Andy Parker, father of TV reporter killed during live broadcast, announces run for Congress

The father of a journalist who was killed on-air during a live report in 2015 has announced he is running for office.

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Alison Parker was a reporter at WDBJ when she and photojournalist Adam Ward were shot and killed by a former coworker in 2015.

Alison’s father, Andy Parker, announced his run, telling CBS News he wanted to honor his daughter. “This district is not being represented the way it should be. Since Alison was killed, I’ve always tried to honor her life through action. Given the atmosphere we face now, this is the time to jump in and make a difference,” Parker told CBS News.

Parker is running as a Democrat in Virginia’s 5th district, which is currently represented by Republican Bob Good, a man who Parker called the “Marjorie Taylor Greene of Virginia,” CBS News reported.

Parker became an advocate for gun legislation after his daughter’s death, urging Virginia to change its laws and targeting Republicans opposed to legislation, The Washington Post reported. But Parker said gun violence will not be the focal point of his congressional campaign.

For years, Parker has been fighting YouTube, Facebook and other social media platforms in an effort to get videos of Alison’s murder removed. Now, Parker told The Washington Post he is hoping to take on Big Tech and change a law that shields social media from accountability. “I’m running for Congress to limit the influence of giant tech companies and billionaires. To make the internet safer for kids and families and make the economy fairer for everyone,” Parker told WFXR.

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