WaPo Endorses Bill Day and Bruce Roemmelt

District 31: Republican Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter claims credit for increases in state support for public schools that in fact he strenuously opposed. In further blatant disregard of his constituents' interests, he spurned repeated efforts to increase funding for Northern Virginia's roads. As elections loomed this year, he finally flipped to support new transportation spending -- only to squirm a few months later when it turned out he'd voted for sharp increases in fines on abusive drivers. His opponent, Democrat Bill S. Day Jr., has a wealth of experience -- as a Harvard MBA, a developer and, currently, a mental-health counselor -- that would make him a much more promising lawmaker.

District 13: The mention of Del. Robert G. Marshall's name is enough to inspire eye-rolling at his legislative antics, even from fellow Republicans. Few lawmakers offer so much off-the-wall legislation on divisive social issues; fortunately, little of it is enacted. When it comes to bread-and-butter issues such as increasing transportation funding for his district, Mr. Marshall was one of the few delegates to vote against a compromise forged by moderates in his party. In Richmond, he is seen mainly as a provocateur. Little wonder that, in a break with tradition, he was denied the chairmanship of a state commission on immigration established by his own legislation. His opponent, Democrat Bruce E. Roemmelt, a former firefighter now in private business, would represent an enormous improvement if he did nothing but sit mute in the House of Delegates; in fact, he offers constructive ideas on education funding and energy conservation.

I hope you will join with me and Brian Moran,Chairman of the Virginia House Democratic Caucus in supporting Bill, Bruce and all our great candidates.

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