The Virginia Senate’s 11th District has been reliably Republican for decades. But for the first time in his more than 20 years in office, the incumbent faces primary challengers.
Sen. Stephen H. Martin, R-Chesterfield, says his experience in the legislature and service to his constituents merit a return to the Senate, where he has served since 1994 in a district that includes Amelia County, Colonial Heights and part of Chesterfield.
“I am running on my record, on my solid credentials for limited government, free enterprise, competitive markets and individual liberty,” said Martin, 58, an independent insurance broker who served in the House of Delegates from 1988 to 1994.
Martin is chairman of the consequential Senate Education and Health committee. If re-elected he would be the second-ranking Republican in the chamber in tenure, following the retirements of two senior lawmakers, Sen. John R. Watkins, R-Powhatan, and Sen. Walter A. Stosch, R-Henrico.
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“Experience and positioning,” Martin said.
But challengers Amanda Chase and Barry Moore say Martin is a career politician who has gotten complacent and out of touch on the job. They argue that their backgrounds and business experience bring them closer to the community and would provide a fresh perspective to the chamber.
“I think that’s a long time for a state senator,” said Moore, 53, the general manager of Haley Buick-GMC in Midlothian who moved to the area from New Jersey 15 years ago. “To represent a district that’s so diverse, you’ve got to know what people are going through.”
Chase said Republican women are underrepresented in the Senate.
“A lack of competition breeds complacency and that’s what we have in this case,” said Chase, 45, a grass-roots Republican campaign consultant who runs a financial services business. “He’s been in office 30 years, but what does he have to show for it?”
Different priorities
All three candidates consider themselves limited-government conservative Republicans and agree on most issues. But in interviews they offered different legislative priorities that they would pursue if elected.
Chase, who describes herself as a Republican with “tea party leanings,” said she has helped elect 23 Republicans in her job as a campaign consultant. She said she would advocate for more transparency in legislative committee hearings, requiring recorded votes on legislation in subcommittees.
A married mother of four who grew up in Bon Air and home-schooled her children during part of their education, Chase also said she supports the “Tebow Bill.” The legislation, named for Tim Tebow, who was home-schooled before he became a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at the University of Florida, would allow home-schooled athletes to participate in public school athletics. She also supports expanded charter schools in Virginia.
Chase has the support of Chesterfield Commonwealth’s Attorney Billy Davenport, the Chesterfield Tea Party, and John Brownlee, a noted trial lawyer and former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia.
Moore, who manages 75 employees at his dealership, is in his first foray into elective politics. The married father of a college-aged daughter, Moore said he would focus his attention on veterans’ homelessness and unemployment, support for law enforcement and first responders, as well as adoption and foster care.
He describes himself as a family values candidate who believes in the Constitution and the Second Amendment, and says his involvement and experience in the business community helps him understand the need for better job training and “what citizens are going through every day.”
Moore has been endorsed by Chesterfield Sheriff Karl Leonard, former Sheriff Dennis Proffitt and Chesterfield Clerk of Court Wendy S. Hughes.
Martin said he would work toward “modifying substantially” the system set up to award certificates of public need for health care facilities. He also said the state needs to work to “scale back and phase out” the corporate income tax to not lose port and manufacturing jobs to North Carolina and other neighboring states.
A twice-married, now divorced father with two grown children and four grandchildren, Martin said he also favors expanding school choice, “while strengthening our public schools because we are responsible for providing a good education for all children no matter where they come from.”
Martin’s website lists the endorsement of 20 current elected officials in the district, in addition to the Virginia Association of Realtors and The National Federation of Independent Business.
Challengers’ charges
General Assembly primary elections generate the lowest turnout of any election in Virginia, averaging about 7.5 percent of Virginia voters, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan tracker of money in state politics.
Turnout skews slightly higher (8.4 percent) when an incumbent is on the ballot. But turnout is also a function of organization and money to spend.
As of the last reporting period, ending March 31, Martin held a cash advantage in District 11, with $40,153 on hand, compared with $34,553 for Moore and $9,402 for Chase. As a sign of strength, Martin said he had circulated 1,500 campaign signs, nearly twice as many as in his last re-election bid.
While the least well-funded, Chase has been the aggressor in the race so far. In an interview, she said Moore has had limited political involvement to this point and said Martin’s personal finances are an issue. Chase said debts from a failed business venture caused Martin’s Senate wages to be garnished.
“If you’re going to be a fiduciary for the people you’ve got to be above board” in your personal finances, she said.
Martin said the financial difficulty stemmed from his name being left on a lease of a laundromat business that was resold and subsequently got into financial difficulty and shut down.
“That was two owners ago,” he said.
Moore has reserved his fire for Martin, saying he never sees him at events. “People don’t know who their senator is,” he said.
Martin said it is hard for him to challenge his challengers because it’s not clear what they are running on.
“I certainly have a solid record for the things they say they want,” he said.
And the incumbent shrugged off the idea that he has lost touch with the people.
“I am the ‘in-touch’ guy,” he said, noting that he does not brag about the charity work he does, while adding that his experience has made him better able to cut through bureaucracy and respond to constituent needs and concerns.
“People can’t just walk in the door and have a handle on that stuff.”