John Thomas

Meet John Thomas

A lifelong resident of Chesterfield County, John still lives in the same house in which he grew up. A proud graduate of L.C. Bird High School, he spent his life working hard, staying grounded in his community, and answering the call to serve in both civilian and federal capacities. With deep experience in the grocery retail industry, John knows firsthand the value of hard work and the everyday challenges facing working families. But his professional background goes far beyond the checkout line. John also served as a contractor for the U.S. Government, working directly with the U.S. Army, Provost Marshal's Office (PMO), Military Police, and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). His work took him from Fort Lee, Virginia to Adak, Alaska and Honolulu, Hawaii — including time deployed at sea aboard the SBX-1 Vessel, a key part of America's missile defense system. In these roles, John worked side by side with defense industry leaders like Boeing, Raytheon, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. He also received advanced tactical training from Blackwater USA. Back home, John spent five years in ATF compliance, processing federal ATF Form 4473s and Virginia State Forms SP-65, ensuring legal and accurate firearm transactions, working with BATFE with any required paperwork was as needed for firearm traces, and was a certified Glock factory armorer. John also has a family legacy of public service—one of his relatives served in the Virginia House of Delegates during most of the 1940s.