Corey Stewart facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Corey Stewart
Chair of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors
In office December 4, 2006 – December 31, 2019
Preceded by	Sean Connaughton
Succeeded by	Ann Wheeler
Occoquan District Supervisor
In office November 6, 2003 – December 4, 2006
Preceded by	Ruth Griggs
Succeeded by	Michael May
Personal details
Born	Corey Alan Stewart (1968-08-01) August 1, 1968 (age 57) Duluth, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Maria Stewart
Children	2
Residence	Bel Air, Virginia
Education	St. Olaf College Georgetown University (BS) William Mitchell College of Law (JD)

Corey Alan Stewart (born August 1, 1968) is an American politician and lawyer. He was a member of the Republican Party and was known for his very conservative political views. From 2006 to 2019, he was the chairman of the Board of Supervisors for Prince William County, Virginia.

Stewart became well-known for his strong support of President Donald Trump. He also gained national attention for his tough stance on immigration and his support for keeping historical symbols of the Confederacy.

In 2018, he was the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Virginia but lost the election to the Democratic candidate, Tim Kaine. In 2019, Stewart announced he was retiring from politics.

Political Career in Prince William County

Elections

Stewart was first elected as chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors in a special election in 2006. He won with 53% of the vote. He was re-elected to this position in 2007, 2011, and 2015. He decided not to run for re-election in 2019.

Focus on Immigration

In 2007, Stewart led the county board to pass a new rule about immigration. The rule allowed police to check the immigration status of anyone they stopped. The goal was to reduce the number of immigrants living in the county without official permission.

The county also limited some public services for these immigrants. A year later, the law was changed. It then required police to arrest someone for a crime before they could check their immigration status. A documentary film called 9500 Liberty was made about these events in the county.

State and National Campaigns

2016 Trump Presidential Campaign

In 2015, Donald Trump chose Stewart to be the chairman of his presidential campaign in Virginia. Stewart was a very vocal supporter of Trump. He continued to support Trump even when other Republicans did not.

In October 2016, Stewart took part in a protest against the Republican National Committee (RNC), which is the main organizing group for the Republican Party. Because of this, the Trump campaign fired him from his role as state chairman. Even after being fired, he continued to support Trump.

2017 Campaign for Governor of Virginia

In 2016, Stewart announced he would run for governor of Virginia. During his campaign, he became known for his strong conservative views. He also gained attention for his support of Confederate monuments and symbols.

Stewart said that taking down Confederate statues was like the destruction of historical sites by terrorist groups. He often said that these symbols were part of Virginia's heritage and not about racism.

He narrowly lost the Republican nomination to Ed Gillespie. Stewart received 42.5% of the vote, while Gillespie received 43.7%.

2018 U.S. Senate Campaign

Stewart speaking at a political conference.

In 2017, Stewart announced he would run for the U.S. Senate. He wanted to challenge the current senator, Democrat Tim Kaine. Stewart promised to run a "vicious, ruthless race."

He won the Republican primary in June 2018. However, some Republican leaders worried that his strong statements would hurt other Republican candidates. A former Republican lieutenant governor, Bill Bolling, said he was very disappointed that Stewart won the nomination.

During the campaign, Stewart made several controversial statements. He also received support from groups with views that were considered extreme by many people.

In the general election on November 6, 2018, Stewart lost to Tim Kaine. Stewart received 41% of the vote, while Kaine received 57%.

Later Career

After his Senate campaign, Stewart became the head of a political group called Keeping America Great. The group's goal was to support President Trump and other conservative Republicans.

In November 2020, near the end of the Trump administration, Stewart was appointed to a position in the U.S. Department of Commerce. He served as a deputy assistant secretary for export administration.

Personal Life

Stewart was born in Duluth, Minnesota. His father was a longshoreman, and his mother was a homemaker. He was the first person in his family to graduate from college. He earned degrees from Georgetown University and the William Mitchell College of Law.

After law school, he moved to Virginia and began working as an international trade lawyer. He met his wife, Maria, who is from Sweden, while he was teaching English in Japan. They have two sons.