Sep/Oct 2006

Congressional Contenders

It's definitely a race worth watching-Thelma Drake and Phil Kellam talk to HRM about their plans for the 2nd district.

By Michael Jon Khandelwal

This November, residents of Virginia's 2nd Congressional District-which includes the Eastern Shore, Virginia Beach, northern Norfolk and eastern Hampton-will go to the polls and choose a U. S. Congressional Representative in what will certainly be a hotly contested race.

The incumbent is Republican U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake, who served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1995-2004 before winning a seat in Congress in 2004. Drake, 56, serves on the House Armed Services Committee, among others, and is a former Realtor(tm). She was born in Ohio and now makes her home with her husband in East Ocean View. She is the mother of two children and has four grandchildren.

Her challenger is Democrat Phil Kellam, the Virginia Beach commissioner of the revenue, first elected in 1997. Kellam, 50, traces his roots in Virginia to 1652, was born and raised in Virginia Beach, and lives in the home in which he grew up, just five minutes from his office at the Municipal Center. He shares joint custody of his two sons, whose pictures are prominently displayed in his office.

This particular race has garnered tons of media attention regarding the candidates' debate over television ad campaigns, particularly Drake's discontent with liberal political action group MoveOrg.org's ads claming she was "caught red handed."

Here, though, both Rep. Drake and Commissioner Kellam sat down with Hampton Roads Magazine to discuss strictly the issues at hand-their visions for the 2nd District and Hampton Roads and why they deserve your vote in November.

Rep. Thelma Drake

Why should residents of the 2nd District give you their vote?

I have a very extensive track record representing the people of this region, and I have more than 10 years of legislative experience. I have a very extensive voting record-my constituents know I'll tell them how I'm feeling about something. The fact that I serve on the House Armed Services Committee is very important for the people in the 2nd District. I also serve on the Policy Committee, which is really digging into a lot of various issues that are before Congress.

What will you do as a member of Congress to ensure the continued operation of Oceana?

Hopefully by September we'll have a clearer picture from Florida. All of us are very skeptical that Florida will be able to meet the requirements of BRAC, because they've just broken ground on a community college and didn't do anything to slow or stop the construction of 11,000 homes. We would like for Florida to come out and say, 'We're not going to pursue this.' Assuming all goes well with Florida, the most important thing for Oceana in the future is that we adhere to the reforms the city of Virginia Beach has put into place. BRAC is about moving jets, not closing Oceana. The Navy can do that at any point in time-they don't need a BRAC. If we aren't serious or think we don't need to persevere because BRAC is over and Florida has not done anything to get these jets, we will be in a very dangerous position. If Florida does nothing, we still need to keep the commitment we've made to the Navy to stop encroachment. That's how we keep those jets.

What will you do to remedy our transportation problems?

We need to continue to work to increase the monies that are returned to Virginia. We are still a donor state. I personally think that no state should get more than 100 percent of what they send to the federal government in gas tax, until everybody gets 100 percent. Under Gov. Gilmore, we got into the 90s, but we're still a donor state, and that needs to change. I talked to Gov. Kaine recently about the importance of beginning construction projects. The public needs to see we're moving ahead, whether it's improvements to 460 or beginning the Southeastern Expressway. We need to start projects so we're not just talking about transportation. We're also working on getting permission to open up our HOV lanes because they're so underused in Hampton Roads.

For more answers from Drake, see the Sept/Oct 2006 issue of Hampton Roads Magazine, currently available on newsstands.

Commissioner of Revenue Phil Kellam

Why should residents of the 2nd District give you their vote?

The incumbent has clearly shown that she will vote with her party leadership over the interests of the 2nd District. We need someone in Washington who will represent our interests first, not party leaders' interests. The examples are plentiful: no money for port security, no money for port dredging, cuts in military retirement benefits, no leadership in pointing out to the state that we need to solve this transportation problem. I've got a record for being independent and working with Republicans, Democrats, Independents, businesses and civic groups to find common-sense solutions. I've got a record of cutting budgets, cutting staffs, raising productivity and getting things done that people said couldn't be done. I don't need to go to Washington. I want to go to Washington, because I know this region and have lived here all my life. I want to see us reach our full potential.

What will you do as a member of Congress to ensure the continued operation of Oceana?

I'll work very hard to bring together business, civic and military interests and let Washington know I'm there to defend the interests of the 2nd District. We know that air national security is just that: a national issue, and where we place our military resources is something that must be decided at a national level. We have an intense military infrastructure here. I don't think that we've been deliberate about protecting it. We have a community here that has very deep military roots, which brings value to the whole community. The military, along with the port, are the two most important economic drivers and the two greatest points of potential within the region.

What will you do to remedy our transportation problems?

I was on Gov. Warner's Commission on Transportation in urban areas last year, and it became clear that we've been neglecting transportation for 20 years, and the state leadership has been raiding transportation funds and spending the money on other things to keep the budget moving. We have to face the reality that there needs to be spending on transportation, and it's got to be paid for some way. This is elemental to my experience in government-you have to pay your bills, and you have to decide whether to cut expenses one place or raise revenues another place. As commissioner of the revenue, I operate on a budget smaller than eight years ago, when I began-my staff is 24 percent smaller, and my productivity is up more than 233 percent. Unless you create efficiencies, instead of just keeping government bureaucracies in place, you're not solving problems. That's the essence of why I want to go to Washington. We need common sense. I'm a pay-as-you-go guy who believes in fiscal responsibility. If you're a representative of the people, you ought to be listening to hear what they want to pay for.-

For the rest of this story, see the Sept/Oct 2006 issue of Hampton Roads Magazine, currently available on newsstands.