Democratic leaders in Virginia’s 10th state Senate District canceled their firehouse primary and named Jack Trammell the Democratic nominee after no other Democrat filed to run in the special election for the seat that will be vacated by Republican John McGuire after he was elected to Congress last month.
Trammell, a Louisa County farmer, ran for Congress in 2014 against Republican Dave Brat in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District. He is a college professor and sociologist at Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland and a former Hanover County Public Schools teacher.
Trammell said he’s running for office because he thinks it’s better to do something than to complain about something.
“It was a decision based in part on not wanting to believe that Nov. 5 is the final word about things,” Trammell said, referencing Election Day. “We have an ongoing political process, and we need people to participate in it.”
Trammell has lived in the state Senate district for 30 years and is raising his grandchildren there. He said he has canoed the James River in the district and shot his first deer in the district, he said.
Trammell said he wants to work on the “kitchen-table issues” that district residents are concerned about, such as grocery prices, teacher retention in local schools and infrastructure needs.
The 10th is a strong Republican district that includes all or part of 11 counties, including Hanover, Powhatan, Louisa, Goochland, Fluvanna, Appomattox, Buckingham, Amelia, Cumberland, Prince Edward and Henrico. In this year’s presidential election, 63% of voters in the district voted for Republican Donald Trump.
“This is obviously … a very strong Republican district. That’s a given. It was drawn that way,” Trammell said.
“But also … this district has been changing. Charlottesville has been moving east, Richmond has been moving west. The small towns have gotten broadband thanks to Abigail Spanberger and some others.
“This district is much more diverse than people give it credit for, and while it’s obviously still a Republican district, I don’t think it should be sold short for the changes that are occurring as we speak.”
On the other side, seven Republicans are seeking the nomination to succeed McGuire.
Republicans will hold a mass meeting to select their nominee on Dec. 13 at the Goochland Rec Center at 1800 Sandy Hook Road. Registration is from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
A special election date has not been set yet because McGuire has not yet resigned from his state Senate seat.
Democrats hold a 21-19 edge in the state Senate. Two other special elections, for a state Senate seat and a House of Delegates seat in Loudoun County, will be Jan. 7, the day before the General Assembly convenes.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com