Gary Pan on Local Issues

Keeping Virginians safe and healthy, prioritizing vaccines to those who need them, and addressing youth mental health issues are Gary's top priorities. Youth mental health is another casualty of COVID-19, and Gary has listened to dozens of parents concerned with their child's development. Investing in awareness, resources and counselors to address mental health will be critical to avoiding a lost generation of Virginians.

Getting kids back to school is essential - every child deserves the opportunity to receive quality, in-person education. Too many students in Northern Virginia have received unequal treatment because too many politicians and bureaucrats have failed to follow the science and reopen schools safely. Gary is committed to expanding educational opportunities and will work with anyone to ensure schools and parents are equipped to do what's best for their students. Gary believes that in order to attract businesses to our area and to build a strong and diversified economy in Northern Virginia, we must have a strong education system. Gary will bring a greater focus to early childhood development, reducing class size for students at overcrowded schools, and fighting for more funding for local higher educational institutions.

Admission process - Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

Merit and academic talent must be the admission standard for this renowned institution. No student who works hard, spends late nights studying, and devotes themselves to academic achievement should face discrimination. The lottery system designed to tip the scale against gifted children prevents the next generation of Virginia leaders from reaching their full potential and disproportionately punishes the Asian American community. Gary won't stand for discrimination in education.

Advance Studies Options for Students

VDE believes that there are too many Asian students taking advanced classes, and they have set out to make the pool more diverse. Instead of taking measures to ensure children of all races thrive in school, they would rather remove the opportunity for success altogether, providing mediocrity for all. My grandparents brought my family here from China 65 years ago, fleeing communism to give us a better life. They came to the land of opportunity, of freedom, to achieve the American Dream - and did. Yet today, my parents can barely recognize the America they came to. Our Democratic leaders in Richmond would rather sink some ships so that others may float. We need a new approach in Virginia, one that lifts up everyone and leaves no student behind.

Rebuilding Virginia's economy will require leadership that understands job creation. A successful business leader, Gary has real-world experience in creating jobs, balancing budgets and fueling economic growth. He recognizes that higher taxes, more regulations and confusing restrictions are not the answer Gary sees the potential for Northern Virginia to serve as the Commonwealth's economic engine, leading the nation in technology and energy innovation, and knows quality public education and strong transportation infrastructure will help us get there.

Gary supports the men and women in law enforcement who keep our families safe. Ensuring officers have the training and resources needed to best serve every community, Gary will be a strong advocate for law enforcement in Richmond and will oppose extreme efforts to defund the police.

Fixing our transportation problems must be a priority in Richmond. Gary will fight to ensure that our community finally gets its fair share of transportation funding and develop smarter approaches to alleviate traffic. We need to expand and improve public transit and to reduce commute times across the entire district.

As Troop 55’s Scoutmaster, Gary has taught hundreds of young men and women the value of conservation, protection and preservation of nature and our environment for future generations. In Richmond, he will fight for these same principles. From conservation to stormwater management to addressing our recycling problem, Gary will fight to protect the environment in Northern Virginia. Doing what is right for today and for the future has always been Gary’s number one priority, and he will continue to fight for our environment in Richmond.

Gary is concerned about the rising cost of healthcare and prescription medication. Gary will focus on finding ways to introduce more competition in the healthcare market so we can drive down costs and receive better care. Gary also believes we must protect those with preexisting conditions so they can get access to the care they deserve.

The opioid epidemic has become a growing issue in our community. We need to educate the public and the medical community on better and safer prevention and treatment practices. In Richmond, Gary will fight to ensure that there is a greater level of youth mental health awareness and resources available to help those in need. Additionally, we need to address the growing concern around human trafficking so that all Virginians can enjoy their basic human rights.