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About John
John Quincy Smith of King George County is running to represent the 67th District of the Virginia House of Delegates. John was raised in a working-class family in Ohio. Following military service that included a deployment to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam conflict, the GI Bill helped him to earn a Ph.D. in history from Ohio State. He continued to serve as a Department of Defense civilian with the U.S. Air Force as an historian with assignments in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. and deployments to Southwest Asia. After retiring from the role of Air Force Senior Historian, he and his wife, Grace, moved to King George County where Grace has worked as a special education teacher for the King George County school district. John and his wife, proud parents and grandparents, are strong supporters of public education. They are active in a local church, where John sings in the choir. |
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Motivated to serve
John’s military service as a Vietnam veteran set the stage for his subsequent career. Because of his deployed service as a DoD civilian historian, he was awarded the Global War On Terrorism Civilian Service Medal. He later chaired the Air Force’s Vietnam Commemoration working group, to educate service members and the public about airmen’s role in the Vietnam conflict and ensure the widest possible recognition of Vietnam veterans of all services. John’s background and experience has provided him with a perspective that he believes can help the people of the 67th HD district. He believes in service, public education, and veteran advocacy. Communication is mostly listening
His career as a DoD historian--interviewing commanders, senior leaders, airmen, and soldiers to document contemporary operations--and his life experiences have emphasized the importance of being a listener, and he intends to listen to the people of this district and hopes to represent them effectively in Richmond. |
Combining service with fun
Music has been a part of John’s entire life. While living in Ankara, Turkey, he co-starred in the air station’s production of Godspell, with sell-out performances to the base family and the Ankara community, along with a free performance to deployed troops at a remote location. Soon after, he organized and sang with a barbershop quartet, performing at the Officer’s Club and the U.S. Embassy in Ankara. A member of the Barbershop Harmony Society, John sang with the award-winning Alexandria Harmonizers. Later singing with the Southern Mix chorus in La Plata, Maryland, John coached a student a cappella group at Chopticon High School. |
Running For Delegate…To Listen To, Serve, And Represent You!
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John's campaign has been awarded the 2023 Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate distinction.