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Our local election picks
We believe the status quo is the way to go this election season.In the four local contested races for General Assembly delegate slots, the Times-Mirror endorses the candidate with statewide experience in each of those races.
Our picks include Robert Marshall, David Poisson, Chuck Caputo and Tom Rust -- all incumbents.
Here are our choices and why:
13th District: While we don't agree with Republican Robert Marshall's stand on some social issues, he's a battler for John and Jane Q. Public. In Loudoun, he was instrumental -- along with U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf -- in getting the Aldie roundabouts constructed; he also helped to widen Route 28 to eight lanes and construct 10 interchanges from Route 7 to I-66. He refuses to budge on some issues, which alienates him from fellow party members, and has had several of his proposed bills shot down. But Marshall deserves a 10th term against an opponent who lacks statewide legislative experience. John Bell -- the Democratic challenger from South Riding -- has focused his campaign on Virginia's budget crisis, and rightfully so, but he's a long shot in this race.
32nd District: Poisson, a Democrat, gets high marks for his efforts in higher education. His help in opening a second entrance/exit to the Loudoun campus of Northern Virginia Community College eased congestion on Route 7 and got faculty, staff and students home and to class that much quicker. He also sponsored legislation guaranteeing students who graduate at the top of their class and are honorably discharged from the military the right to attend any public college in Virginia they choose. And he has one of the highest pro-business ratings in the General Assembly.
Republican challenger Thomas "Tag" Greason offers good ideas, especially to the business community, but Poisson's attention to local issues strikes a strong chord with us and with voters.
67th District: Two years ago, Democrat Chuck Caputo earned our endorsement based largely on his ability to listen to constituents and act on their concerns in Richmond. Fortunately for the 65,000 folks living in the 67th District, that hasn't changed. Caputo, who has called Chantilly home for more than 40 years, has helped secure funding for several key transportation projects, including the widening of U.S. 50 from Fairfax into Loudoun and a handful of other connections that helped keep traffic moving in his district. Caputo has also been a friend to students, business owners and those grappling with mental health issues. We like a lot of the things Republican challenger Jim LeMunyon has said about bringing business to Northern Virginia and fixing transportation, but we feel strongly that Caputo remains the right person to represent the district. 86th District: By using his influence and perseverance on HB 3202, Rust put his political life on the line to try to get a meaningful transportation bill through Richmond. The Virginia Supreme Court in March 2008 declared parts of the bill unconstitutional, but we give Rust an "A" for trying. He also worked hard to get jurisdictions to increase penalties for zoning violations, a key tool in the ongoing fight against residential overcrowding. The experience of Democratic challenger Stevens Miller, just two years into being a Loudoun supervisor, pales in comparison to Rust's more than 30 years of public service.
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Do you still feel Dave Poisson is the best person to represent the 32nd district? Have you received any information in the mail that explains why you should vote for him? All I see is a person engaged in Duke lacrosse style smear campaign against his opponent that he will conveniently apologize for AFTER the election (it's how Chicago-style Democrats work). Given the choice of voting FOR somebody vs. voting AGAINST somebody else, I'm betting Loudoun voters will vote for the candidate with the positive message, not the candidate with the message that seems scraped from the bottom of the Hidden Lane landfill.
Posted by fmorriso
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