Cave Spring Junior High School was chock full with Republican candidates on Wednesday evening. Nine statewide candidates, two for Attorney General and seven for Lieutenant Governor were all in attendance for a public forum sponsored by the Roanoke Valley Republican Women, the Roanoke City Republican Committee, the Botetourt Republican Committee and the Roanoke Valley Young Republicans.
The only statewide Republican candidate missing was Ken Cuccinelli, who is running unopposed for the Governorship of Virginia nomination at the Republican convention in May.
The event was presented in forum format, and each candidate was allotted time to answer each question. Questions were submitted by each committee and the public in attendance. About 100 people came to hear the answers. The candidates tried to distinguish themselves from each other, but it was hard to do since the majority of them agreed on most issues.
Delegate Rob Bell is one of the Attorney General candidates who stated that his first job will be to defend and protect the Constitution. He gave an example of the Property Rights Amendment that he co-authored, which was passed by 75% of the voters in the 2012 election. Bell supports the Transparency Bill and voted against the Transportation Bill. He stated that he has an “A” rating from the NRA and that he will preserve the 2nd Amendment. He wants voters to decide on term limits and vows to limit the growth of the federal government and repeal Obamacare. Bell said, “We have to start getting rid of it now.”
Senator Mark Obenshain voted for the Transparency Bill and said he has an “A” NRA rating. He wants to repeal the new Transportation Bill because he feels it is unconstitutional on several levels. He stated that while he was disappointed in the last election, he feels we can bring America back by building coalitions. “We cannot lie down on the EPA, the right to work or Obamacare, we must fight back,” said Obenshain.
Susan Stimpson is running for Lt. Governor as a long time conservative and grassroots leader. She is currently chairman of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, where she has cut the overall real estate tax for three years running and eliminated the BPOL tax. She is a military spouse who is pro-life and pro 2nd Amendment. She has not yet been rated by the NRA. She wants voters to decide on term limits and put the power back in the people’s hands. Stimpson says, “We need to stand for morality and religion, to fight for the unborn and protect our freedoms.”
Corey Stewart is Chairman-at-Large of Prince William County, where he led a tough crackdown on illegal immigration and turned over 5500 criminal illegal aliens for deportation. He has cut Prince Williams budget and lowered their taxes. He is for the Transparency Bill and against the Transportation Bill. He has not yet been rated by the NRA. “Violent crime is down 47% in Prince William and I will lead with a conservative agenda and keep my promises,” said Stewart.
Pete Snyder is proud of the fact that he is not a politician, but a businessman who has “created hundreds of good paying Virginia jobs.” Although he has not been rated by the NRA, he is a life-long member. He wants to repeal the Transportation Bill, calling it the largest tax increase in Virginia history. He said he wants term limits “to clean out the dead wood. In the last few years, Virginia’s population has grown 30% while the budget has grown over 200%, and that is wrong,” said Snyder.
Senator Steve Martin was co-patron of the car tax cut bill and the death elimination tax bill. He has a 100% rating from the National Federation of Independent Businesses and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He is also the chief patron of the Healthcare Freedom Act which challenges Obamacare. He has an “A” rating from the NRA and is a gun owner. He is pro-life and a patron of school choice legislation. He voted against the Transportation Bill and said it has Constitutional problems. “I am a 28 year businessman with a blue collar background and I will tell the truth,” said Martin.
Delegate Scott Lingamfelter graduated from VMI and is a combat veteran where he commanded a number of units in the Army. He has served 12 years in the General Assembly and has an “A+” rating with the NRA. He voted “no” on the Transportation Bill because he said we do not use the road money we already have for roads. He vows to protect the 2nd Amendment “because it is not about guns, but about Liberty.” He called the current Congress the “red coats of our time who want to take away our rights, property and freedom. We must defend against tyranny.”
Bishop E. W. Jackson is another contender for Lt. Governor. He last ran for the U.S. Senate in the primary against George Allen. He is a Marine Corps veteran, graduated from Harvard Law School and founded Exodus Faith Ministries in Chesapeake. He has not been rated by the NRA, but did achieve a “marksmanship” rating in the Marines. He wants to repeal the Transportation Bill and said we need term limits. “For the Republican Party to get together, we need divine intervention. We should cry for freedom and not quit on our country or God,” stated Jackson.
Jeannemarie Davis said she is ready to lead as Lt. Governor. She spent six years in the House of Delegates, then she served in the Senate as the only Republican woman. She is a gun owner, but has not been rated by the NRA since she left office. She said the Transportation Bill has some Constitutional issues and wants voters to decide on term limits. She would place national defense at the top of her list. She feels she can draw Democrats to vote for her in spite of her being pro-life and pro-marriage. She said, “I am running because I love Virginia and I believe in the value of public service and I want to make Virginia the best place to live, work and raise a family.”
– By Carla M. Bream
