Sterling resident John Stevens wanted a joke or story to announce his candidacy for the 10th U.S. Congressional District until he drove past WorldCom's Ashburn office on Friday.
"[I] thought about the hundreds of our neighbors packing their careers into cardboard boxes," Stevens said Monday afternoon at the Leesburg Court House as he officially kicked off his campaign. "I thought about the kinds of national policies and philosophies, the kind of politics, that helped create a business environment and business practices where the Enrons and the WorldComs can thrive and leave so little protection for the employees and shareholders."
Stevens said he thought about missing responsibility and accountability and about leadership. "In a post 9/11 world, in a world after Enron, we need to set new priorities, and we need new leadership," he said.
Stevens introduced himself as a community congressman interested in providing responsibility, accountability and leadership. He mentioned his love of Virginia, adding that "these rolling hills are now crowded with homes and choked with traffic."
"For decades, we have plowed money into asphalt, trying to keep roads ahead of development in a race that never ends," Stevens said, adding that his opponent Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10) "throws money at any road project that crosses his desk."
THE REGION needs planning and a smart growth approach to development, Stevens said. "I will work with state and local leaders to plan for growth that will not just relieve our current but [our] future gridlock," he said, adding that his top transportation priority will be rail to Dulles to establish a rail line along the Route 28 corridor.
Stevens mentioned public education as another of his priorities, emphasizing the importance of full funding for public schools "from the top down beginning with the federal government."
A final priority Stevens mentioned concerns health care.
"We need a patient Bill of Rights to ensure HMOs [Health Maintenance Organizations] can't hide behind a mountain of legalese," he said. "If HMOs keep cherry-picking their customers and the services they offer, soon insurance will be only for the healthy and wealthy, and what kind of system is that?"
"These are the issues that a community congressman must address now," Stevens continued. "I say we need new priorities. I say we need a new standard. I say we need a new leader."
Supervisor Mark Herring agreed.
"I think it's time for a new voice in Congress in the 10th District," said Herring (D-Leesburg), following Stevens' announcement. Herring and supervisors Chuck Harris (D-Leesburg) and Eleanore Towe (D-Blue Ridge) attended Stevens' announcement to show their support.
"He's got new ideas. He's not inhibited by the current establishment. He can think out of the box," Harris said. "He listens to people. He's intelligent. He's energetic. He's honest. He's right on the issue, and he speaks plainly, so people have a clear choice."
THE FORMER CHAIRMAN of the Loudoun County Democratic Committee expects an "interesting campaign." "Not many people have given him much of a shot, and he's going to be a big surprise," said Rollie Winter. "His opponent has had a free ride for a number of years. ... Everyone knows about incumbents and the edge incumbents have."
Stevens is a small business owner and lives in Broadrun Farms with his wife and daughter. In 1995, he ran for the Board of Supervisors against David McWatters, who won the seat. He has lived in Sterling for seven years and in Loudoun County for a total of nine years.
The 10th District encompasses all of Loudoun, Clarke, Warren and Frederick counties and parts of Fairfax, Prince William and Fauquier counties.