Adam Cook of Fredricksburg, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland, in Virginia's 1st Congressional District, announced Tuesday that he is suspending his campaign for two weeks starting next week for his annual tour of duty in the Air Force Reserves.
Cook who is a major in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and an Afghan War veteran will report to Dover, Delaware July 23 to begin his yearly tour.
“I understand that this may not be ideal for my campaign, but I decided to run for office because I believe that service is more important than politics, and I want my campaign decisions to reflect that," Cook said. "With so few veterans in public service, I think it’s especially important for those of us who are running for office to live up to our obligations and our military values. Putting on a uniform and performing my duties will allow me to stay in touch with the needs and priorities of vets and military families across the country."
Cook could have gotten a waiver to opt out of this years commitment because he did a voluntary deployment to Afghanistan last year.
All campaign functions, including fund raising and voter outreach, will be completely shutdown during the candidates time in Delaware, according to the Cook campaign. Campaign operations will resume following Cook's service, he said.
Is Wittman suspending his campaign? What is his military service background?
Posted by: John | Thursday, July 19, 2012 at 12:18 PM