Sunday, November 04, 2007
Race may be handy for GOP
State Republicans are hoping the 20th District will thwart a Democratic majority in the Senate.
Related
The latest from our Blue Ridge Caucus politics blog
- Va. Senate votes to restrict local government land grabs
- House advances “personhood” and abortion ultrasound bills
From The Roanoke Times
State Sen. Roscoe Reynolds, D-Henry County, faces Republican Jeff Evans on Tuesday in Reynolds' first real challenge since the Republican-controlled General Assembly redrew the district lines in 2001.
"Those lines were drawn so that a Republican would be in this seat," Reynolds said. "Adding Wythe County to the district makes it extremely difficult to do the job."
The 20th District includes all of Martinsville and Henry County; all of Patrick, Carroll and Floyd counties and Galax; and parts of Grayson and Wythe counties.
With Democrats hoping to win a majority in the Senate through races in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, the 20th is a district where state Republicans have aimed to take a seat back from their rivals.
Reynolds, who has held the seat since 1996, faced opposition in 2003, but Republican candidate Tom Peterson dropped out of the race that September after legal and financial problems -- including a drunken-driving conviction and unpaid child support -- surfaced.
To Reynolds' current Republican challenger, the results of that election are a cause for optimism.
"With all of those problems, 37 percent of the people still voted against him," Evans said of Reynolds. " He [Reynolds] hasn't had a true competitor since he's been in office. I've changed all of that."
State Republicans have contributed heavily to Evans' campaign. The party gave more than $100,000 in cash and services in September alone.
However, campaign contributions for Evans dropped off steeply in October with less than $5,000 coming from Republican political action committees. Evans had only $25,277 in cash on hand as of Oct. 24, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, which maintains a campaign finance database.
Reynolds' campaign contributions, on the other hand, have increased steadily. From Oct. 1 through Oct. 24, Reynolds raised more than $150,000 and had $74,903 in cash on hand, according to VPAP.
"I'm not running for a party," Evans said in October. "I'm running for the people of the 20th District. I hold to the Republican ideals, but unlike my opponent, who will follow the party line, I'm going to vote the way I think is best."
Reynolds said he has never had an easy race for the seat and takes all competition seriously.
"My opponent said he has been campaigning for a year," Reynolds said. "But you can't get it done in just one year. Whether you are an incumbent or challenger you have to always know your district. That's where you can make your mistake."
Each man claims the other has engaged in negative campaigning.
Evans, who represents the Pipers Gap District on the Carroll County Board of Supervisors, said Reynolds accused him of trying to bring a homeless shelter to a Galax neighborhood. The shelter was never built.
"The only thing he could say about me was building a homeless shelter in Galax that was Christian in nature," Evans said. "He hired an outside firm to sling dirt against the other opponent [in 2003], and now he is trying to do it against me."
Reynolds said he didn't make comments about the shelter but said Evans has misrepresented his voting record.
To Evans' claim that Reynolds was the legislative patron of abusive driver fees, Reynolds said, "Everyone knows that that was a Republican bill, and I have called for a special session for it to be repealed."
Reynolds said he has called for the General Assembly to approve a new measure returning all of the money that has been raised by the civil remedial fees. The Republican "leadership in the House of Delegates just wants the bill to be fine-tuned," Reynolds said. "Unless there is a substantial change in the leadership, there is nothing that can be done."
Evans, a retired state trooper, also said Reynolds has not been as accessible to citizens as he could have been.
"I have my cellphone number on all my fliers," Evans said. "I knew that as soon as you get into public office, your privacy is gone. The people really don't know who Reynolds is at all."
Evans said illegal immigration, transportation and the need to bring jobs to the region were issues facing the district.
Evans said he would seek legislation that would prohibit illegal immigrants and their families from receiving in-state tuition to state colleges and universities.
Evans said he would modify the abusive driver fees so that they applied to out-of-state drivers.
Reynolds, a lawyer, said he wants to make more strides in public education, transportation, prisons and job opportunities.
"The jobs that are out there aren't manufacturing jobs," Reynolds said.
"They pay less and have less benefits. I have a proven record in working with Republicans, Democrats and Independents to get things done."
