A crowded field of candidates made their cases at a 6th District GOP forum at Liberty University on Saturday, where seven of those seeking to replace outgoing Congressman Bob Goodlatte spoke to local voters.
Of the eight republicans vying for Goodlatte’s seat, Douglas Wright was the only one absent.
For two hours candidates fielded questions from moderators before closing with short speeches.
The questions asked were complex and wide ranging, dealing with topics such as foreign policy and aid, military spending, the national debt, civil asset forfeiture and a variety of hot-button issues.
In opening statements, each candidate tried to define themselves and their political priorities, while also answering a question about military spending priorities and how it affects the national debt.
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Elliot Pope — who owns a Lynchburg construction company and is earning a master’s degree in public policy at LU — focused on the future of the country and the Republican Party in his opening.
“My generation is going to be paying down years and years and years of debt,” Pope said, expressing the need to attract a new generation of conservatives to push back against overspending.
Ben Cline — a longtime Goodlatte aide and an eight-term member of the Virginia House of Delegates — emphasized his legislative experience in Richmond where he said he has taken the values of central Virginia to the capital to fight for responsible government and a balanced budget.
Kathryn Lewis — a small business owner in Bedford County and a Lynchburg College graduate — is the youngest candidate in the race at 27, and described herself as “not the traditional politician,” but someone who has the skill set to address issues for all generations across the Commonwealth.
Mike Desjadon, of Augusta County, who works as a health care advisor, said he is running because “career politicians have corrupted the legislature” and voters need to elect “real people.” He stressed a need to address behavioral health — citing the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida — and to come up with a plan to stop such fatalities without allowing Democrats to enact gun control.
“We don’t have a plan, if we’re being honest with ourselves, and the Democrats do,” he said. “Their plan is to come for our guns.”
Ed Justo, a lawyer in Harrisonburg, focused on the budget in his short opening statement, a theme he and other candidates returned to often throughout the night, urging fiscal restraint in government.
Cynthia Dunbar — who serves on the Republican National Committee, is a previous member of the Texas Board of Education and a former professor at the LU School of Law — described herself as a “strict constructionist” when it comes to the Constitution, said she’s running because she believes in “servant leadership,” and touted endorsements she received in Januaryfrom Sen. Ted Cruz and former Sen. Ron Paul.
Chaz Haywood, Rockingham-Harrisonburg Clerk of Court, emphasized he is a believer, a father and a veteran. Throughout the forum, Haywood drew on his nine years of experience in the National Guard and his decade as Clerk of Court, to answer questions posed on various policy issues.
An audience of 100-plus packed into a classroom in Science Hall on Saturday, and while stickers throughout the crowd showed support for a variety of candidates, Dunbar was the clear favorite, drawing the loudest audience applause of any candidate after her answers. Haywood, seated next to Dunbar, was next in line to answer questions after her response; taking note of the applause for Dunbar he jokingly thanked the crowd for applauding every time he stood up to speak.
Though Dunbar won Saturday in terms of applause, she’s trailing Cline financially in the crowded field. According to the most recent data available from the Virginia Public Access Project, Cline has raised $108,151 to Dunbar’s $58,060 since both candidates announced in November. Numbers for Haywood show $6,127 in campaign donations. Numbers for other candidates are not available, because they did not join the race until January, and were not required to file a financial campaign report for last year, the most recent data available.
For 6th District voters, this was their third chance to see the GOP candidates in a forum setting. A live stream of Saturday’s forum is available on the 6th District Republican Committee Facebook page.
A fourth forum will be announced soon, according to Steven Troxel, who serves on the executive committee for the 6th District GOP. Troxel said the date hasn’t been decided on for the final forum, though it will likely take place in Roanoke or Botetourt County to give candidates a chance to reach voters spread throughout the district. Previous forums were in the counties of Augusta and Warren. The 6th District stretches across 12 counties in central and western Virginia.
Saturday’s forum was hosted by the LU College Republicans and sponsored by Middle Resolution PAC, a Mechanicsville-based political action committee that works to elect conservative candidates.
The Republican 6th District candidate will be decided at a May 19 convention at James Madison University; delegates will choose who to place on the GOP ticket by a single ballot plurality vote.
In addition to GOP candidates running to replace Goodlatte, four Democrats have joined the race. They are: Sergio Coppola, of Harrisonburg, Peter Volosin, Charlotte Moore, both of Roanoke, and Jennifer Lewis of Augusta County.
Independents Michael Frend and Steve America also are running for the 6th District seat.