Will remain neutral on this post if you're wondering, I don't really have any choice yet...

He'll take the fight to Tom Davis, and that's what's going to win it for Democrats this year.  Hurst stands for what he believes in, and he's not afraid to tell the truth.

Ken is more experienced though, and he, too, believes in what he fights for.

Andy's a great guy, but the question has to be asked, and with Iraq as such a major issue, who better to campaign on it then a career state department worker?

Also, where was Hurst in local politics before 2000? To my knowledge, he didn't even vote in primaries. Why the run now?

From his website:

I received my B.A. in History from Seton Hall University magna cum laude in 1993, and my J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center cum laude in 1996.

 

He then was busy getting married, starting a career and a family.  And he's a committed Democrat, no doubt:

I have been active in Northern Virginia politics for a number of years, as a member of the Mount Vernon Democratic Committee and a sustaining member of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee. I have served as my local precinct captain, and have worked the polls at every election over the past few years. I served on the Kitchen Cabinet for Supervisor Gerry Hyland’s last race, and am a regular contributor to the campaigns of many of our local and state candidates.

I have been just as active in Democratic politics at the national level. I served on the National Finance Committee of Senator John Edwards’ 2004 Presidential campaign,and continue to support Senator Edwards’ efforts to find real solutions to poverty and other problems facing America.

Finally, as an attorney, I have championed many Democratic causes and campaigns in investigations and prosecutions nationwide. I have fought in courtrooms against Ken Starr’s deputies, and on behalf of contributors to Democratic candidates. I have been a strident advocate for Democrats at every opportunity.

Hurst has an awfully long resume. He was on the National Finance Committee of the 2004 Presidential campaign of Senator John Edwards.  He has been active in Northern Virginia politics for years, on the Mount Vernon Democratic Committee and the Fairfax County DC. He was local precinct captain, and worked the polls at lots of elections. He served on the Kitchen Cabinet for Supervisor Gerry Hyland. Hurst also volunteered as the Young Lawyer Section representative to the Bar Association of DC and is now on the Board of Directors. He is the latest Young Lawyer of the Year for his work with small businesses and for his pro bono work on "Operation Crackdown," a program to provide legal assistance to residents of poor DC neighborhoods. When he's not volunteering in political causes, Hurst has fought for Democratic causes in court, defending friends of President Clinton against independent counsel Ken Starr.

If Ken has so much experience, why doesn't he have proposals for anything?  For the 2004 race, the Washington Post had said "His Democratic challenger, former diplomat Ken Longmyer, has not offered a persuasive argument for change."  Ken still has no arguments for change.

He's older, that's true.  How old is he, anyway?  He never says.  But what is there to show a diplomat assigned to Amsterdam and South Africa who retired in ten years ago could resolve this?  Ken never held office in his life.

Before 2000?  Ken doesn't mention any party work at all.  Andy of course was in the courts fighting Ken Starr and other Republican prosecutors.  Ken was doodling his name on a ballot!

Andy has more than a decade dealing with federal courts and legislation. He's been doing party work for years, and last year he and his team were working for 2005 Democrats, stuffing envelopes, making calls, writing checks, and pounding the pavement.

Besides, if experience is the touchstone in this election, than Tom Davis wins hands down.

Ken spent 24 years in the Foreign Service. While experience in South Africa and Amsterdam doesn't neccessarily mean he can solve the problem, surely a career foreign service member is better suited to solving international problems than a young, federal regulatory lawyer.

Andy got involved in democratic politics starting in 2003, to the extent that he voted in the primaries. Andy didn't even vote in the general election in 2002. How is that being active in local democratic politics?

When was Andy fighting Ken Starr and other Republican prosecutors? He is a federal regulatory lawyer. I'm sure he's a very good federal regulatory lawyer. But Congressmen have more important things to deal with than regulatory law.

Moreover, Andy didn't support Ken's bid in 2004, but he didn't step up himself.

This doesn't add up to "party work for years." He doesn't have a record of community involvement before 2003, and he hasn't served on local boards or commissions at all.

Ken has 6 years as a teacher, 34 years in the community, and he served on the Fairfax Civil Service Commission. Despite Tom Davis's incredible funding advantage and Ken's short notice to run in 2004, he garnered a solid percentage against a popular incumbent.

This is why I support Ken for office. Andy's a great guy, but he doesn't have the experience.

Andy is not a "federal regulatory lawyer," although he has to understand regulations.  He is a litigator.  He litigated some of the Whitewater cases defending against Ken Starr.
Andy got involved in democratic politics long before 2003, even if you don't count the Starr cases in 1999.  Who said Andy didn't vote in 2002?  He's been precinct captain. He belongs to two local Democratic clubs as a sustaining member.  Ken barely got the energy to fill out a union membership card before the election.

When was Andy fighting Ken Starr and other Republican prosecutors? His cases are listed on the Reed Smith website. You don't have to look too hard to find that. In the time it took to type that inaccurate stuff, you could have found it.  http://www.juliehiattsteele.com/Motions/AbuseOfGrandJury.htm
You can also see a list of cases by lawyer, although you may have to rerun the search to get the cases to appear in the left frame at http://pview.findlaw.com/view/2529968_1?channel=LP.

His record of community involvement and Party work is much longer than Ken's, including FCDC, MVDC, BADC (Young Lawyer of the Year 2005 for his volunteer work). He also works at his local church, where he stays late to do their accounting, too, just to name a few.

Andy did support Ken's bid in 2004. He said, "There were 13 people marching in the [Democratic] Party parade [I think he meant July 4th in town] and 5 of them were named Hurst!"  As a young lawyer with 3 kids under 5 years old, a full time job and all the other volunteer work, you’re right. He didn’t run. But he was the youngest person on John Edwards National Finance Committee, on it since May 2003. They sent him to other states for the campaign during the primary.

Ken didn't even win the Washington Post in 2004. They said he has no message and nothing to offer. If Ken had learned from that, it would be great. But he still has no message and no plans.  The last time I heard him speak he said "Universal Health Care" would be nice and so would reducing our trade deficit with China.  My 6-year old thinks the same thing. She has no plans for that, either. 

Look at the voting records. Andy didn't vote in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001 or 2002.

People get motivated to be in politics at different times in their lives.  Especially people just out of graduate school with a young family working crazy hours (in Hurst's case, much work benefited the Party).  VA in particular struggles to get Dems to vote -- they gotta drive through that NoVa traffic before polls to close.  Especially tough to vote before the absentee ballot rules were loosened.

When Andy did get engaged, he canvassed and phone banked for Marsden and Bulova, marched for Werkheiser, and was on the Kitchen Cabinet for Gerry Hyland.  Was his precinct captain since 2002.  Edwards National Finance Committee, too.  And was a lawyer for the party in numerous cases during the same period you are criticizing him about.  There are many ways to support the Party.  Sounds like Hurst did not do a good job getting to the polls on time, but backed up the party in other ways. I get tired just typing it.

I see no list of what Ken has done.  What has Ken done for this party besides beg for it's help in running for office in 2004, and this year?  Which candidate has he assisted?  How many doors has he knocked on? (Andy’s going for 5,000.)  How much money has he raised? (As much as we don't like money's influence, Tom Davis will not be beaten by someone with a negative cash flow AND no hustle.) How many volunteers has Ken recruited? Forget 1997-2002, how about ever?

Hurst helped a bunch with Werkheiser.

Ken did absolutely nothing...

Andrew Hurst has the qualities that it will take to bring both democrats and republicans to the polls... HE IS THE REAL DEAL with both the ENERGY and the MESSAGE!!!  Fundraising alone is one example of Andy's dynamic campaign and huge appeal!!  DAVIS BEWARE - THERE ARE NO GET BACK INTO CONGRESS FREE PASSES...YOU NO LONGER HAVE A CONTRACT WITH AMERICA... 

funny "strange," or what?

Just kidding :)

I think Hurst has the energy (I'm big on fire and energy) to give TOm Davis a run for his money. Personally, I'm trying to get a picture of Tom Davis with a hooker.

I wish someone would get the dirt on him and Devolites-Davis, you know the real reason he divorced the first wife was because he was prolly having a little extramarital stuff happening when he was working so close with her on his campaign those long hours, show him to be the real hypocrite.

;-)