The Franklin News-Post
P. O. Box 250
310 Main Street, SW
Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151
540-483-5113
Fax: 540-483-8013
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Friday, June 11, 2010
State Sen. Robert Hurt (R-Chatham) walked away with an impressive victory in Tuesday's GOP Primary. Although Sen. Hurt did not capture more than 50 percent of the total vote, he had large victories in his home county, as well as the City of Danville. And likely because of his name recognition, Hurt did well in some counties he did not win.
In fact, Franklin County resident Jim McKelvey did a good job spreading his message, as well as his name, and finished a strong second, far ahead of any of the other five candidates. Mr. McKelvey won his home county by a slim margin and did surprisingly well in other counties.
Most candidates won their home counties and that, of course, is because that is where they are known. Most did not campaign aggressively in other counties, with the exception of Mr. McKelvey.
But Sen. Hurt has been around for awhile, serving three terms in the House of Delegates before winning the state Senate seat vacated by retiring Charles Hawkins. He was already a familiar face in many of the Fifth District's 22 counties and cities.
The question now facing the GOP in the Fifth District is: Can the party be united in the contest to unseat Rep. Tom Perriello? And for Rep. Perriello: Can he overcome the current anti-incumbency sentiment to keep his seat?
This should be a fascinating race because both candidates are personable, smart and good campaigners. They also will be well-financed, as Democrats are trying to hang on to as many seats as possible, and Republicans are seizing the opportunity to court voters who have expressed a disdain for politics as usual.
Each also is a solid representation of their respective parties, and the ideological differences that come with them.
Although some in the Tea Party have questioned Sen. Hurt's conservative commitments, he does represent the main platform issues, from anti-abortion to gay marriage opposition to fiscal responsibility to a more limited government. Mr. McKelvey, other primary candidates and former Rep. Virgil Goode have already thrown their support behind Sen. Hurt.
Rep. Perriello has generally followed the party line of the Obama Administration. He supported the health care legislation, but he has expressed concern about the growing national debt. As a freshman representative, though, he was caught between a rock and hard place on many issues, with pressure from his constituents to vote one way and enormous pressure from his own party to vote another. He has also built a reputation for being a tireless worker.
Both are attractive candidates on a personal level, but the real distinction should be made on the issues.
We are looking forward to hearing about their stands on those issues, and come November, the voters of the Fifth District will decide which candidate best represents their views, and their vision for the country's future. |
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