House of Representatives: EndorsementsOctober 30, 2012 | The Richmond Times-Dispatch
On Wednesday, The Times-Dispatch endorsed the re-election of
Rep. Eric Cantor, R-7th. As majority leader in the U.S. House of
Representatives, Cantor ranks as the most consequential Republican in
Virginia history. The 7th includes precincts in Richmond's western half
as well as in portions of Henrico, Chesterfield, Caroline and
Spotsylvania. All of Hanover, Goochland and Louisa fall within its
confines. The district also claims counties that approach the Blue
Ridge. Today we examine the other House races that affect central
Virginia.
Virginia's 1st District includes Jamestown; it symbolically rates as
the nation's first district. The seat also abuts the Chesapeake.
Incumbent Republican Rob Wittman suits the interests
not only of his constituents but of the Bay itself. A marine scientist
by education and interest, Wittman brings a professional's perspective
to issues relating to the Bay. He is guided not by slogans but by
science. Regarding the Chesapeake, there is no representative more
important than he. Wittman also understands national security and
foreign policy. The Times-Dispatch endorses him.
Once upon a time the 3rd District corresponded to Metro Richmond.
After the 1990 Census, it was gerrymandered to create a
minority-majority district and now stretches from Richmond's eastern
half to Hampton Roads. Although Democrat Bobby Scott
won the first race in the redrawn seat and has represented it ever
since, the gerrymander benefitted Republicans more generally. Scott,
too, forms a comfortable fit for the 3rd. Democrats carry the district
with ease; Scott sits among the House's progressive members and will
hold the seat for as long as he desires.
The 4th covers a wide swath as it runs from Amelia and Powhatan
through Chesterfield and Petersburg to south Hampton Roads. Republican Randy Forbes
represents it. Forbes is outspoken on defense, an issue crucial to his
constituency. He infuses his political stands with religious values but
does not seem off-putting. Forbes earns high marks for communicating
with constituents. The Times-Dispatch believes he has served his
district well and supports his re-election.
The 5th District features much of Southside Virginia, a region of
great beauty that has not participated fully in the economic boom
experienced by the I-95/I-64 corridor. Republican Robert Hurt
is a native son; he understands his home. Hurt speaks calmly yet
candidly of the federal government's impact on economic growth. Taxation
and regulation adversely affect the small businesses that form his
district's backbone. Hurt distinguished himself in the Virginia General
Assembly with an independent streak; his temperament serves as a model
for others in a U.S. House peopled with Bonapartes. The Times-Dispatch
urges voters in the 5th to cast their ballots for him.
For Congress Re-elect Wittman, CantorOctober 29, 2012 | Free Lance StarWITH UNDER 15 percent of Americans approving of the way Congress
operates, "Trow da bums out!" may seem an appropriate response. But a
clean sweep wouldn't benefit voters in Virginia's 1st and 7th
congressional districts.
Rob Wittman of Montross has both a head for science and a heart for
politics. An environmental scientist with a Ph.D., he has earned his
political stripes from the bottom up, serving on the Montross Town
Council, as that town's mayor, as a member of the Westmoreland County
Board of Supervisors, and as a delegate in the General Assembly.
Elected to represent the 1st District in December 2007 to fill out the
term of the late Jo Ann Davis, Mr. Wittman now seeks his third term.
The 1st District stretches from Fauquier County all the way down to
Hampton Roads. Reliably Republican for 30 years, it is distinguished by
its strong military presence and its location near the economically
important and environmentally fragile Chesapeake Bay. A native of Westmoreland County, Mr. Wittman has a good grasp on both of these hallmark characteristics.
Serving on the Armed Services committee, he's well placed to guard
Virginia's military interests, especially the naval facilities of
Hampton Roads. And while fiscally prudent, he recognizes the importance
of cleaning up the Bay, sometimes opposing his party on the issue. No
Washington elitist, Mr. Wittman undertakes a daily commute that keeps
him in touch with the folks at home (and his district's traffic
problems). He has represented them well and deserves a return to
Washington.
Mr. Wittman's Democratic opponent is Adam Cook, a bright and
high-minded young man who should stay in politics regardless of what
happens Nov. 6. Our suggestion is to start locally à la Mr. Wittman.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to marry Marilyn Monroe, but it helps
to have a few dates first.
Republican U.S. House incumbents still getting the job doneOctober 24, 2012 | Bearing DriftWhen endorsing incumbents, either the challenger did not make the
case to remove the incumbent from office or the incumbent has made the
case for their return. With this view in mind, Bearing Drift recommends
that Virginia’s Republican incumbents clearly warrant a return to
Washington.
Rep. Rob Wittman (1st District)
Opposing the mistakes of the Obama Administration can be difficult, even
for a Republican. Far more difficult, however, is opposing the mistakes
of your own party’s Administration. Wittman has done both. During the
Obama Administration, he has opposed the stimulus debacle, the first
Obama budget, and Obamacare. Moreover, he also stood up to leaders of
both parties – including Obama and Bush – in opposing the bank bailout
(otherwise known as TARP). His determination to defend his constituents
from big government and big mistakes has given him added credibility
when protecting the military (and jobs in the district) from officials
who are unable to see the nature of our enemies through green
eye-shades.
Rep. Scott Rigell (2nd District)
Rep. Randy Forbes (4th District)
Forbes is a tireless advocate for fiscal sanity in an otherwise insane
world. Forbes voted against every bailout and stimulus package brought
forward by both the Bush and Obama administrations. As chairman of the
House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, he has fought against
changing the port of an aircraft carrier from Norfolk to Mayport, Fla.,
preserved many of the jobs of the former Joint Forces Command, and has
strongly argued against massive defense cuts in the so-called
“sequestration” budget deal. He has also been an advocate for the
advancement of the modeling and simulation industry, which continues to
bring jobs to Hampton Roads. As chairman of the Congressional China
Caucus, he is fully aware and well-versed in our foreign policy in Asia.
As chairman of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, he remains grounded in
his faith. And, he’s one of the few members of Congress to actually
propose a plan to harness and develop innovations in energy production
with his “new Manhattan project,” while also advocating an “all of the
above” energy approach.
Rep. Robert Hurt (5th District)
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (6th District)
Goodlatte represents one of the most conservative Congressional
districts in Virginia and his votes in Congress reflect those values.
His votes reflect fiscal responsibility, and he introduced the Tax Code
Termination Act that would repeal the entire tax code. He believes in
and works for a strong national defense, consumer protection, and has
worked on a variety of policies regarding the internet. Representing
such a rural area, Goodlatte has been a strong advocate for farmers and
the special issues they face. His position as a member of the
Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry is logical because of
the vast areas of national forests — George Washington and Jefferson —
that are within the boundaries of his district. Goodlatte serves as
chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property,
Competition, and the Internet, and is vice chairman of the House
Agriculture Committee.
Rep. Eric Cantor (7th District)
Cantor is pro-business, pro-Israel, believes in less government and is
right on social issues. As Majority Leader, Cantor has been on the front
lines in passing job-creating legislation and a responsible budget only
to see them stalled time and again by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
and the Democratic Senate. He has made Virginia and his district proud
by being a national leader in the conservative movement, standing on
the firm ground of principle. Cantor’s opponent is a Democrat who won’t
call himself a Democrat. Wayne Powell has run a mean-spirited campaign
that even PolitiFact has found to be dishonest (repeatedly). His low
road approach to campaigning would be laughable were it not so
despicable. Cantor is extremely popular in his district, routinely
receiving 60% of the vote. We do not expect the results to change this
year, nor should they.
Rep. Morgan Griffith (9th District)
Griffith has quickly distinguished himself as a defender of jobs in this
ruinous economy, voting often in opposition to the greatest danger to
all of Virginia: the EPA and its war on coal, natural gas, and
petroleum. He is a strong advocate for jobs and energy development by
favoring legislation that would permit vast areas of Alaska to be used
for oil production, build the Keystone pipeline, and open up Virginia’s
offshore area for energy exploration. Griffith also supported ending
Solyndra style welfare to failing energy companies and investigated the
same company as a member of the Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. His opponent,
Anthony Flaccavento, seems to know little about Southwest Virginia and
has only vague solutions to the problems facing this district.
Flaccavento proposes that laid off miners get manufacturing jobs, but
doesn’t say where the factories will come from. In the meantime,
Griffith has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association, is a
“Friend of the Farm Bereau” from the American Farm Bureau Federation and
was named as a “top conservative” by the American Conservative Union.
Morgan Griffith will continue to work for affordable energy, creating
jobs, and holding the EPA accountable on behalf of all Virginians.
Rep. Frank Wolf (10th District)
The senior member of the Virginia congressional delegation, Wolf puts
his experience to work for his district. He has fought to bring
accountability to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority,
secured federal funding for transportation projects, and worked with
state and local officials on projects to ease congestion at key traffic
choke points. The Northern Virginia Regional Task Force, one of his
signature initiatives, has made a significant difference in reducing
gang violence in the district. As co-chairman of the Human Rights
Commission, Wolf is motivated by his faith and deep belief in human
freedom to speak up for the voiceless, leading Congress in passing
legislation combating religious persecution and human trafficking.
Perhaps most importantly, Wolf understands the impending budgetary
crisis and he is committed to addressing congressional overspending by
reforming entitlements tax policy, closing tax loopholes and simplifying
the tax code. Voters will appreciate Wolf’s proactive transparency as
he is one of a very few members of Congress who posts his entire voting
record on his congressional website annually.
Wittman will help get U.S. back on trackOctober 23, 2012 | Fredericksburg.comWittman will help get U.S. back on track
It should be obvious to anyone who watched the presidential debate on
Oct. 3 that the sorry state of the nation's economy is key for the
voters in 2012. It also ought to be a criterion in selecting good,
honest people for the House of Representatives.
In the 1st Congressional District, we have an incumbent, Rep. Rob
Wittman, who has a strong record of working to get people back to work,
to put a stop to out-of-control spending, and to make tough decisions on
balancing the budget.
Rob's record includes supporting the JOBS Act to provide
small-business relief from excessive regulation and make it easier to
create jobs. He has also voted against increasing the debt limit and
supports finding ways to solve the long-term federal spending problem.
He has supported the SAFE Commission Act, which provides a commission
to address the economic crisis by putting entitlements, tax policy, and
all federal programs up for debate. The bill provides that Congress
vote yes or no on the commission's recommendations.
He helped lead the fight for earmark reform and pledges to work to reform the appropriations process.
It makes no sense to change our 1st District leadership with an
unknown when we already have one of the most competent, hard-working,
and approachable members of Congress now.
We urge all 1st District voters to vote for Rob Wittman on Nov. 6.
Barbara and Hugh Lovell
Irvington
Growing a Greener GOP From the Ground UpOctober 22, 2012 | ConservAmericaConservAmerica is pleased to endorse Congressman Rob Wittman for re-election to the House from Virginia’s 1st District.
“Congressman Wittman has demonstrated a clear commitment to
bipartisan problem-solving in order to protect our country’s water,
wildlife, and open space heritage,” ConservAmerica President Rob Sisson
said.
“We applaud his leadership in fighting to clean up and restore the
Chesapeake Bay, a priceless environmental and economic asset for the
people of Virginia and everyone in the United States,” ConservAmerica
Vice President for Government Affairs David Jenkins said.
“ConservAmerica is impressed by Congressman Wittman’s low-key but
effective leadership in taking care of the public’s business. He is a
common-sense conservative who has earned another term, and we urge 1st
District voters to return Congressman Wittman to the House,” Sisson
said.
