Democrat and Republican Targeted Races
As funds continue to pour in before each reporting period, the excitement is mounting within the campaigns for the 100 seats up for grabs in the Virginia House of Delegates. This year, up from previous elections, 68 of the 100 seats will be contested. Key issues like the economy and health care will become lines in the sand and candidates will be forced to take a side. The outcome of the elections may be easily predictable in certain areas, but democrats and republicans alike have targeted a number of districts and are going in strong for the win. These hotly contested districts will be battle grounds over the next few months as democrats struggle to gain the majority in the House of Delegates, and republicans fight to keep their only stronghold in the legislature. Below is a list of the most contentious races where both parties are trying to pick up seats.
Currently Republican Controlled:
42nd District: The race for the 42nd House District seat in Fairfax County will likely be one of the most expensive state level in the nation. The democrats have fought hard to gain control of the last red district near the Beltway but have not been able to defeat incumbent David Albo, who has been consecutively reelected since 1993. Albo was born in Springfield, and is tremendously familiar with the workings of the DC metro area. Before running for office, he opened his law practice and became president of the West Springfield Civic Association. Greg Werkheiser (D-Fairfax), who lost to Albo in 2005 by only 1,000 votes, is back this year for a rematch. Werkheiser worked as an attorney and has started a non-profit to help Virginians in need. Both campaigns plan to raise over $1,000,000. Albo predicts he will hang on to his seat because of this close ties to the Springfield area, but Werkheiser argues that Albo is out of touch with his constituents and that Fairfax residents want to “complete the fight” and bring home the same party changes that were achieved statewide and nationally.
14th District: In light of the fact that the14th district in Danville has historically leaned right but voted democratic in 2008, Seward Anderson (D-Danville), has filed to run against incumbent Danny Marshall (R-Danville) in hopes of continuing the trend. Anderson is a Danville native and has served on the Danville City Council and as Mayor of Danville. While speaking at the Danville-Pittsylvania County Veterans Memorial, Anderson stressed the need for financial aid for active service members and ensuring that their homes will not be foreclose. Delegate Marshall, also a former member of the Danville City Council and past president of a concrete company, responded criticizing Anderson’s negligence in addressing all Virginians in financial trouble. Anderson, who is now a financial advisor for Wachovia, touts his economic background and emphasizes that strengthening the local economy would be one of his main objectives should he win.
6th District: Virginia native Anne B. Crockett-Stark (R-Wytheville) will be challenged by Carole Pratt (D-Pulaski) for her 6th District seat. Crockett-Stark was the first woman elected to the Wytheville Town Council in 1978. She also became the first female Chairperson of the Board of Supervisors before running for the House in 2005. Pratt, who served as president of the Pulaski County Chamber and who was born and raised in southwestern Virginia, claims one of her main reasons for filing to run is the House Republicans’ rejection of $125,000,000 in stimulus money that would have helped mitigate the sting of unemployment. House Republicans have argued that the conditions of the stimulus would create a future unfunded mandate that the state would ultimately have to pay. As starkly republican as the 6th District is, voting 61% voting for McCain and only 37% for Obama, the suffering economic climate may affect this election.
86th District: 86th District incumbent Tom Rust (R-Fairfax) faces a tough race against Stevens Miller in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties where the vote has been overwhelmingly democratic in the past three election cycles. Rust served as the Mayor of Herndon for 19 years before running for the House in 2002. Miller was elected to the Board of Supervisors in November 2007 and currently represents the Dulles District and is chairman of the Board of Supervisors’ Public Safety/Human Services Committee, among his many other political achievements. A key issue in this race will be the transportation needs of the Dulles area. Miller has criticized Rust’s solutions as “gimmicky” and strongly supports the metro extending to Dulles. While Rust is still leading in fundraising, both sides are proving to have a fair shot at this seat come November.
50th District: Jackson Miller (R- Manassas), a lifelong resident of Northern Virginia and former police officer, has been a member of the House since 2006. After working to sponsor seven bills that are scheduled to become law over the next year, including one which protects emergency personnel from infectious diseases while they are on the job, Miller faces another challenge. Jeanette Richell (D-Manassas) will run against him this fall for the 50th District seat. Richell, who worked in the financial services industry, has promised to help recommit the General Assembly to education, public safety and health care. With Miller’s proven devotion to health care and public safety and Richells spoken commitment, both candidates will need to go face-to-face with constituents explaining and defending their stances on the issues.
Currently Democratically Controlled:
51st District: Virginia native Rich Anderson (R-Prince William) retired in 2009 after serving 30 years in the United States Air Force he has filed to run for the 51st House District seat in Prince William County against incumbent Paul Nichols (D-Prince William). Nichols, who is an attorney and a self-defined moderate, has emphasized his loyalty to the people of the 51st District and getting their needs met. After only two years in the Virginia House, he faces a tough race against Anderson, who is only slightly behind him in fundraising totals.
38th District: After a tough battle in the primary, Bob Hull lost his 38th House District seat to Kaye Kory (D-Fairfax). Kory served on the Fairfax County School Board, winning three elections by some of the largest margins for Democrats across the County. A true activist, she has set her agenda to span issues surrounding health care, education, and the environment. Her opponent, Danny Smith (R-Fairfax) began his career in politics when he was only 15. He served two presidential appointments under Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush and is working to bring his national experience home to Fairfax. Smith is honing in on transportation and education and says that the people of the Fairfax “deserve better.”
83rd District: Very rarely does a democrat win in the republican saturated 83rd District of Hampton Roads. Should it happen, as it did with Barack Obama, it is only likely to be by a paper-thin margin. Incumbent Joe Bouchard won here by only 131 votes in 2007. Bouchard served as the commanding officer at the Norfolk Naval Base for three years before running for office. Republicans are now waiting in the rafters to pounce on this district and win it back. A doctor and Virginia Beach native Chris Stolle (R) has been chosen as the candidate to lead the fight and win back the seat. Stolle’s brother, Ken Stolle, is a Senator for the Virginia Beach area. As the Stolle pack moves towards Election Day, the race will undoubtedly become increasingly competitive for Bouchard.
34th District: The 34th district in Northern Virginia is historically a swing district as it encompasses two politically opposing areas: Great Falls (usually conservative) and McLean (usually liberal). Incumbent Margi Vanderhye (D-McLean) is known in the House as slightly-left and solutions oriented. She has served on the Northern Virginia Transportation Society as well as several other organizations as an activist and civic leader. Her competitor, Barbara Comstock (R-McLean), has lived in McLean for over 20 years and worked as an attorney under the Bush Administration. Comstock’s ties to Bush politics could be a burden serving to tarnish her record; however, her close connections to the National GOP might override what may be a hiccup on her resume.
23rd District: The 23rd District of Lynchburg is almost equally balanced between conservatives, democrats and moderates. Shannon Valentine (D-Lynchburg) is known for her work with Neighborhood Development in the inner city and her work with Habitat for Humanity. While in office, Valentine has worked to increase train service to Lynchburg and increase business potential. Professionally, she served as Director of Media Relations, Director of Public Relations and Associate Vice President of Corporate Communications for Equifax and its nine operating companies in Atlanta before moving to Lynchburg in 1990. She was elected during a 2006 special election and is now facing off against republican Scott Garrett. Garrett is a Lynchburg native and currently sits on the City Council. Additionally, he is a retired surgeon with continued service to the Johnson Health Center, the Free Clinic of Central Virginia, the Lynchburg Health Department and the Central Virginia Training Center. His Christian conservative stance on issues may serve as a liability for him in this swing district.
Candidates, staff, and volunteers will hit the streets for the next phases of their grassroots campaign operations in the upcoming months handing out literature, discussing issues, and making sure the constituents meet their candidate. The races will get hotter as the Elephant and the Donkey battle it out for who will take control of the Virginia House of Delegates on November 3rd, 2009.