Parties Promote Ideas at the 3rd Annual Multicultural Forum

By Corih Kim

 

On October 4, Asian-American Chamber of Commerce led by Cindy Chao held a special event for the 2015 election candidates. In spite of it being Sunday afternoon, cars packed the parking lot of the Annandale Campus of Northern Virginia Community College.

This forum was in preparation for the upcoming November election and represented a cross section of candidates from various political parties.

Attendants of the Democratic Party included (with district they’re running for in the parenthesis): Jill McCabe (13), Adam Ebbin (30), Jennifer Wexton (33), David Marsden (37), Elizabeth Miller (32), Kathleen J. Murphy (34), Mark Keam (35), Ken Plum (36), David Bulova (37), Vivian Watts (39), Filler-Corn (40), Eileen Jerrold Foltz (41), Paul Krizek (44), Mark H. Levine (45), Charniele Herring (46), Richard C. Sullivan (48), Alfonso Lopez (49), Jennifer B. Boysko (86), and John J. Bell (87).

Attendants of the Republican Party included: Jerry Foreman (36), Craig Parisot (34), Sang  Yi (37), Tim Hugo (40), Richard Anderson (51), Anna Urman (43), Danny Vargas (86), and Stephen Hollingshead (33).

Libertarian candidates were: Paul R. Brubaker (86), and Terry Modglin (35), and Andy W. Baker (46).

Democrats focused on improving public education by promoting equal opportunity and adjusting class sizes. To promote economic growth, they argued of lowering property taxes as they tend to restrain economic growth. They emphasized the immediate need for gun control, so that unnecessary and preventable death may end.

In a brief interview with Mark Levin (45), a journalist and a Democrat, he noted the importance of universal background check to prevent unnecessary gun violence and stated the need for better gun regulation to protect our neighbors from unnecessary death and harm.

Del. Ken Plum (36), who emphasized his background as an educator, noted the importance of investing in better public school system, preventing gun violence, wage increase, and improvement of mental health systems. He promised these will be his focus in the upcoming campaign.

Republicans denounced the recent announcement by Gov. McAuliffe, who planned to set up toll on Route 66. They argued that this would bring yet another economic recession, as people would avoid driving on 66 due to the hefty $17 round-trip toll fee.

Stephen Hollingshead (33) suggested, “We have other options to cut traffic on 66, and we will do this by making Route 7 a freeway, and building a bridge over the Potomac.”

Fairfax County Court Clerk, Bettina Lawson urged the voters to take part in the democratic process on November 3, 2015, election day this year. As many delegate seats are up for grabs on this year, Virginians should carefully consider their options and vote.

Another interesting aspect of this election involves two Korean-American candidates, running for the opposite parties: Mark Keam (D-35) and Sang Yi (R-37). Although they are not directly going against each other, it will be interesting to see which way one of the biggest minority groups in Virginia votes this election season as the two parties prepare for the upcoming presidential election in 2016.