NEW YORK – A new documentary that premiered at the end of October chronicles one Virginia delegate's journey from television journalist to politician.
"Virginia 12th" tells the story of delegate Chris Hurst's transformation from television anchor at WDBJ in Roanoke, to delegate for Virginia's 12th District. Hurst ran for public office two years after his girlfriend, WDBJ reporter Alison Parker, and photographer Adam Ward were shot and killed during a live, on-air interview in August 2015.
In a clip from the documentary in which Hurst announced he was leaving the television industry, he said, "I don't know what the future holds. I only know I'm being called to something greater." That greater calling turned out to be public service.
Hurst talked about his experiences and journey during an interview on NBC's "Today" show on Monday.
"What I tell people is that I go from just talking about the problems in our communities to now be able to come up with the solutions," Hurst said.
"Virginia 12th" documents Hurst's grassroots campaign and the community involvement that helped him get elected.
"It really is a testament, a tribute, a love story. It's a love story of Alison and me. It's a love story of me and the community and it's a love story with people getting involved and getting engaged with other people in their area around civics and around politics," Hurst said.
You can check out the trailer for "Virginia 12th" here and the full documentary here.