Liberty students share their views on the Virginian gubernatorial candidates

Ed Gillespie is a Republican’s Republican, and there are no surprises on what he supports. He is for small government, tax reform and expanding the military.

Yet, he also cares about educating students and the effects of mental health, increasing teacher salaries, and giving patients easier access to medical marijuana.

In order to be a good citizen, it is crucial to understand the importance of state and local government, and Gillespie recognizes that and continually focuses on issues that matter to Virginians specifically. His slogan is “For All Virginians,” and Gillespie’s policies for economic growth definitely strive to pull those struggling out of poverty.

“I believe there’s much more we need to do, and I’ve unveiled a 15-point plan,” Gillespie said in an interview with the Washington Post. “I call it my ‘FAITH in Government for All Virginians’ plan, and FAITH stands for fairness, accountability, integrity, transparency, and honesty. And the first thing I will do if elected governor of the Commonwealth we love is sign an executive order that is a zero-gift ban.”

If elected, this ban would block all gifts from being given to himself, his family and all of his political appointees. Gillespie claims that this will help to bring the government back down to the local level. He hopes to bring cabinet meetings to different parts of Virginia so those citizens who wish to take part but are unable to drive to the state capital will finally be able to interact with their elected officials.

Yet, one issue that stands out in this election is that of Virginia’s struggling economy. This concerns all Virginians, but especially college students who are in need of jobs post-graduation

“In five of the last six years our economic growth has been below 1 percent,” said Gillespie an interview with Mark Theissen. “And the only exception is when it got to 2 percent. We have, for six straight years now, been below the national Gross Domestic Product rate. For three years in a row, more people moved out of Virginia than into Virginia. That had never happened before.”

One major tenement of Gillespie’s economic policy proposal is an across-the-board 10 percent tax cut for all Virginians. This will help balance the economy and allow consumers to keep a little more of their income.

He is also focused on providing more work opportunities for young professionals, therefore giving them incentives to stay in the state rather than take their skills elsewhere.

“I feel the economic anxiety with my fellow Virginians as I travel the Commonwealth… but the opportunities aren’t here,” said Gillespie.

Overall, Gillespie cares more about improving our state government than he does about getting his name in the media. His policies show that he cares about local communities and wants citizens to be involved in their local government.

In a time when politics has become a popularity game, with politicians more worried about who knows their name rather than the change they can make for their community, Gillespie is a breath of fresh air and one that is much-needed as governor of Virginia.

 

Cliff Hyra

Aaron Sobczak

adsobczak@liberty.edu

Many Virginians are tired of the same old establishment politics. And both parties have delivered moderate, establishment candidates – neither of them willing to make the radical changes necessary to benefit the lives of Virginians. Cliff Hyra is the candidate who is willing to make these radical changes. Lobbyists and super Political Action Committees do not back him, but average Virginians – Virginians looking for change do.

Hyra, as well as his wife and three children, live in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Hyra graduated with a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering from Virginia Tech in 2004. He received his Juris Doctorate from the George Mason School of Law in 2007. He then went on to create his own patent attorney law firm in 2012 and has been a practicing patent attorney lawyer since.

Hyra is running for governor of Virginia under the Libertarian Party. The Libertarian Party is focused on spreading the message of individual liberty, self-governance and the non-aggression principle, according to the official platform on the Libertarian Party’s website. Hyra’s policies certainly reflect these ideals.

When the establishment candidates are asked about spending or taxes, nine times out of 10, they will support the government when it steals more and more money from the working class.

“I would take a pro-innovation approach and eliminate the state income tax on the first $60,000 of household income, saving the average Virginia family $3,000 every year,” Hyra said when asked about taxes.

Hyra takes similar stances on occupational licensing and healthcare. He believes that occupational licensing hurts small business growth, and it also makes it harder for college graduates to find careers after graduation. He believes in a competitive healthcare system for Virginia, one that encourages private companies to provide the best care possible to the most people. Hyra believes that liquor stores should be privatized.

He is also a strong proponent of criminal justice reform, stating that he would end the expensive, immoral and unwise drug war in Virginia. He instead will push for marijuana legalization and an end to mass incarceration. He has promised to halt any civil asset forfeiture abuse that occurs in Virginia.

Both Ralph Northam and Ed Gillespie are in favor of using eminent domain to build expensive oil pipelines through Virginia, but Hyra has other ideas. He is very much against the building of such pipelines. He said that he will defend the property rights of property owners in Virginia. Hyra believes that building such a pipeline would trample on the rights of individuals, as well as ruin the tourist industry and the natural beauty of the affected areas.

Voters in Virginia will have three choices for governor come Nov. 7. Two of the candidates will have nothing new to offer – they will continue to push for the status quo in Virginia and support policies of stagnation, not growth. Cliff Hyra is the third option. He supports policies that will bring economic growth and diversity to Virginia, policies that support principles of liberty, individualism, small government and tolerance towards all Virginians.

 

 

 

 

Ralph Northam

Elizabeth Lapp

As a former army doctor and pediatrician turned state senator and lieutenant governor, Ralph Northam’s campaign has been shaped by his experiences in both the private sector and the Virginia State Legislature.

Having worked with children for much of his professional career, education has been a cornerstone of Northam’s campaign which focuses on the changes needed to improve the learning experiences of students across the state. A primary focus would be increasing the pay of Virginia teachers, thus addressing the state-wide teacher shortage by allowing schools to better recruit and retain teachers. He also wants to eliminate standardized testing requirements in order to focus on promoting the creativity of students and foster a love of learning instead of teaching them how to take a multiple-choice test.

His platform also recognizes the fact that college is not always needed or desired for some students and thus has supported the creation of high school apprenticeship programs. These programs would allow for students to gain industry certifications and advanced job training in order to better prepare students to enter Virginia’s workforce.

Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, politicians have fought over whether there should be government run healthcare without actually looking at how law has affected actual people’s lives. As a pediatrician, Northam has seen the progress made under the Affordable Care act first hand, as pre-existing conditions do not block individuals most in need of care from receiving it. The act also expanded the Children’s Health Insurance Program, increasing coverage for underprivileged children and leveling the playing field.

As a state senator, Northam crossed party lines on several occasions in order to get things done in the Virginia legislature, including passing a ban on smoking in restaurants. In 2011, his voting record prompted members of the Virginia Republican party to ask Northam if he would be interested in switching parties, according to the Virginian-Pilot.

“Never once did an injured soldier stop me before a medical procedure to check if I was a Democrat or Republican,” Northam said on his campaign website. “And I never asked them. We were all in it together. I look at government the same way.”

In an era of divisive, partisan politics, Northam presents a refreshing perspective of someone who looks to defend the interests of Virginia voters over those of his party or political backers. Nowhere is the need for this more clear than in the need for election reforms in Virginia.

Virginia is one of only 12 states to not restrict campaign donations, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The DailyPress describes Virginia campaign finance restrictions as the least restrictive in the nation, as campaign funds can be used for personal use.

Northam is the only gubernatorial candidate who has proposed plans to address these issues through a ban on personal use of campaign funds, banning corporate campaign contributions and limiting the size of donations that can be given to campaigns.

The gerrymandering of Virginia districts has also allowed for Virginian legislators to be unresponsive to the desires of Virginian voters, as elected officials pick their voters when it should be the other way around. Northam is the only candidate to advocate for a non-partisan commission to draw fair voting districts on geographical lines.

While other political candidates have adopted the divisive, populist approach to campaigning, Northam has stayed true to the values and lessons he learned serving Virginia as a doctor and state senator. If you want a governor who will actually listen to the needs and interests of the Virginian people, then Northam is your guy.