PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – Republican Gregory Lee Gorham won the GOP nomination for Virginia’s 21st House District on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, defeating two challengers in a three-way primary and setting up a November contest against incumbent Democrat Josh Thomas.

Gorham won 66.35% of the vote with 970 ballots cast in his favor. Sahar Smith finished second with 395 votes (27.02%), and Xanthe Larsen placed third with 97 votes (6.63%).

The outcome followed a weekend candidate forum hosted by the HOA Roundtable, a civic group focused on land use, transportation, school crowding, and development in western Prince William County. Gorham was the only Republican candidate to attend the June 14 forum.

“Every day in this campaign, miracles happen. I get smarter. I witness it,” Gorham said at the event. “I think I’ve got a lot of courage. I think I can demonstrate that by the things I’ve tried before.”

A Forum as a Job Interview

HOA Roundtable Chair Mac Haddow introduced the session as a “job interview” for the candidates. He criticized Smith and Larsen for not participating and noted the event’s focus on “specific issues that impact our communities,” especially the rapid expansion of data centers in the county.

“We believe that candidates have to be accountable for the decisions they make,” Haddow said. “Citizens have the right to be able to examine the candidates that are here for public office.”

Gorham’s Policy Agenda: Land Use, Ethics, and Utility Reform

Gorham devoted most of his remarks to data center oversight, campaign finance transparency, and how state legislation can support better local governance.

“Controlling data center sprawl” topped his campaign bullet points, Gorham said. “I want to come up with some different solutions.”

Gorham has opposed what he calls “non-disclosures that the county is being forced to sign,” adding that “I don’t see the necessity to keep these things as secret.” He said he would support stronger Freedom of Information Act laws and penalties for excessive secrecy in land use negotiations.

On campaign contributions, Gorham said:

“I would definitely support exploring” a ban on donations from companies with pending business before local or state boards. “There’s such a flexibility in what money can be done with their PACs… and it’s the quickest thing to get crushed.”

He also wants to block local governments from approving large projects like data centers before environmental reviews are completed. He criticized the Board of County Supervisors for approving the Prince William Digital Gateway project before completing a water impact study.

“I almost closed my eyes and saw Nancy Pelosi saying, ‘Let’s pass it and we’ll read the bill later,’” said Gorham.

Gorham also favors noise and air quality regulations targeting backup diesel generators at data centers.

“I’d like to see regular routine measurements of the air, the water, and so on,” he said. “If you tell [data center operators] with certainty what their requirements are, they will meet it.”

On Taxes: Repeal Car Tax, Replace It With Data Center Tax

Asked about repealing the car tax, Gorham said, “I would be in favor of joining my fellow Republicans in Richmond to repeal it… I definitely will go along.”

To replace the revenue, he proposed a new state tax on data centers:

“I’m all for not putting the cost of their folly on our backs,” he said. “They say we’ll get all these taxes, and they never materialize.”

He called the current method of taxing data centers “laughable” and “primitive,” citing depreciation loopholes and tax exemptions based on government tenants.

“They’re laughing themselves silly at these data center corporate offices,” said Gorham. “We have to find a way of being able to tell them no.”

Partisan Independence and Legislative Strategy

Though running as a Republican, Gorham said his campaign is rooted in local problem-solving.

“I’m going to vote with what’s right for the House District 21,” he told one attendee. “I am not looking to make this a forever job. I’m running for one term and we’ll see how that goes.”

Gorham said he planned to file legislation immediately if elected.

“When I win in November, I will have a month to get my legislation… ready to go the first week of December,” he said. “I’m not going to sit around like a typical freshman delegate and get nothing done.”

Thomas, has also made data center regulation a central issue of his term in office. In 2025, he sponsored House Bill 1601, which would have required applicants seeking to build new high-energy use facilities (HEUFs), such as data centers, to submit a site assessment examining impacts on nearby homes and schools, and potentially on water resources, agriculture, historic sites, and forests.

The bill preserved local zoning authority and exempted minor expansions of existing facilities. Though the legislation passed both chambers, Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed the bill.

Gorham described his opponent, Delegate Josh Thomas, as someone who “really doesn’t know the district” and who “sticks to party line issues.” Gorham specifically criticized Thomas’ handling of his bill on data center siting, saying the delegate should have accepted Governor Glenn Youngkin’s amendments instead of turning the bill into a political fight.

“They’re going to try doing the same things over and over again,” he said. “I want to do things that are going to pass and succeed.”

Gorham expressed interest in working across the aisle with Senator Danica Roem, a Democrat whose Senate district overlaps with House District 21.

“I think there’s a lot of things that Senator Roem and I agree on,” he said. “We could be very potent getting things done.”

Campaign Ethics and Conflict of Interest

Gorham pledged to remain independent from data center influence and challenged his former primary opponents to do the same.

“I have not signed a sales contract or any legal agreement that prevents me from fully discussing data centers,” Gorham said. “I have not signed a nondisclosure agreement, and I will not sign any nondisclosure agreement that will prevent me from fully engaging this data center subject in Richmond.”

He said he has no other conflicts of interest:

“I have all the money I need to live the rest of my life in comfort,” he said. “I’m not going to be vulnerable to someone throwing a sack of cash at my table.”

Voters will head to the polls on November 4, 2025, for the General Election. Early voting begins September 19 and continues until November 1, 2025.