Chap Petersen, former Lt. Gov. hopeful and Delegate, is organizing a trip to come down here to the 3rd and the 23rd Districts to help campaign for the Special Elections.Here are the details from his message:
3rd Legislative District: This rural district is in the heart of the southwest Virginia coalfields. Formerly held by my friend Jackie Stump (D-Buchanan), one of the true giants of the Assembly, this legislative seat is now up for grabs. The Democratic candidate is Dan Bowling who is a full-time professor, part-time pastor and Tazewell County Supervisor. The election will be held Tuesday, January 3rd. I am organizing a road trip down to Tazewell on Monday, January 2nd - which is a holiday ? for those who want to make phone calls, knock on doors, and otherwise join in the madness. If you are interested in going (or meeting down there), email me back at chap@vadelegate.com. I have reserved rooms at the Fincastle Motor Inn (276-988-2531). I will plan to return late on January 3rd.23rd Legislative District: This district covers Lynchburg City and the suburbs of Amherst County. It is a classic ?swing? district that went narrowly for Kaine in ?05. Preston Bryant (R-Lynchburg) is stepping down. He was a true leader in the House and will become a Cabinet Secretary in the administration. The Democratic candidate is Shannon Valentine of Lynchburg. I know Shannon personally and she is dynamite. I?ll leave it at that. We have not yet finalized details on this road trip but it will likely occur the weekend of January 7th-8th. (The schedule will be closely connected to the Redskins? fate in the playoffs - yes, we have our priorities straight). The Election Day is Tuesday, January 10th. Again, if you are interested, please email me at chap@vadelegate.com and we?ll go from there.
I will have to admit, due in large part to my inherent doubt for anyone wearing a bow tie, I have been hesitant to put much support behind Chap. With moves like this, however, he is starting to win me over.
If I can get to feeling better (been very sick, hence the light blogging) I am going over and help too.
P.S. If for some reason you cannot make it to the 3rd District in-person to help elect Dan Bowling, you can email Elisabeth Pearson and offer any services you can provide (i.e., phone banking).
Happy New Year.