Delegates to the Eighth Congressional District Republican convention packed the Edison High School cafeteria in Alexandria Saturday and nominated Lisa Marie Cheney as the Republican candidate for the U.S. Congress. By garnering 66 percent of the vote, Cheney beat Jane Eshagpoor, Matt Mueda and Mike Riccardi and will be on the ballot in November.
Cheney, who is not related to Vice President Dick Cheney, said she was best suited to wrestle the Eighth District away from 14-year incumbent Jim Moran (D) or his party challenger Andy Rosenberg.
As a lifelong resident of Alexandria and as the wife of a military officer, she said, "I understand the needs and concerns of not only our military but also our military families."
Moran will face Rosenberg in a June 8 primary to determine the Democratic nomination.
CHENEY, who has been involved in the local Republican Party for nine yeas, said she decided to run after growing frustrated and "embarrassed" by Moran over the course of his 14-year career in Congress.
"I believe in the people of the eighth district and I believe in my hometown," she said. "I think it's terrible the things that he's done and the things that he's said."
She runs a government relations consulting firm called PSMA, Inc., which advises lobbyists from defense contractors. The job has given her an understanding of military and defense issues, an understanding she said can be a valuable asset in Congress.
"I think missile defense is out next generation deterrent," she said. "I think national security, that's going to be key."
Besides national security, Cheney said she would work to expand the tax cuts implemented by President George W. Bush and to cut back on pork projects in Congress.
"If the budget's tight, you have to start giving those things up," she said.
On transportation, she said she has seen the area's traffic worsen steadily since her college days at George Washington University.
"In the 14 years that Jim Moran has been our member of Congress, things have gotten worse," she said.
On education, she said, "we spend a heck of a lot of money per child for our schools and we don't have the best ratings for schools in our country."
"Why don't we get the best and brightest teachers? Does that mean we have to pay teachers more? Probably so," she said.
OF THE FOUR Republican candidates for Congress, Cheney appears to be one of the more conservative. In her campaign speech before the delegates she struck a hawkish tone on military matters while emphasizing her anti-abortion stance.
"I'm certainly conservative in the sense of my position on the life issue," she said, noting her opposition to abortion. "It's a personal story. It's because I was adopted and met my biological mother after my son was born."
She also described herself "a conservative" on taxes. Nevertheless, she added her message of fiscal restraint will appeal to moderate Democrats and well as moderate Republicans.
On Saturday, her positions drew criticism from some of her opponents, who said a more moderate Republican stands a better change of being elected in the Democratic-leaning eighth District.
"You cannot run on the most divisive issue in this country," said Riccardi, referring to abortion. "It comes down to electability."
Riccardi, an Alexandria resident who works as a Capitol police officer, said his focus was on the more traditional bread and butter issues, such as transportation, education and taxes.
Mueda, a former Fairfax County firefighter who left a political appointment in the Bush Administration to run for the nomination, said in his address to the delegates that he was best suited to capture the Latino vote.
"More important than the message in this very diverse district is the messenger," said Mueda, who delivered part of his speech in Spanish. "I have a plan to bring in new and swing voters."
Like Cheney, Eshagpoor, a single mother of two grown children focused on more conservative issues such as abortion and gun rights.
Franconia resident Gary Griesmyer, who attended Saturday's convention said he supported Cheney "because she's a conservative and I think she has the welfare of our country in mind."
He added he thought she has "a very good chance" of winning both because "she can defend herself" and because, as a woman, she might "sway the other women voters to come over."
The 585 delegates to the convention also elected delegates to the state and national conventions and, in a closely fought contest, voted to replace current district chairman Mike Lane with Tygh Bailes, an Arlington resident.