Editor's note, Oct. 16, 2023 — the story has been updated with links to video recordings of the debates.
Mental health, addiction, gun violence, and Interstate 81 were hot topics at a political forum in Shenandoah County this week. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi was there and filed this report.
Debate was civil and, at times, jovial in Edinburg on Wednesday evening. About 75 people filled the auditorium of the Charterhouse School to hear from candidates for the General Assembly and local Commonwealth's Attorney offices.
House of Delegates
Shenandoah, Page, and parts of Rockingham and Warren counties fall in the new 33rd district for the House of Delegates, which largely matches the former 15th district. Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert is defending this seat from challenger Bob Smith, a Democrat and Vietnam War veteran who taught special education for many years in Northern Virginia.
Forum organizers told WMRA that Gilbert had planned to participate, but had been called to Richmond that day. So, Smith answered questions from the audience and Moderator Cindy Hunter on his own, and decried the influence of money in politics.
BOB SMITH: Because only the rich are the ones that are able to be up there to represent us. Only the rich! Those that can get lots of money and buy the candidates and put them in the place so that they can make the laws.
Smith has raised about $7,000 this year, whereas Gilbert has brought in more than$680,000 – a large chunk of which came from the Republican Commonwealth Leadership PAC.
Commonwealth's Attorney
Next up were the two candidates running for Shenandoah County Commonwealth's Attorney. Amanda Wiseley, running as an independent, has held the position for 12 years. Elizabeth Cooper, running as a Republican, is currently an assistant prosecutor in Culpeper County and formerly practiced family law.
Wiseley said that the community's meth crisis is a major issue. She touted the county's new drug treatment court run by the Northern Shenandoah Valley Substance Abuse Coalition, which also operates drug courts in Winchester, Clarke, and Frederick counties.
AMANDA WISELEY: Three years ago, fentanyl was our number one issue. Now it's methamphetamine. And working with law enforcement agencies and working with community partners to help, not just, again, the defendants that we see in our courtroom, but their families.
Cooper repeatedly brought up what she says are communication issues between the prosecutor's office and law enforcement and victims.
ELIZABETH COOPER: I very specifically reached out to law enforcement and asked them what it was they expected from the office of Commonwealth's Attorney. And across the board in this county, that is where I heard that communication was an issue.
WISELEY: Strasburg had another homicide in July. I arrived at about 10 a.m., and left at about seven in the morning from that scene. I don't interrupt them, but I'm there to answer any question they may have. … We do communicate with victims. I have a victim/witness coordinator. I sit down and meet with victims.
State Senate
The most jocular exchanges of the evening came from Republican Timmy French and Democrat Emily Scott. Both are Shenandoah County natives who aim to be the state senator for the newly drawn first district, which includes Winchester and the counties of Clarke, Frederick, Shenandoah, and Warren. Previously, this area was split between the 26th and 27th districts. Mark Obenshain, incumbent from the 26th, is now running for reelection in the new second district. Jill Vogel, who represented the 27th, is not seeking reelection, as the Winchester Star reported.
Both French and Scott expressed alignment with their party affiliations, as well as respect for those on the other side of the aisle.
SCOTT: The state of politics today has become truly acrimonious. But I'd like to say that I grew up with Timmy! He's a great guy! We just disagree on how we accomplish certain things.
FRENCH: … [applause] Well good evening. I feel like – Kumbaya! [audience laughter]
Each spoke about how their careers would inform their policy decisions. French is a farmer who co-owns beef, dairy, poultry, and produce operations, and has worked with the Shenandoah County Farm Bureau and Rockingham Cooperative.
FRENCH: Agriculture's the number one industry in this state. There's 382,000 jobs directly related to agriculture. That's a private industry. It's an $82 billion industry.
Scott said her experience working for the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, a trade union, would enable her to improve conditions on Interstate 81.
SCOTT: We can encourage rail transportation. We can encourage freight to move from 81 to the Central Crescent. Central Crescent's a good, solid railroad. We can take some of the trucks off of 81 and move them to rail, but we have to have incentives for that and we have to encourage it.
Both candidates said construction and safety on the highway are among the top three issues the winner would face. Scott said another priority was defending abortion rights, which French did not address in his remarks. Both brought up funding for mental health services and education. They split on how to address gun violence.
FRENCH: I'm a supporter of the second amendment. … I feel like our gun violence is a mental health issue, and we need to work on making sure we can fund these situations and help these individuals.
SCOTT: I think it may be time to consider an assault weapon ban. … We have a first amendment right called freedom of speech, but you can't say everything you want in public. You can't yell "fire" in a crowded theater. So why is any kind of restriction on the ownership and use of firearms considered a violation of the second amendment? It doesn't make sense.
Students from Central High School also attended the forum to record the debates.
You can watch those recordings here:
- September 26 — board of supervisors, school board candidates
- September 27 — Commonwealth's Attorney, Virginia House of Delegates, Virginia Senate candidates
