With the last month of summer underway, and just three months until Election Day, House of Delegates 34th District candidates Margaret “Margi” Vanderhye and Dave Hunt are beginning to turn up the heat on their campaigning efforts.
“Things are really going so well,” said Democratic candidate Margi Vanderhye. “We’re really building momentum — I couldn’t have predicted the reaction from people who had really clued into the election from the primary and are really interested and involved.”
For the last four decades, residents of the 34th District have been represented by Republican Del. Vincent Callahan, Jr. However, Callahan announced his retirement in March, leaving his Virginia House of Delegates seat open for the first time in almost 40 years. Callahan already knew who he would like to see take his place, and asked his former legislative assistant for appropriations Dave Hunt to make a bid for the seat. Hunt — a McLean resident and business owner who ran unsuccessfully against state Sen. Janet Howell (D-32nd) Virginia Senate in 2003 — happily agreed to enter the race.
In June, Vanderhye emerged as Hunt’s opponent after a close Democratic Primary race between her and fellow McLean resident Richard “Rip” Sullivan, an attorney with Reed Smith, LLP. Vanderhye, an appointed member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, has garnered support by emphasizing her experience in the area that the vast majority of 34th District residents care about most — traffic congestion.
“I think I’m the best person for this job because with 22 years in the community and 22 years of public service under my belt, I’ve really focused on the issues of transportation, which are so important to the people of this district,” said Vanderhye. “I’ve worked with state legislators at the state level for years.”
However, Hunt argues that his experience is more direct.
“I am the only candidate with legislative experience in the General Assembly,” said Hunt. “It has allowed me to become an expert in the state budget and how to get legislation passed. In addition, I have the support of the Speaker [of the House], which is critical to getting things done for Northern Virginia. This is important because Northern Virginia has only 25 percent of the votes in Richmond and we need to know how to get delegates and other state senators to support our needs. I can do that.”
AFTER MEETING with voters from both parties, Vanderhye said she has gotten the distinct sense that many people agree with her assessment that Hunt will simply be a repeat of the last 40 years of Callahan-supported Republican rule.
“I’ve been talking to more than just my supporters and I can tell you that even across the broader electorate, the focus is for change and fresh energy,” she said. “People are very tired and dissatisfied on the whole with the Republican leadership which has failed to serve us on these big issues. I think the fact that I represent change and a willingness to stand up to people who have really not had our best interests at heart gives me a distinct advantage over my opponent who will be at the beck and call of the Republican Party.”
But Hunt insists that he will rise far above petty partisan politics and divisions.
“I work on behalf of all people in the district,” said Hunt. “My opponent’s primary reason for running is to ‘turn the district blue.’ It is the primary theme in her mailings and her speeches. I believe that government is about solving problems for people across party lines. I don’t judge a person by whether they have a ‘D,’ ‘R,’ or ‘I’ after their name. We all want Northern Virginia to be a great place to work, live, and play. I believe we need reasonable, pragmatic leaders, not extreme partisans in office.”