Arthur G. Purves, a Republican from Vienna, is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Virginia's 11th Congressional District in the Nov. 3 general election.

The district, which includes Reston, is also contested by James R. Walkinshaw, the Democratic candidate, and Dianne L. Blais, the Green Party candidate, according to BallotReady election data.

Purves is certified for the ballot.

Candidate information

Purves grew up in Washington, D.C., and moved to Vienna in 1976 with his late wife, Carol, according to his campaign website. He said he worked as a computer programmer for 40 years and is now retired. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania, according to his campaign website. He also earned a master of business administration degree and a master's degree in systems engineering from the university, both conferred in 1976, according to BallotReady profile data.

Purves said he belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He said he holds a General Class amateur radio license with the call sign KQ4AXT and was elected to the Order of the Arrow, a Boy Scouts honor society.

Experience and public service

Purves has run in seven prior general elections, according to his campaign website. Those races include school board in 1995 and 2003, county chairman as an independent against Kate Hanley in 1999, delegate in 2007, Republican candidate for county chairman against Sharon Bulova in 2015, state senate against Janet Howell in 2019 and county chairman against Jeff McKay in 2023.

He has served as president of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance since 1996 and as treasurer of the Fairfax Committee of 100 since 2010, according to BallotReady profile data.

Purves said he served on several Fairfax County Public Schools advisory committees between 1991 and 2003, covering family life education, student success and professional technical studies. He said he was a member of the Hunter Mill Citizen Budget Committee in 2013 and the Fairfax County Meals Tax Task Force in 2014.

He also said he has been a member of the League of Women Voters and the Fairfax branch of the NAACP, served as an election officer and volunteered as a scoutmaster and an ESL and computer basics instructor.

On the issues

Federal spending: Purves said on his campaign website that the federal government can reduce its deficit without cutting programs by addressing chronic disease through diet reform. He said the federal government spends $2 trillion a year on medical care and that 90% of that spending goes to chronic disease, much of which he attributes to ultra-processed food.

Climate change: Purves said the climate is warming but that it is not a crisis. He said he opposes Democratic policies that raise gas prices to combat what he called an unproven global warming crisis. He disclosed that his retirement income includes significant income from oil.

Education and school choice: Purves said public schools perpetuate poverty and that competition will improve schools more than money. He said he supports school vouchers for students who leave public school for private school or home-schooling. He also said he supports placing the Ten Commandments in public schools.

Immigration: Purves said he supports vetting immigrants before entry to prevent drug and sex traffickers and gang members from entering the country.

Abortion: Purves said life begins at conception and that abortion always takes a life. He said he supports keeping abortion legal only in rare cases to save the mother's life. He opposes characterizing abortion as a fundamental right to reproductive freedom.

Candidate responses were drawn from Purves's campaign website. Policy positions represent the candidate's own stated views.