Rep. Robert Hurt and challenger John Douglass went head-to-head Wednesday night over jobs, education, foreign policy and other issues in the first of two debates in the 5 th District race. The debate took place at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research. The second debate will be held Monday in Warrenton.
n a fairer world, independent candidates would be sharing the debate forum. Voters should hear from anyone who has qualified for the ballot. But voters will see only the two major candidates — Republican incumbent Robert Hurt and Democratic challenger John Douglass — in tonight’s 5th Congressional District debate.
Two independent congressional candidates are crying foul after not receiving invites to two upcoming debates in the race for Virginia’s 5th District. Rep. Robert Hurt and Democratic challenger John Douglass will be the only congressional candidates on stage this week during the first debate. Independents Kenneth J. Hildebrandt and Ben Hudson were not invited to take part in Wednesday’s debate in Danville.
Democratic congressional candidate John Douglass held a town-hall meeting to talk about Medicare Thursday night, but the audience of 60 people focused most on the federal budget. Douglass, a retired Air Force general running against Rep. Robert Hurt, R-5th District, won applause when he promised to introduce a bill in Congress to ban uranium mining in residential areas, and by criticizing the automatic federal budget cuts looming on Jan. 1.
Rep. Robert Hurt predicted Wednesday that he will win re-election and questioned the “character” of Democratic challenger John Douglass due to his efforts to inject the uranium-mining debate into the congressional race for the 5th District. “The things that he is saying are untrue. I think that the things that he is saying about me and my interest in this reflect his character,” Hurt, R-Chatham, said in an interview when asked about Douglass’s attempts to tie him to a uranium project in Southside Virginia.
As October nears the 5th District congressional race is heating up, but it has a different look than 2010. Republican U.S. Rep. Robert Hurt campaigns now as the incumbent and he faces Fauquier County Democrat retired Gen. John Douglass for the 5th District seat. And being the incumbent comes with its advantages — name recognition, a record, and extra time for campaign fundraising.
Rep. Robert Hurt said Thursday he’s hopeful, but doubtful, that Congress can make significant changes to looming tax increases and cuts in the federal budget during its “lame duck” session in November and December. Hurt, R-5th District, told the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce that the pending “fiscal cliff” of potential budget cuts and tax increases in January is frustrating because the Senate hasn’t acted.
The debate schedule is starting to take shape in the 5th District congressional race, but Democratic challenger John Douglass is far from satisfied with the response of Rep. Robert Hurt, R-Chatham. In July, Douglass challenged Hurt to five joint appearances, but it appears the two candidates will face each other in just two debates.
The debate schedule is starting to take shape in the 5th District congressional race, but Democratic challenger John Douglass is far from satisfied with the response of Rep. Robert Hurt, R-Chatham. In July, Douglass challenged Hurt to five joint appearances, but it appears the two candidates will face each other in just two debates. The first debate will be held on Oct. 10 in Danville, while the second will be held on Oct. 15 in Warrenton, which was recently added to the 5th during congressional redistricting.
Rep. Robert Hurt has an apparently comfortable advantage in the 5th District race for Congress, but the television ads from Hurt and his Democratic opponent John Douglass are anything but relaxed. In a confrontational approach not new to viewers of political ads in battleground Virginia, Douglass’ second television message accuses the Republican Hurt of supporting the uranium industry.