By most standards, none of the Northern Virginia congressmen is locked in a particularly competitive race. But that has not stopped a handful of challengers from taking on the Goliaths in Congress who have a combined 42 years of experience on Capitol Hill.
While they all realize that the odds of victory are long, none of them rule out the possibility of pulling off a surprise upset against U.S. Reps. Thomas Davis (R-11), James Moran (D-8) or Frank Wolf (R-10).
"There are a lot of imponderables here," said Frank Creel, an independent challenging Davis in the 11th. "Anything can happen in politics."
"While we certainly are the big underdog, it's not a slam dunk," said Republican Scott Tate, who is squaring off against Moran in the 8th. "I certainly realize from day one that this was a steep uphill fight. At this point, I think we really do have a good chance of pulling off an upset in this race."
For his part, Libertarian Ron Crickenberger, also vying for the 8th District seat, said that "any third party race at this level is kind of a long shot." But the outcome "depends on how courageous the voters are."
Nevertheless, he added, "even when third party candidates don't win their election they usually have some effect on the debates." The abolition of slavery and women's suffrage were initially third party ideas, he said.
"The people that I've spoken to have been tremendously responsive," said John Stevens, a Democrat who is Frank Wolf's sole opposition in the 10th District. "I feel much better about my chances one on one with the voters."
IN INTERVIEWS over the last several weeks, the challengers exposed their platforms and commented on their vision for the district. While their views differ on the issues, they share a certain faith in a system that can allow ordinary citizens to shape national policy.
For instance, Democrat John Stevens sounds like Frank Creel and Scott Tate when explaining his reasons to run.
"There's no special magic in being a candidate," said Stevens. "It should be a duty to everybody to participate in some way. That's what being a citizen of this country's about." But if another well-qualified, like-minded candidate had stepped forward, Stevens said he would have lent that person his support.
"As it happens there wasn't," he said. The burden then fell on him to run so that Frank Wolf did not sail to another term unopposed.
Tate also mentioned a sense of duty as a reason to run: "If you think you can offer an alternative, I think you have a responsibility to step up and state your case. ... The idea of public service is one that you pursue regardless of the odds."
Creel, like Stevens, was partly motivated by the fact that without him, the incumbent would face no opposition.
"Somebody's got to do it. This is America," he said. "At least Mr. Davis has some competition."
CREEL DESCRIBED himself as a "restorationist" whose views "are not all that different from Harry Truman's."
The independent candidate challenging Davis opposes abortion, pornography and what he calls the "homosexual agenda." Government, for him is "a necessary evil" and taxation is "an accommodation of evil." The proposed sales tax increase is "an act of folly," according to Creel.
Neither Stevens nor Tate, the two major party candidates shooting for a seat in the 10th and 8th Districts respectively, have pronounced themselves on the sales tax.
All three incumbents support the tax increase which could raise $5 billion for Northern Virginia transportation projects over 20 years.
Tate, challenging Moran, says he is pro-choice, supportive of President George W. Bush's Iraq resolution and calls himself "naturally tax averse." Stevens, in his role as "community congressman," says he would focus on bringing rail to Dulles, increasing funding for public education, civil liberties and corporate ethics.
Crikenberger, the Libertarian challenger to Moran, opposes military action in Iraq, supports the use of medical marijuana and is concerned about civil liberties.
The challengers were also prone to mention their children when asked why they were running.
To Tate, running a congressional campaign is "certainly for my children the greatest civics lesson they'll ever receive."
And Creel said he decided to run about the time his second grandchild was born about six months ago.
"Unless the American people stop sending people like Tom Davis to Congress, my children and grandchildren will not be able to say that they lived in a safe, free, prosperous America the way I could," said Creel.
But Crickenberger was not so sure how free the America was that he grew up in.
"I really want to see a freer country for my children to grow up in than I have grown up in," he said.
Besides being a Libertarian candidate, Crickenberger is also the political director for the Libertarian Party. The party's goal this year was to field candidates in over half the district, a goal that has been accomplished, said Crickenberger. His candidacy is "leadership by example," he said.
"I'm doing this because of what I believe in, not because I necessarily believe that I will be successful this time," he said.
SPOKESPEOPLE for the incumbents said they were taking challengers seriously.
"We 're taking our opponents very seriously," said Dan Drummond, Moran's campaign manager. "We're confident but we're not cocky."
"We're taking it very seriously," agreed Dan Scandling, a spokesman for Wolf. "Any challenger is a threat. [Stevens] has every right to run against Mr. Wolf."
"We're running a campaign the same way we run every two years," said John Gibson, Davis' campaign manager, adding that the Davis campaign is treating Creel like a "serious challenger."
"We're probably taking it a little more seriously than he is," said Gibson, noting that Creel lives outside the district. Virginia law allows candidates to live outside the district they seek to represent in Congress.
But Creel, like all the challengers, said he is working hard.
"It's extremely fatiguing," said Creel, a retired Department of Commerce employee. "It overwhelms me that I took on this task but on Nov. 6 I will be able to tell myself I did the right thing."