Candidates for Virginia’s General Elections

Asian Fortune asked for candidates running in the Virginia general elections to write about how they will reach out to the Asian American community. We received essays from State Senator Mark Herring (D), who is running for Attorney General against State Senator Mark Obenshain (R), House Delegate Jim LeMunyon (R) running for re-election, and Patrice Winter (R) who is also running for a seat in the House of Delegates of Virginia.

Mark Herring – Running for Attorney General

This year’s statewide elections are pivotal for Virginia, but the Attorney General race carries particular importance, especially for the Asian-American community.

Since being elected to the state Senate in 2006, I’ve been working hard to put aside political posturing to focus on finding solutions to the challenges all Virginia families face each day. I’ve also had the fortune of representing a diverse constituency including parts of Loudoun and Fairfax Counties.

When it comes to the duties of maintaining accountability in state government, supporting business and protecting Virginians and their families, there is no greater contrast between me and my opponent. Tea Party candidate Mark Obenshain wants to continue Ken Cuccinelli’s crusade to push a radical agenda and will use the office to bend Virginia law to pursue his own political agenda. I believe we need less politics and more problem solving in the office of Attorney General.

Egregious lapses in ethical judgment on the part of our state’s two highest elected officials have tarnished our Commonwealth’s reputation and shaken Virginians’ trust in their public institutions.

As Virginia’s next Attorney General, I will be committed to restoring the public trust in Virginia’s government.  To demonstrate this commitment, I recently announced an ethics package to update and strengthen our ethics and conflict-of-interest laws, ban the gifts to our elected officials, strengthen disclosure requirements and punish politicians who break the rules.

My opponent, Senator Mark Obenshain, does not have a comprehensive ethics plan and has remained virtually silent in condemning the Governor and the Attorney General for their unethical actions.

Virginia’s economy is bouncing back from the recession and we need to continue to promote pro-business policies. This includes support for the roughly seven percent of Asian-American-owned businesses statewide that, I believe, contribute to our shared economic success.  I have a record of supporting business and growing our economy. That’s why I am endorsed by the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Virginia Realtors Political Action Committees.

I supported this year’s historic transportation bill that improves Virginia’s roadways, including $300 million to extend the Silver Line into Dulles and Loudoun County that contributed to robust growth in Loudoun. Business groups even said the transportation package vote was the most important in a generation.

My opponent, Mark Obenshain, voted against this bill.

We must make the deplorable practice of human trafficking disappear in Virginia. Victims are recruited from schools, malls, youth centers and online. Large urban centers and major tourist destinations, such as Northern Virginia, provide the most fertile environments for trafficking to occur.

I’ve worked to make strong, effective law enforcement a priority and, as such, I was endorsed by the Virginia Police Benevolent Association.

My plan for working with the General Assembly, law enforcement and prosecutors to stop human trafficking includes, among others, a new law punishing the sex trafficking of minors, enabling asset forfeiture and creating a new statewide trafficking commission that facilitates cross-function and cross-sector dialogue to address human trafficking.

I believe Virginia’s strength lies in its diversity.  I introduced measures to improve voter access to the polls and co-patroned legislation that prohibits discrimination in state employment based on multiple factors, including national origin. My opponent introduced Voter ID measures designed to suppress the vote of minorities, the elderly and the poor.

The choices for Attorney General in Virginia could not be more different. Representing a diverse district has bolstered my tireless pursuit of a fairer, more open and more equal Virginia. As Attorney General, I will build off my record of promoting a diverse Virginia by taking the politics out of the office and putting the law first.

Jim LeMunyon (R) – Running for House of Delegates

Opportunity for All

As long as people from all over the world still want to come to America to pursue their dreams, the future of our country is very bright.

The best way to welcome those who have arrived recently in America is the same as it has been for generations:  ensuring opportunities for each of us to succeed.   Many of my friends on the Democratic side of the political spectrum believe that opportunities to make America better are created by making government bigger.  I disagree.

Government certainly has a role to play.  But particularly regarding economic opportunity, that role should be limited to fostering, not forcing, job creation and business expansion.  Using a sports analogy, government’s role should be that of referee, not the player.

There are four elements that outline the appropriate, limited role for government in providing opportunities for Americans to innovate better and succeed in the global economy:

A commitment to basic research—providing financial support for basic research in universities and other laboratories to make new discoveries and create new knowledge.  For example, basic research into computer networking many years ago allowed entrepreneurs to later create the Internet.  Because of the collaborative nature of research across the U.S. and globally, this activity is best supported by the federal government;

Incentives for risk taking that support the creation of new products and services and related jobs and businesses.  Here, tax laws play a significant role.  Where I live in Virginia, local governments can tax businesses that are struggling and not profitable.  This must be corrected.  At the state level, Virginia has provided tax incentives that I supported in the General Assembly to encourage individual investors to invest in new business creation.  At the federal level, keeping taxes low on capital gains—profits from investments—helps attract new business investment.

Strong support for education and a technically trained workforce especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).  In order for students to succeed at the college level in these subjects, they need good preparation starting in elementary school.  This means providing more choices for parents in determining the public schools and classes their children attend, and more high schools like Thomas Jefferson High School in Northern Virginia.  In 2010, I authored the resolution in the House of Delegates expressing Virginia’s support for the creation of more “TJ” high schools in our state.  Ensuring a technically trained work force also means making it easier for people with STEM degrees to come to the United States from other countries, or stay in the United States if they are educated here.

Expanding market opportunities in the U.S. and globally—As a former technology company entrepreneur, I know first-hand that businesses can only grow and succeed with an ever expanding base of customers.  At the state and local level, government can allow businesses to focus on customers by keeping government-required paperwork simple and making compliance with business regulations easy.  At the national level, it means pursuing more free trade agreements with other countries, such as the recent agreement with Korea, so that Americans can do business with people around the world as freely as they do in America.

The 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech was celebrated recently.  One of the best remembered lines in that speech is the dream that Dr. King’s children would live in a country in which they would “not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”  While these words had specific meaning in the America that existed in 1963, they have remained relevant in the decades since as millions of people from virtually every country and background have come to the United States.

America’s character is the sum total of the character of each one of us.  It is not defined by what we look like, where we came from, or the commands of big government and its many rules and regulations.  It is our collective American character and the extent to which we create opportunities for all to succeed that gives meaning to our nation’s motto: E pluribus unum.

Mr. LeMunyon, a Republican, represents portions of Western Fairfax and Eastern Loudoun Counties in the Virginia House of Delegates.  Prior to serving in government, he was a co-founder of Sterling Semiconductor, which is now a unit of the Dow Corning Corporation. He may be reached at jim@lemunyon.com.

Patrice Winter – Running for House of Delegates

I am a mother, a local businesswoman, a former elected member of the Fairfax City Council, and now a candidate for the 37th District of the Virginia House of Delegates.  I am passionate about community service and have been engaged in City, neighborhood, and school affairs for most of my life.  During my three terms on the City Council (2002-08) and throughout my professional career, I built a strong record of addressing healthcare issues, improving education, and advocating for small business owners.

Last year the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce stated that one out of every ten Asian- and Pacific-American in Virginia is an entrepreneur.  As a former small business owner of a physical therapy practice for 17 years, I understand the impact the government has on business and the challenges for small businesses to acquire financing, generate revenue and, ultimately, make a profit.  In order for our communities to grow and prosper, business owners must have the ability to operate with as little government intrusion as possible. As your Delegate, I will work to ease tax burdens on small businesses and minimize the unnecessary impediments placed on businesses by the state government. I am a strong believer in encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit of all Virginians and will work to maintain a strong small business climate for our Commonwealth.

Healthcare is another issue at the forefront of public attention across the United States.  I am deeply concerned by the direction the federal government has taken in regards to healthcare. I have spent over 35 years as a healthcare professional and am a nationally recognized expert in the field of physical therapy.  I understand the critical need for quality healthcare to be available for all citizens. I support the efforts of the Commonwealth in fighting the implementation of the Affordable Care Act via the expansion of Medicaid. This expansion, without reform, will inevitably cost taxpayers a great amount in the long term, create a shortage of medical personnel, and make it more difficult for patients to receive adequate care in a timely manner. Citizens deserve to have the best care for the best price.  The current direction this country is headed will not put our healthcare system where it should be – one of the best systems in the world. Virginia needs to be a leader and an example of best practices in healthcare.

My third priority issue is education.  I was active in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) throughout the years my two children attended.  Furthermore, as a current faculty member at George Mason University, I understand the importance of quality education. FCPS have a national reputation for quality teachers, excellent curriculum, and first-rate facilities.  We should be proud of our schools in Virginia’s 37th District.  I support the strong public schools in our area, with minimal intrusion from the administration in Richmond. However, we need to ensure that all students receive a quality education.  The one-size-fits-all mentality towards education is not the best fit for all students. Educational funding should remain with the individual student, as opposed to the school districts. This will ensure our children receive the individualized education they need.

Many have said that we need more healthcare professionals, small business owners, and educators in Richmond to provide expertise on any reforms or new legislation.  I am all three. I hope to earn your trust, your support, and your vote on November 5th!

Patrice M. Winter, Candidate for VA-37 State Delegate