In 2019, Hurt was asked to concurrently work as dean of the Helms School of Government at Liberty University.

Prior to his election to the Virginia General Assembly in 2001, Hurt served on the Chatham Town Council and as chief assistant commonwealth's attorney for Pittsylvania County.

In 1986, Henry wrote a book questioning the findings of the Warren Commission called Reasonable Doubt: An Investigation into the Assassination of John F.

[6] Hurt was raised in Chatham, Virginia, attended Hargrave Military Academy and graduated from Episcopal High School in Alexandria.

[20] Hurt campaigned against Democratic incumbent Tom Perriello and Independent candidate Jeffrey Clark in the general election.

Although the statement was made in response to a direct query from a reporter as to whether he would debate Clark, Hurt's campaign later tried to justify their position by insisting this was untrue.

[29][30] Hurt campaigned on his opposition to the Democratic-backed initiatives that Perriello supported, such as health-care reform, the economic stimulus package and clean energy legislation.

The ad stated that he would fight tax increases, stop Washington's spending and start creating jobs, however he never mentioned his opponents.

"[32] Another ad from Hurt called Perriello a "rubber stamp" for the policies of President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Virgil Goode, who represented the district from 1997 to 2009, was originally elected as a Democrat, and only joined the GOP in 2002 after serving as an independent from 2000 to 2002.

Hurt was challenged by Democratic nominee John Douglass, a retired United States Air Force Brigadier General and former Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

[35] Hurt voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which successfully passed the House.

[36] In February, Hurt criticized President Barack Obama's $3.73 trillion 2012 federal budget proposal for its excessive spending and borrowing.

[41] On August 1, Hurt voted for the Budget Control Act of 2011 that raised the debt ceiling and cut spending by $2.1 trillion over the next 10 years.

[44] Hurt strongly opposed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's 2009 proposed "Cap-and Trade" climate control legislation.

[45] Hurt opposed the Affordable Care Act, saying "The President's health care law represents a fundamental departure from the founding principles of our nation by placing more faith in government than in the American people and by inserting the federal government in between patients and their doctors.