Israel Dean O'Quinn (born March 5, 1980) is an

American politician The politics of the United States function within a framework of a constitutional federal republic and presidential system, with three distinct branches that share powers. These are: the U.S. Congress which forms the legislative branch, a bi ...

. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, he was elected to the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-number ...

in 2011. He the 5th district, made up of the cities of

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

and

Galax ''Galax'', the wandplant, wandflower, or beetleweed, is a genus in the flowering plant family Diapensiaceae, containing a single species, ''Galax urceolata'' ( syn. ''G. rotundifolia'', ''G. aphylla''). It is native to the southeastern United S ...

, Grayson County, and parts of Smyth and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

counties in the southwestern part of the state.

Early life, education, business career

O'Quinn graduated from Patrick Henry High School; he went on to receive a B.A. degree in political science and history from

Emory and Henry College Emory & Henry College (E&H or Emory) is a private liberal arts college in Emory, Virginia. The campus comprises of Washington County, which is part of the Appalachian highlands of Southwest Virginia. Founded in 1836, Emory & Henry College is ...

in 2002. After graduation, he worked in the office of the

Attorney General of Virginia The attorney general of Virginia is an elected constitutional position that holds an executive office in the government of Virginia. Attorneys general are elected for a four-year term in the year following a presidential election. There are no ...

, Jerry Kilgore, and on several political campaigns. In 2006, he was hired by K-VA-T Food Stores, owners of the

K-VA-T Food City Food City is an American supermarket chain with stores located in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. It is owned by K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc., a privately held family and employee-owned corporation (13% via ESOP) headquartered ...

regional supermarket chain, and currently serves as Director of the company's Office of Strategic Initiatives, in addition to chairing the company's Energy Conservation Committee. O'Quinn is married to Emily Lauren Gentry, a corporate communications professional.

House of Delegates

In 2011, O'Quinn ran for the 5th district nomination when the incumbent, C. W. Carrico, decided to run for the

state senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

. He defeated

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

candidate Michael D. Osborne in the general election, with 12,166 votes to 5,338. In 2019, Osborne challenged O'Quinn for the Republican nomination for the 5th district, citing concerns with a casino proposed in Bristol and tolls on

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Isla ...

. O'Quinn introduced legislation in January 2019 that would allow residents of Bristol to vote in a referendums to allow a proposed casino to open and operate in the former Bristol Mall. O'Quinn defeated Osborne, with 2,449 votes to 721. O'Quinn ran unopposed in the November general election.

Electoral history

Notes

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:OQuinn, Israel 1980 births Living people Republican Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates Emory and Henry College alumni Politicians from Abingdon, Virginia 21st-century American politicians