As your readers may know, every Senate seat (there are 40) and Delegate seat (there are 100) in Virginia’s General Assembly is up for election this November 5, 2019. This election will determine which philosophy controls the Virginia legislature: an extreme liberal agenda intent on legalizing the inhumanity of late-term abortions, or a more moderate and conservative philosophy that respects the precious lives of those about to be born. There are other issues too, of course, but none so clear in its delineation of moral right and wrong.
The frustration of Alexandria’s moderates and conservatives is palpable. We are a minority population of around 30% with no elected representation. In Alexandria, every elected representative we have is a Democrat. One-party rule on City Council is a given, and Republicans hardly bother to run for office because the end result is virtually inevitable.
Moderates and conservatives are being represented by not just liberals, but extreme liberals. Three of the Democrat representatives Alexandria has in the General Assembly (Sen. Adam Ebbin, Sen. Dick Saslaw, and Delegate Mark Levine) are ranked as being among the “Coalition of the Radical Left” by the American Conservative Union Foundation’s Center for Legislative Accountability. Levine was a co-patron of Delegate Kathy Tran’s infamous, but unsuccessful, late-term abortion bill HB 2491.
Alexandria City has three different Virginia Senate districts (30, 35, and 39) and two House of Delegate districts (45 and 46). The five Democrat incumbents on the ballot are running unopposed in all districts but one, Senate District 39 with Republican nominee “Dutch” Hillenburg http://dutchforsenate.com/ , a large district which includes a small portion of Alexandria’s West End.
We understand why we have four uncontested offices, but it pains our patriotic hearts. So, we, the undersigned, have decided to be write-in candidates. We identify as Republican, and have been members of the local Republican party for many years. We are not officially endorsed by the Republican party, are not professional politicians or policy experts, and we never intended to run for public office. We are simply fellow citizen-neighbors who are willing to “step into the arena” in this symbolic way. We have no campaign money, so you won’t be seeing any campaign advertisements or sample ballots with our names. There is just this. A letter to this newspaper’s editor, letting moderates and conservatives know that there is a choice on election day. You can find our bios and district maps at www.alexandriacrwc.org .
We all seem to know that Virginia is at a tipping point. Which values will Virginia represent to the rest of the nation? Will Virginia protect viable human life, respect law enforcement officers and veterans, increase opportunities for small businesses, promote self-reliance and empowerment through education, and preserve constitutional rights? Or will Virginia support late-term abortion, pick and choose which laws to enforce, discourage entrepreneurs with taxes and red tape, promote identity politics and victimization, and take away citizen’s rights to protect themselves and speak freely?
We urge you to vote values, not politics.
Hazel Anne Miller, Senate District 30, Republican, Write-In candidate. (aka “Susie” Miller)
Peter Benavage, Senate District 35, Republican, Write-In candidate.
Eileen Marie Brackens, House District 45, Republican, Write-In candidate.
Gerald Chandler, House District 46, Republican, Write-In candidate