Ted Hontz Announces Candidacy

Common Sense, Competence, Change

Edward B. "Ted" Hontz, a national defense expert, combat-decorated war veteran, and business and community leader in the Fredericksburg area, announced that he is running for Congress as a Democrat in Virginia's 1st Congressional District.

"America is off course, and it is time to turn this ship around," Hontz said.  "With a lifetime of experience and proven leadership in and out of uniform, I am prepared to tackle the country's difficult challenges with a bipartisan approach and bring real change to Washington."

Hontz is a former Navy Captain who spent 28 years serving his country.  A veteran of Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War, he was awarded a Legion of Merit and Bronze Star for Valor under fire while serving as commanding officer of the Aegis Cruiser USS Princeton during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.  He currently serves as vice president in charge of Navy operations at Basic Commerce and Industries, Inc., in Dahlgren, where he is an expert in ship combat systems.

A tireless advocate on behalf of jobs in the community, Hontz is also vice chairman of the Stafford County Economic Development Authority and serves on the Board of Directors of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce.  He helped found and was the first chair of the Chamber's Military Affairs Council, whose mission is to preserve and expand jobs at all three bases on the Fredericksburg region:  Fort A.P Hill, Dahlgren and Quantico.

Volunteering his time, Hontz successfully lobbied to overturn the Department of Defense's recommendation for a 10 percent cut at the Dahlgren base during the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process, saving 300 jobs.  He also played an integral role in winning support for the University of Mary Washington's upcoming graduate school at Dahlgren and helped pave the way for the recent transfer of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program office and its 300 defense-related jobs from Crystal City to Dahlgren.

Raised by parents who were teachers, Hontz graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1967.  He also earned an MBA from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., and a Masters Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., graduating with Highest Distinction.  His ongoing commitment to education includes service on the Board of Directors of the Germanna Community College Foundation, supporting the college and raising scholarship funds for students.

Despite frequent moves during his Navy career, Ted and his wife, Jackie, have lived and worked in Virginia for nearly 30 years, including more than a decade in the Hampton Roads area, 16 years in Stafford and King George counties and several years in Northern Virginia.  Hontz knows the concerns of the district and is especially sensitive to the pressures on military families who are making tremendous sacrifices under the current Administration's aggressive deployment schedules.

"This Administration and its supporters in Congress have lost sight of the values that make this country great and have squandered America's reputation around the world," Hontz said.  "It's time for competence and common-sense policies to prevail."

Putting principles before partisanship, Hontz is a fiscal conservative who favors a balanced budget and elimination of waste, fraud and abuse.  He is a strong advocate for the individual rights of all Americans, including women and minorities, as well as affordable healthcare for every family.  A conservationist, he believes it is important to protect the environment and preserve quality of life on land and along the district's waterways.

Hontz also favors innovative solutions to the district's seemingly intractable problems.  He believes the congested Virginia roads around our nation's Capitol and in the Hampton Roads area are a national security and homeland defense issue.  As a congressman, he will seek creative solutions to these critical problems.

Hontz also served on the staff of the chief of Naval Operations, where he worked with the Navy Office of Legislative Affairs to support and defend the Aegis program on Capitol Hill.  He later served as commanding officer of the Aegis Training Center in Dahlgren.

After leaving the Navy in 1995, Hontz became an active member of the King George Democrats and subsequently joined the Stafford Democratic Committee.  He and Jackie, both members of Trinity Episcopal Church in Fredericksburg, will celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary in December 2007.  They have two grown daughters, Jennifer and Gretchen, as well as a son, the late Ted Hontz, Jr.

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