Today, three members of Raising Kaine - Josh, Dan and myself - had the privilege of sitting down for lunch with Andrew Hurst, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress from the 11th District. Currently, the 11th District is represented by Republican Tom Davis, a right-wing wolf in "moderate" sheep's clothing. Here are Davis' interest group ratings from Project Vote Smart in several key areas:
Right to Choose: ZERO
Civil Liberties: 10%
Gay Rights: ZERO
Education (NEA): 25%
Environment: ZERO
Family and Children Issues: ZERO from the Children's Defense Fund, 8% from the National Parent Teacher Association
Gun Violence: ZERO from the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
Labor: 13% from the United Auto Workers, 20% from the AFL-CIO
Senior Citizens: ZERO from the Alliance for Retired Americans
Veterans: ZERO from the Disabled American Veterans
Far Right Social Groups: 92% from the Family Research Council, 83% from the right-wing Christian Action Network
You get the idea; Tom Davis is NOT the "moderate" he so often is portrayed as being. Even worse, Davis has received money from Jack Abramoff's associate, David H. Safavian. Despite all this, Davis has been elected and re-elected from a moderate district - one that Tim Kaine won handily in 2005 - since 1994. How? Very simple: the power of incumbency, and the reluctance of anyone to challenge him. Well, that appears to be changing this year, with a young, high-powered attorney named Andrew Hurst.
As I said, today several members of Raising Kaine had the opportunity to get to know Andrew Hurst. What we heard was impressive. First, Hurst has hired himself a fine campaign manager - James Walkinshaw, who recently ran the Bruce Roemmelt campaign. That's great news right there; James is a pro! Second, it's clear from talking to Hurst that this is a Democrat who's committed to reform and clean, honest, "good government." That's critically important, of course, especially in light of all the scandals and slime we're seeing in Washington, DC right now. Third, Hurst rejects the Tom Davis model of "cynical politics at its finest," of caving in to developers on "smart growth" near Metro, Fourth, Hurst is a committed, active Democrat who believes in health care for all, has been strongly against the Iraq War from the beginning, and a John Edwards/Mark Warner positive vision for America.
Perhaps most importantly, Andrew Hurst is running for public office for all the right reasons, not for personal career advancement. In fact, Hurst pointed out that if anything, challenging Tom Davis actually could HURT his legal career. But so be it. It may sound corny, but Hurst is actually running for public office because he cares - about the future of his family, his state, and his country. Hurst definitely does not believe that incumbents should be re-annointed every 2 years, certainly not for life. Also importantly, Hurst stresses that he is not beholden to anyone, that he wants to hear the best ideas and give people an opportunity to get involved. Hurst is proud of his "poor white trash kid" roots on the Jersey shore, not far from where Bruce Springsteen grew up. Today, Hurst is a successful corporate attorney (at Reed Smith LLP), but he hasn't forgotten his hard-working, blue collar roots.
Regarding his chances against Tom Davis, Hurst emphasizes, "I play everything to win." Sure, Tom Davis will have more money than Hurst, but Hurst believes he can successfully compete by using innovative strategies, by relying on the grassroots, and also by just plain outhustling Davis. In other words, don't be surprised if you see Andrew Hurst on your doorstep in the next few months! In addition, Hurst points out that Davis' popularity is wildly overrated, that most people in the district barely even know who he is.
And remember, this is a district that Tim Kaine won by 13 points over Jerry Kilgore, that Leslie Byrne won by 11 points over Bill Bolling, and that Creigh Deeds won by 6 points over Bob McDonnell. So, watch out Tom Davis! You might think you're 100%, lock-solid secure in your "incumbent protection act" district, but Andrew Hurst and a growing number of Kaine/Byrne/Deeds voters have other ideas!