On October 3, I attended a candidate forum sponsored by the Fauguier Times-Democrat and the Fauquier County Farm Bureau at Fauquier High School with candidates for Virginia’s 27th State Senate District and the 31st District of the House of Delegates.
The first part of the forum had candidates Bill Day(D)and Scott Lingamfelter(R) for the 31st under the spotlight. Bill’s opening, closing and direct answers to the panel, audience, and opponent’s questions easily bested the incumbent’s performance. No wonder Lingamfelter has decided to try to keep his office by slinging mud at Day.
Nothing should gall voters more than someone like Lingamfelter, who pretends to espouse the best in America, sinking to the depths of negative personal attack campaign tactics. But, I guess, when you don’t have a record of achievements to run on, and you feel entitled to the position, you do whatever you think will distract voters from the real issues.
In one exchange Lingamfelter tried to dismiss Bill’s campaign pledgeto work across party lines to have Virginia implement a comprehensive energy policy. Lingamfelter tossed out Gov. Tim Kaine’s recent release of a 186 page energy plan and tried to convince the audience the issue was being dealt with. Bill then spoke of the difference between a “plan and a policy” noting that Gov. Kaine needed allies in Richmond to turn the plan into policy and on to successful implementation.
Bill spoke of his visits to families across the 31st to answer simple questions about the performance of their delegate over the last 6 years. Their answers are the basis for Bill’s statement that most voters in the 31st agree, “We need new energy in Richmond.”
Like Gov. Tim Kaine and Gov. Mark Warner, I ask you to show your support for Bill Day’s campaign towards positive change for Richmond and victory on November 6th.
