Collegiate Times

While it hasn't been getting much attention on campus, there is a statewide election coming up next Tuesday, Nov. 6. Up for grabs are all 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates and all 40 seats in the Virginia Senate. Additionally, all local constitutional officers (e.g. sheriff) are on the ballot.

I will grant that state legislative races don't seem as exciting as the race for governor, congress, or president. However, they are actually more important than many higher-profile races.

Sure it's true that the president and congress have a bearing on laws, but it is our state legislators who set many of our taxes, determine how money will be spent, and enact or repeal laws that directly affect our lives.

Of particular importance this year is the Virginia Senate, control of which is being sought by two different factions. One of these is the Democratic Party, who needs to win only four seats to capture a majority in the Senate. This could have several long-term ramifications, not the least of which is some control of the redistricting process that will take place after the 2010 census.

Also trying to win the Senate is a faction of fiscal conservatives who have long seen the Republican leadership in the Senate as too willing to raise taxes rather than limit spending. This was manifest in 2004 with the passage of former Governor Mark Warner's massive tax increase. The bill could not have gone through without the cooperation of the higher-up Republicans in the Senate.

For myself, I support the fiscally conservative group. I don't care so much about party affiliation as I do about having senators who will respect the individual's right to keep as much as he or she earns (many will disagree with me on this, of course, but the point of this column is not to argue economic philosophy so much as highlight the dynamics of the election.)

That said, there are two Senate races in the western half of Virginia that are of great interest to both democrats and fiscal conservatives. The first is District 24, which is north of Blacksburg and includes Lexington, Staunton, Waynesboro and several of the surrounding counties.

This race is unique for several reasons. For one, it is a three-way race where the incumbent republican, Emmett Hanger, is facing opposition from libertarian Arin Sime and democrat David Cox. While the 24th district is strongly Republican, Senator Hanger has come under fire for not standing up for lower taxes and property rights.

It is noteworthy that Sen. Hanger only narrowly survived an intra-party opposition during the June primary.

Capitalizing on Sen. Hanger's neglect of fiscally conservative principles,

Sime has run on a solid platform of keeping taxes and spending in check, protecting private property from eminent domain abuse and school choice. A Sime victory in the 24th District would be not only a boon to fiscal conservatives, but also to the Libertarian Party, who could claim their first seat in the Virginia Senate.

And it's not outside the realm of possibility. As of Sept. 30 Sime had raised over $35,000 for his campaign, which is quite respectable for a third party, especially considering that Cox, the Democratic candidate, has raised only $11,000.

Hopefully the voters of District 24 will have the courage to elect a true fiscal conservative rather than a Republican in name only.

The second Senate race of great interest to both of the aforementioned factions is much closer to home.

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