route to a 17–3 win; Rouse was designated the game MVP. Political career In 2018, Rouse ran for an at-large seat on the Virginia Beach City Council. There were six candidates running for two seats. Rouse got the most votes and was elected alongside incumbent councilman John Moss. On February 27, 2020, Rouse announced he would run for mayor in the November election, facing incumbent Bobby Dyer. On May 30, 2020, he announced that he was dropping out of the race citing the coronavirus pandemic as the reason for ending his campaign. On March 14, 2022, Rouse announced he would be running for the Virginia State Senate in newly formed district 22 in the 2023 election. Following the racial unrest in the summer of 2020 Rouse gave a speech in which he compared modern American police to slave patrols. After Jen Kiggans was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, Rouse became a candidate to succeed her in Virginia's 7th Senate district in the January 2023 special election. Rouse, a Democrat, defeated Republican Kevin H. Adams on January 10, 2023, to become the district's senator-elect, flipping the seat. Fundraising Due to the state-wide dynamics in Virginia, the special election also drew in lots of outside spending, including $100,000 from Planned Parenthood of Virginia on behalf of Rouse. Electoral history References External links Legislative profile at the Virginia General Assembly Virginia Tech Hokies bio Ballotpedia bio 1984 births 21st-century American politicians Living people Politicians from Virginia Beach, Virginia Sportspeople from Virginia Beach, Virginia Players of American football from Virginia American football safeties Virginia Tech Hokies football players Green Bay Packers players New York Giants players Arizona Cardinals players Omaha Nighthawks players Virginia Destroyers players Democratic Party Virginia state senators Virginia city council members 21st-century African-American politicians African-American state legislators in Virginia African-American city council members in Virginia