Freitas to challenge Scott for delegate nomination |url=http://culpepertimes.com/2015/01/12/freitas-to-challenge-scott-for-delegate-nomination/153788/|newspaper=Culpeper Star-Exponent |location= |access-date=February 16, 2016 }}</ref>
+Following the [[September 11 attacks|September 11 terrorist attacks]], Freitas joined the [[Special Forces (United States Army)|U.S. Army Special Forces]] (Green Berets) and served two tours in [[Iraq]]. After being [[Military discharge|honorably discharged]] in 2009, Freitas moved to [[Culpeper County, Virginia]] in 2010 and served as an operations director for a [[Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business|service-disabled veteran-owned company]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Close |first=Gary |date=January 13, 2015 |title=Freitas to challenge Scott for delegate nomination |work=Culpeper Star-Exponent |url=http://culpepertimes.com/2015/01/12/freitas-to-challenge-scott-for-delegate-nomination/153788/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523100413/http://culpepertimes.com/2015/01/12/freitas-to-challenge-scott-for-delegate-nomination/153788/ |archive-date=May 23, 2018}}</ref>
 ==Political career==
+Freitas became the chairman of the Culpeper County Republican Committee in 2010.
-Freitas became the chairman of the Culpeper County Republican Committee in 2010. In 2015, Freitas ran for the [[Virginia House of Delegates]] for the 30th district, then held by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Edward T. Scott|Ed Scott]]. After Scott announced his retirement, Freitas was unopposed in both the Republican primary and the general election, and took office in January 2016.<ref>{{cite news |last=Champion |first=Allison |date=February 11, 2015 |title=Reeves endorses Freitas for delegate  |url=http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexponent/news/reeves-endorses-freitas-for-delegate/article_97f45ede-b270-11e4-b043-7b406b665ca5.html |newspaper=Culpeper Star-Exponent |location= |access-date=February 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Close |first1=Gary |last2=Sherman |first2=Anita |date=November 5, 2015 |title=Walther and Jenkins ride to victory on election day |url=http://www.northernvatimes.com/culpeper/article/walther-and-jenkins-ride-to-victory-on-election-day |newspaper=Culpeper Times |location= |access-date=February 16, 2016 }}</ref> He ran for re-election in 2017 and won with 62% of the vote over Democrat Ben Hixon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://results.elections.virginia.gov/vaelections/2017%20November%20General/Site/GeneralAssembly.html|title=2017 November General|website=results.elections.virginia.gov|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-13}}</ref>
+=== Virginia House of Delegates ===
-Freitas currently serves on the Finance, Militia, Police, and Public Safety, and Science and Technology Committees.<ref name="hod-personal"/>
+Freitas is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 62. He assumed office in 2016, and his current term ends on January 14, 2026.
+==== 2015 ====
-Freitas is seeking the Republican nomination for the [[United States Senate election in Virginia, 2018|2018 Senate election in Virginia]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Patrick |date=December 9, 2017 |title=Virginia Republicans assess November's electoral defeats and plan for the future at annual retreat  |url=http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/state-del-nick-freitas-formally-announces-gop-run-for-u/article_d60617d9-a297-5815-9814-c5fe9c30ff8e.html |work=Richmond Times-Dispatch |location= |access-date=December 10, 2017 }}</ref> He has been endorsed by Senators [[Rand Paul]] and [[Mike Lee (American politician)|Mike Lee]].<ref name="auto">{{cite news|url=http://rare.us/rare-politics/rare-liberty/rand-paul-endorses-liberty-republican-nick-freitas-to-challenge-virginia-sen-tim-kaine/ |title=Rand Paul endorses “liberty Republican” Nick Freitas to challenge Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine |publisher=Rare.us|date=5 January 2018}}</ref>
+In 2015, Freitas ran for the [[Virginia House of Delegates]] for the 30th district, then held by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Edward T. Scott|Ed Scott]]. After Scott announced his retirement, Freitas was unopposed in both the Republican primary and the general election, and took office in January 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Champion |first=Allison |date=February 11, 2015 |title=Reeves endorses Freitas for delegate |work=Culpeper Star-Exponent |url=http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexponent/news/reeves-endorses-freitas-for-delegate/article_97f45ede-b270-11e4-b043-7b406b665ca5.html |access-date=February 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Close |first1=Gary |last2=Sherman |first2=Anita |date=November 5, 2015 |title=Walther and Jenkins ride to victory on election day |work=Culpeper Times |url=http://www.northernvatimes.com/culpeper/article/walther-and-jenkins-ride-to-victory-on-election-day |url-status=dead |access-date=February 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109234435/http://www.northernvatimes.com/culpeper/article/walther-and-jenkins-ride-to-victory-on-election-day |archive-date=November 9, 2015}}</ref>
+The [[Virginia's 30th House of Delegates district|30th district]] comprises [[Madison County, Virginia|Madison County]], [[Orange County, Virginia|Orange County]], and the southern half of [[Culpeper County, Virginia|Culpeper County]].
-In a fiery speech given in March 2018 on the floor of the House of Delegates, Freitas voiced opposition to further [[gun control]] proposals following the [[Parkland, Florida school shooting]].<ref>Gregory S. Schneider, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/gun-control-issue-boils-over-in-virginia-house-after-fiery-speech-from-delegate/2018/03/02/991938d4-1e42-11e8-ae5a-16e60e4605f3_story.html Gun-control issue boils over in Virginia House after fiery speech from delegate], ''Washington Post'' (March 2, 2018).</ref> The speech drew over 11 million views on Freitas' Facebook page.<ref>Graham Moomaw, [http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/general-assembly/as-freitas-guns-speech-goes-viral-virginia-democrats-say-slavery/article_1146f933-82e2-5983-bb2c-da430aacc397.html As Freitas' guns speech goes viral, Virginia Democrats say slavery remarks reopened racial wounds], ''Richmond Times-Dispatch'' (March 5, 2018).</ref>
+==== 2017 ====
+He ran for re-election in 2017 and won with 62% of the vote over Democrat Ben Hixon.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2017 November General |url=http://results.elections.virginia.gov/vaelections/2017%20November%20General/Site/GeneralAssembly.html |access-date=2018-03-13 |website=results.elections.virginia.gov |language=en-US }}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
+==== 2019 ====
+On July 18, 2019, Freitas withdrew from the 2019 election for House of Delegates after failing to submit required paperwork to the Board of Elections in the Commonwealth of Virginia by the deadline.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GOP del. Nick Freitas tells election officials he's withdrawing as a candidate |date=18 July 2019 |url=https://www.richmond.com/news/plus/gop-del-nick-freitas-tells-election-officials-he-s-withdrawing/article_73d6ba0c-c926-589b-961f-8dc72ec9b717.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720013925/https://www.richmond.com/news/plus/gop-del-nick-freitas-tells-election-officials-he-s-withdrawing/article_73d6ba0c-c926-589b-961f-8dc72ec9b717.html |archive-date=2019-07-20 |access-date=2019-07-20}}</ref> On August 8, 2019, Freitas announced that he would mount a [[Write-in candidate|write-in campaign]] for re-election and won with 57.89% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Star-Exponent |first=Allison Brophy Champion Culpeper  |title=Freitas write-in campaign focused on winning, supporting other GOP candidates |url=https://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/freitas-write-in-campaign-focused-on-winning-supporting-other-gop/article_0fd0e98b-33e4-5b4d-b25f-d03de9e72ffa.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011001006/https://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/freitas-write-in-campaign-focused-on-winning-supporting-other-gop/article_0fd0e98b-33e4-5b4d-b25f-d03de9e72ffa.html |archive-date=2019-10-11 |access-date=2019-10-18 |website=Fredericksburg.com |date=20 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Holladay |first=Hilary |title=Nick Freitas plans write-in campaign |url=https://www.dailyprogress.com/orangenews/news/nick-freitas-plans-write-in-campaign/article_943b4fa2-be08-11e9-8493-5365432b1562.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011001005/https://www.dailyprogress.com/orangenews/news/nick-freitas-plans-write-in-campaign/article_943b4fa2-be08-11e9-8493-5365432b1562.html |archive-date=2019-10-11 |access-date=2019-10-18 |website=The Daily Progress |date=15 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Del. Nick Freitas to run a write-in campaign |url=http://wina.com/news/064460-del-nick-freitas-to-run-a-write-in-campaign/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011001005/https://wina.com/news/064460-del-nick-freitas-to-run-a-write-in-campaign/ |archive-date=2019-10-11 |access-date=2019-10-18 |website=NewsRadio WINA |language=en-US}}</ref>
+As a member of the House of Delegates, Freitas serves on the following committees: Science and Technology; Militia, Police and Public Safety; and Finance.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-02 |title=Delegate Nicholas J. (Nick) Freitas |url=https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php?id=H0279#personalInfo |access-date=2019-12-02 |website=Virginia General Assembly.gov}}</ref>
+==== 2021 ====
+Freitas ran for re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 30. He won in the general election on November 2, 2021.
+==== 2023 ====
+Freitas ran for re-election again in 2023, in the post-reapportionment District 62. He won the general election on November 7, with 62% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dailyprogress.com/news/community/madisonnews/madison-voters-choose-incumbents/article_ea3a6230-8280-11ee-8264-b343780f4793.html|title=Madison voters choose incumbents |first=Gracie|last=Hart Brooks|date=November 16, 2023|website=The Daily Progress}}</ref>
+=== Congressional campaigns ===
+==== 2018 U.S. Senate election ====
+{{main|2018 United States Senate election in Virginia}}
+Freitas sought the Republican nomination for the [[United States Senate]] seat in the 2018 election.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wilson |first=Patrick |date=December 9, 2017 |title=Virginia Republicans assess November's electoral defeats and plan for the future at annual retreat |work=Richmond Times-Dispatch |url=http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/state-del-nick-freitas-formally-announces-gop-run-for-u/article_d60617d9-a297-5815-9814-c5fe9c30ff8e.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209160525/http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/state-del-nick-freitas-formally-announces-gop-run-for-u/article_d60617d9-a297-5815-9814-c5fe9c30ff8e.html |archive-date=December 9, 2017}}</ref> He was endorsed by Senators [[Rand Paul]] and [[Mike Lee]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite news |date=5 January 2018 |title=Rand Paul endorses "liberty Republican" Nick Freitas to challenge Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine |publisher=Rare.us |url=http://rare.us/rare-politics/rare-liberty/rand-paul-endorses-liberty-republican-nick-freitas-to-challenge-virginia-sen-tim-kaine/ |url-status=dead |access-date=16 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215011447/https://rare.us/rare-politics/rare-liberty/rand-paul-endorses-liberty-republican-nick-freitas-to-challenge-virginia-sen-tim-kaine/ |archive-date=15 February 2018}}</ref> During the Republican primary campaign, Freitas characterized his rival, [[Prince William County, Virginia|Prince William County]] Chairman [[Corey Stewart]], as a "hate-monger."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|newspaper=Richmond Times-Dispatch|author=Patrick Wilson|title=Senate candidate Nick Freitas unloads on rival Corey Stewart: "Time we defeat the hate mongers"|date=6 June 2018 |url=https://richmond.com/news/local/government-politics/senate-candidate-nick-freitas-unloads-on-rival-corey-stewart-time-we-defeat-the-hate-mongers/article_4ed92ecf-278f-5adf-9130-92b23c18f5aa.html|access-date=2020-07-19}}</ref> He said, "we must reject Corey Stewart's [[dog-whistling]] of White supremacists, anti-Semites, and racists."<ref name=":0" />
+In the June 2018 primary, Freitas narrowly lost the Republican nomination. Stewart took 44.9% of the vote, Freitas took 43.1% of the vote, and [[E. W. Jackson]] took 12.0% of the vote."<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/virginia-senate-primary-election Virginia Senate Results: Corey Stewart Wins Republican Primary], ''New York Times'' (June 2018).</ref>
+==== 2020 U.S. House election ====
+{{main|2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia#District 7}}
+In December 2019, Freitas announced his candidacy for [[Virginia's 7th congressional district]], in which he sought and won the Republican Party nomination to challenge incumbent Representative [[Abigail Spanberger]] in the [[2020 United States House of Representatives elections|2020 general election]]. Freitas earned early endorsements from conservative organizations the [[Club for Growth]] and [[FreedomWorks]].<ref name="portnoy">{{Cite news |last=Portnoy |first=Jenna |date=December 2, 2019 |title=Va. Del. Nicholas J. Freitas joins Republican race to challenge U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/del-nick-freitas-joins-republican-race-to-challenge-rep-spanberger/2019/12/02/c20455d8-1528-11ea-a659-7d69641c6ff7_story.html |access-date=3 December 2019}}</ref> Freitas was considered to be an early front-runner for the Republican nomination due to opinion polls giving him the lead in support and name recognition.<ref name=portnoy/> Freitas's state delegate district includes much of the congressional district's western portion.
+Freitas lost the closely fought election,<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/4896f05baeb84dd0be9d305c9dd0cad0 VA-House-7-elected], Associated Press (November 8, 2020).</ref> receiving about 49% of the vote to Spanberger's 51% of the vote.<ref name=NYT2020Results/> Spanberger dominated in the most populous parts of the district, in [[Chesterfield County, Virginia|Chesterfield]] and [[Henrico County, Virginia|Henrico]] counties in [[Greater Richmond Region|Greater Richmond]], while Freitas led in the less-populous parts of the district in outlying [[Culpeper County, Virginia|Culpeper]], [[Orange County, Virginia|Orange]], [[Spotsylvania County, Virginia|Spotsylvania]], [[Louisa County, Virginia|Louisa]], [[Goochland County, Virginia|Goochland]], [[Powhatan County, Virginia|Powhatan]], [[Amelia County, Virginia|Amelia]], and [[Nottoway County, Virginia|Nottoway]] counties.<ref name=NYT2020Results/> Ultimately, Spanberger's combined 43,000-vote margin in Henrico and Chesterfield proved too much for Freitas to overcome; it was more than five times Spanberger's overall margin of 8,400 votes.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/election/2020/results/state/virginia/house/district-7 Election results] from CNN</ref>
 ==Political views==
-In the House of Delegates, Freitas has a "conservative voting record and libertarian streak."<ref>{{cite web|title=Delegate Joins Senate Race to Challenge Tim Kaine|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/virginia/articles/2017-12-10/delegate-joins-senate-race-to-challenge-tim-kaine|agency=Associated Press|date=December 10, 2017}}</ref>
+In the House of Delegates, Freitas has been described as having a "conservative voting record and [[libertarian]] streak."<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 10, 2017 |title=Delegate Joins Senate Race to Challenge Tim Kaine |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/virginia/articles/2017-12-10/delegate-joins-senate-race-to-challenge-tim-kaine |url-status=live |access-date=December 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171211105214/https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/virginia/articles/2017-12-10/delegate-joins-senate-race-to-challenge-tim-kaine |archive-date=December 11, 2017}}</ref>
+He has called for the repeal of the [[Affordable Care Act]] (Obamacare), describing it as a "cancer."<ref name="Bartel">Bill Bartel [https://pilotonline.com/news/government/politics/virginia/article_dc2a3b22-4ce2-11e8-a34d-fb20b060946d.html Virginia Republican Senate candidates repeatedly attack Obama, barely mention Kaine] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523100942/https://pilotonline.com/news/government/politics/virginia/article_dc2a3b22-4ce2-11e8-a34d-fb20b060946d.html|date=2018-05-23}}, ''The Virginian-Pilot'' (May 1, 2018).</ref> He supports the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico.<ref name="Bartel" /> In 2016, he urged the Culpeper County School Board to disregard an Obama administration mandate that transgender students be allowed the use of the restrooms that correspond to their gender identity.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Culpeper delegation addresses transgender bathroom use|url=https://dailyprogress.com/archives/culpeper-delegation-addresses-transgender-bathroom-use/article_30582770-31d0-11e6-891b-b36c9567ce0a.html|access-date=2020-07-19|website=The Daily Progress|date=13 June 2016 |language=en}}</ref> He called it unconstitutional, and said the Obama administration does not "get to arbitrarily redefine what gender means."<ref name=":1" />
+In 2018, Freitas praised [[Donald Trump]], saying he had been a stronger leader in his first year than [[Barack Obama]] had been during his eight years.<ref name="Bartel" /> Freitas has called for abolishing the [[federal income tax]], replacing it with a national sales tax.<ref name="Bartel" /> He supported the [[Tax Cuts and Jobs Act|2017 Republican tax legislation]].<ref name="Bartel" /> In 2018, Freitas opposed the [[Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action|Iran nuclear agreement]] and supported Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from it.<ref name="Bartel" />
+In 2020, Freitas voted against legislation in the Virginia General Assembly to gradually increase the [[Minimum wage in the United States|state minimum wage]] to $12 per hour by 2023.<ref>[https://wina.com/news/064460-064460-general-assembly-okays-a-higher-minimum-wage/ General Assembly okays a higher minimum wage], WINA (2020).</ref> He opposes proposals to increase the [[Minimum wage in the United States|federal minimum wage]].<ref>Michael Martz, [https://richmond.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/spanberger-and-freitas-split-on-minimum-wage-health-care-pandemic-during-televised-forum/article_fa3b12ea-18af-50bf-b13a-0c24b2d0ce53.html Spanberger and Freitas split on minimum wage, health care, pandemic during televised forum], ''Richmond Times-Dispatch'' (October 20, 2020).</ref><ref>Warren Fiske, [https://vpm.org/news/articles/17666/politifact-va-spanberger-claims-minimum-wage-workers-are-mostly-moms Spanberger Claims Minimum Wage Workers are Mostly Moms], Politifact VA/[[VPM News]] (October 30, 2020).</ref>
+Freitas voted in favor of [[marijuana decriminalization]] during the January 2020 session of the General Assembly. He stated: "I'd rather we use law enforcement resources to go after violent criminals and people that are creating victims."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oliver |first=Ned |date=2020-02-10 |title='I just have a libertarian streak.' Nine House Republicans vote with Democrats to decriminalize marijuana. |url=https://www.virginiamercury.com/blog-va/i-just-have-a-libertarian-streak-nine-house-republicans-vote-with-democrats-to-decriminalize-marijuana/ |access-date=2020-02-11 |website=Virginia Mercury |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213111615/https://www.virginiamercury.com/blog-va/i-just-have-a-libertarian-streak-nine-house-republicans-vote-with-democrats-to-decriminalize-marijuana/ |archive-date=2020-02-13 |url-status=live }}</ref>
+In a speech given in March 2018 on the floor of the House of Delegates, Freitas voiced opposition to further [[gun control]] proposals following the [[Stoneman Douglas High School shooting|mass shooting]] at [[Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School]] in [[Parkland, Florida]].<ref>Gregory S. Schneider, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/gun-control-issue-boils-over-in-virginia-house-after-fiery-speech-from-delegate/2018/03/02/991938d4-1e42-11e8-ae5a-16e60e4605f3_story.html Gun-control issue boils over in Virginia House after fiery speech from delegate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180312094501/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/gun-control-issue-boils-over-in-virginia-house-after-fiery-speech-from-delegate/2018/03/02/991938d4-1e42-11e8-ae5a-16e60e4605f3_story.html |date=2018-03-12 }}, ''Washington Post'' (March 2, 2018).</ref> The speech went viral and drew over 11 million views on Freitas's [[Facebook]] page.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Moomaw |first=Graham |date=March 5, 2018 |title=As Freitas' guns speech goes viral, Virginia Democrats say slavery remarks reopened racial wounds |work=[[Richmond Times-Dispatch]] |url=http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/general-assembly/as-freitas-guns-speech-goes-viral-virginia-democrats-say-slavery/article_1146f933-82e2-5983-bb2c-da430aacc397.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615091959/http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/general-assembly/as-freitas-guns-speech-goes-viral-virginia-democrats-say-slavery/article_1146f933-82e2-5983-bb2c-da430aacc397.html |archive-date=June 15, 2018}}</ref>
 == Personal life ==
-Freitas is a [[Protestant]] [[Christian]] and attends Mountain View Church in [[Culpeper, Virginia|Culpeper]]. He is married to Tina M. Pierce, whom he met in high school. The couple has three children: Lillyana, Luke, and Alexandria. In addition, Freitas is a member of the [[The Heritage Foundation|Heritage Foundation]] and the [[National Rifle Association]] (NRA).<ref name="hod-personal3">{{cite web|url=http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php?id=H0279#personalInfo|title=Bio for Nicholas J. Frietas|publisher=Virginia House of Delegates|accessdate=2016-02-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nick4senate.com/issues/|title=Issues {{!}} Nick Freitas for U.S. Senate|work=Nick Freitas for U.S. Senate|access-date=2018-03-13|language=en-US}}</ref>
+Freitas is a [[Protestantism|Protestant]] [[Christians|Christian]] and attends Mountain View Church in [[Culpeper, Virginia|Culpeper]]. He married Tina M. Pierce, whom he met in high school. The couple have three children. Freitas is a member of the [[The Heritage Foundation|Heritage Foundation]] and the [[National Rifle Association of America]].<ref name="hod-personal"/><ref>{{Cite news |title=Issues {{!}} Nick Freitas for U.S. Senate |language=en-US |work=Nick Freitas for U.S. Senate |url=https://nick4senate.com/issues/ |url-status=live |access-date=2018-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313153620/https://nick4senate.com/issues/ |archive-date=2018-03-13}}</ref>
+In 2019, Freitas' wife challenged incumbent Republican [[Emmett Hanger]] for his [[Virginia's 24th Senate district|Senate seat in Virginia's 24th district]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Friedenberger |first=Amy |date=2019-06-01 |title=Facing challenger from his right, Republican Sen. Emmett Hanger fights to hold the center |url=https://www.roanoke.com/news/local/facing-challenger-from-his-right-republican-sen-emmett-hanger-fights/article_dd31f27d-68b6-581b-acc2-02be4093d46b.html |access-date=2019-12-03 |website=The Roanoke Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608200516/https://www.roanoke.com/news/local/facing-challenger-from-his-right-republican-sen-emmett-hanger-fights/article_dd31f27d-68b6-581b-acc2-02be4093d46b.html |archive-date=2019-06-08 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> She was defeated in the primary, gaining 43% of the vote to Hanger's 57%.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brophy |first=Allison |date=2019-08-06 |title=Freitas urges State Board to allow Republican on ballot in November |url=https://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/freitas-urges-state-board-to-allow-republican-on-ballot-in/article_bf5306be-94aa-5640-9f3e-a767a928c155.html |access-date=2019-12-03 |website=Culpeper Star-Exponent |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806180426/https://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/freitas-urges-state-board-to-allow-republican-on-ballot-in/article_bf5306be-94aa-5640-9f3e-a767a928c155.html |archive-date=2019-08-06 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
+Freitas hosts a [[YouTube]] channel called ''The Why Minutes'' where his stated goal is to "provide insight regarding some of the most pressing questions we ask about how society works. We explore the underlying reasons, motivations, and philosophies that inform decisions, promote greater understanding, and advance a society dedicated to preserving and advancing freedom."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/c/TheWhyMinutes/videos | title=The Why Minutes with Nick Freitas - YouTube | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref>
+Freitas also hosts a [[podcast]] called ''Making the Argument with Nick Freitas'', in which he talks about political issues.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Freitas |first1=Nick |title=Making the Argument with Nick Freitas |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-argument-with-nick-freitas/id1506127536 |website=podcasts.apple.com |publisher=Apple Podcast |access-date=25 February 2023}}</ref>
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
 ==External links==
-*[http://nick4senate.com/ Nick Freitas Senate campaign website]
+* [https://www.nickforva.com/ U.S. House campaign website]
-*[http://www.vpap.org/candidates/255076-nick-freitas/ Nick Freitas] at the Virginia Public Access Project
+* [http://www.vpap.org/candidates/255076-nick-freitas/ Nick Freitas] at the Virginia Public Access Project
+* [https://www.c-span.org/person/?115685/NickFreitas Appearances] on [[C-SPAN]]
+{{s-start}}
+{{s-par|us-va-hs}}
+{{s-bef|before=[[Edward T. Scott|Ed Scott]]}}
+{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[Virginia House of Delegates]]<br />from the [[Virginia's 30th House of Delegates district|30th]] district|years=2016–present}}
+{{s-inc}}
+{{s-end}}
 {{Virginia House of Delegates}}
+{{Authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Freitas, Nicholas}}
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 [[Category:21st-century American politicians]]
 [[Category:21st-century Protestants]]
-[[Category:American gun rights advocates]]
+[[Category:United States Army personnel of the Iraq War]]
+[[Category:American gun rights activists]]
 [[Category:American libertarians]]
 [[Category:American Protestants]]
+[[Category:Candidates in the 2018 United States Senate elections]]
 [[Category:Christian libertarians]]
+[[Category:Christians from Virginia]]
 [[Category:Members of the United States Army Special Forces]]
-[[Category:American army personnel of the Iraq War]]
+[[Category:Republican Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates]]
-[[Category:Members of the Virginia House of Delegates]]
 [[Category:People from Chico, California]]
 [[Category:People from Culpeper County, Virginia]]
-[[Category:United States Army soldiers]]
+[[Category:United States Army non-commissioned officers]]
-[[Category:Virginia Republicans]]
+[[Category:American people of Portuguese descent]]
+[[Category:Candidates in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections]]

v t e Members of the Virginia House of Delegates
162nd General Assembly (2024−2026) Speaker of the House Don Scott (D) Majority Leader Charniele Herring (D) Minority Leader Todd Gilbert (R)
▌Patrick Hope (D) ▌Adele McClure (D) ▌Alfonso Lopez (D) ▌Charniele Herring (D) ▌Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D) ▌Rip Sullivan (D) ▌Karen Keys-Gamarra (D) ▌Irene Shin (D) ▌Karrie Delaney (D) ▌Dan Helmer (D) ▌David Bulova (D) ▌Holly Seibold (D) ▌Marcus Simon (D) ▌Vivian Watts (D) ▌Laura Jane Cohen (D) ▌Paul Krizek (D) ▌Mark Sickles (D) ▌Kathy Tran (D) ▌Rozia Henson (D) ▌Michelle Maldonado (D) ▌Josh Thomas (D) ▌Ian Lovejoy (R) ▌Candi King (D) ▌Luke Torian (D) ▌Briana Sewell (D) ▌Kannan Srinivasan (D) ▌Atoosa Reaser (D) ▌David Reid (D) ▌Marty Martinez (D) ▌Geary Higgins (R) ▌Delores Riley Oates (R) ▌Bill Wiley (R) ▌Todd Gilbert (R) ▌Tony Wilt (R) ▌Chris Runion (R) ▌Ellen Campbell (R) ▌Terry Austin (R) ▌Sam Rasoul (D) ▌Will Davis (R) ▌Joe McNamara (R) ▌Chris Obenshain (R) ▌Jason Ballard (R) ▌Will Morefield (R) ▌Israel O'Quinn (R) ▌Terry Kilgore (R) ▌Jed Arnold (R) ▌Wren Williams (R) ▌Eric Phillips (R) ▌Danny Marshall (R) ▌Tommy Wright (R) ▌Eric Zehr (R) ▌Wendell Walker (R) ▌Tim Griffin (R) ▌Katrina Callsen (D) ▌Amy Laufer (D) ▌Tom Garrett (R) ▌David Owen (R) ▌Rodney Willett (D) ▌Buddy Fowler (R) ▌Scott Wyatt (R) ▌Michael Webert (R) ▌Nick Freitas (R) ▌Phillip Scott (R) ▌Paul Milde (R) ▌Joshua G. Cole (D) ▌Bobby Orrock (R) ▌Hillary Pugh Kent (R) ▌Keith Hodges (R) ▌Chad Green (R) ▌Shelly Simonds (D) ▌Amanda Batten (R) ▌Lee Ware (R) ▌Mark Earley Jr. (R) ▌Mike Cherry (R) ▌Carrie Coyner (R) ▌Debra Gardner (D) ▌Michael Jones (D) ▌Betsy B. Carr (D) ▌Rae Cousins (D) ▌Destiny Levere Bolling (D) ▌Delores McQuinn (D) ▌Kim Taylor (R) ▌Otto Wachsmann (R) ▌Nadarius Clark (D) ▌Marcia Price (D) ▌A.C. Cordoza (R) ▌Jeion Ward (D) ▌Don Scott (D) ▌Baxter Ennis (R) ▌Jay Leftwich (R) ▌Cliff Hayes (D) ▌Bonita Anthony (D) ▌Jackie Glass (D) ▌Phil Hernandez (D) ▌Alex Askew (D) ▌Kelly Convirs-Fowler (D) ▌Michael Feggans (D) ▌Barry Knight (R) ▌Anne Ferrell Tata (R) ▌Robert Bloxom Jr. (R)
▌Democratic (51) ▌Republican (49) Virginia General Assembly House Senate List of past Assemblies