80th Dist.: Three vie for seat long held by Kenneth Melvin

Two former Portsmouth economic development directors are vying with a longtime community leader to win the House of Delegates seat long held by Kenneth Melvin.

Matthew James, president and chief executive officer of the Peninsula Council for Workforce Development; Elijah "Buddy" Sharp III, former president of the United Civic League of Cavalier Manor; and Portsmouth City Councilman Doug L. Smith are vying to succeed Melvin.

Each is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 80th District seat in the House of Delegates in Tuesday's primary.

Melvin's announcement in February that he planned to resign after 24 years initially generated a long list of potential candidates. The former delegate has since been named to a Circuit Court judgeship in Portsmouth.

The contenders for Melvin's former seat have been canvassing the district's neighborhoods but have not held a debate. The district includes sections of Norfolk and Chesapeake, but the majority of voters live in Portsmouth.

James, who is running for political office for the first time, said he is uniquely qualified to address some of the district's problems because of his experiences.

"My family and I have lived in public housing," James said. "I've also gone to one of the top business schools in the country. I feel very comfortable talking to people from different backgrounds."

James is supported by Democratic elected officials and community leaders around the region. He's raised nearly $18,000.

He counts among his economic development successes his work on redeveloping the Greenbrier corridor in Chesapeake and helping bring the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel &Waterfront Conference Center and the Port Centre One office complex to Portsmouth.

James now works as president and chief executive officer of the Peninsula Council for Workforce Development. He said he has brought more than $1.3 billion in new or expanded projects and more than 6,300 jobs to the region over the course of his career.

James, the first African American to be elected president of the Virginia Economic Developers' Association, said he plans to focus on job creation and training, student training and teacher salaries, transportation projects, and obtaining public safety funding.

Smith, a vice president with Norfolk-based Kaufman & Canoles Consulting, described himself as a proven dealmaker in both the public and the private sector.

He said he has overseen the creation of more than 2,500 jobs and has been involved in more than $1 billion worth of development projects throughout the region.

"Whether you go back to my days as a banker, my days as an economic development director, my days as a consultant now, it's a record of success," Smith said.

Smith, who took his seat on the City Council in 2006, counts among his successes his work on the Portsmouth Renaissance Hotel, Victory Crossing Shopping Center and APM Terminals. He also emphasized his experience working on regional transportation projects such as the Jordan Bridge and Midtown Tunnel.

Smith's platform includes ensuring early childhood education and health care, and transportation projects in Hampton Roads. He has raised more than $43,000 in campaign donations from developers, bankers, attorneys, and real estate and other professionals. Fellow council members Bill Moody Jr. and Elizabeth Psimas are also supporting his run.

Contender Sharp says he is the best qualified for the position because he is the only candidate with a law degree and already has experience in the General Assembly from working one session as an aide to state Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth. He has not practiced law in Virginia, however.

"I believe I know what the constituents of the 80th District want, and I have helped deliver some solutions to those problems in the past," Sharp said.

He served for 14 years as president of the United Civic League of Cavalier Manor.

He pointed to a news conference he helped pull together when he worked as a legislative aide. It addressed a gas-price hike and resulted in gas companies agreeing not to cut off service to some elderly constituents.

Sharp said he considers jobs and job training to be the biggest issue for the 80th District. His platform includes alternative energy, light rail, after-school programs, and addressing youth violence and gangs. He's raised more than $5,000 for his campaign.

This is Sharp's fourth bid for public office. He has run unsuccessfully for the Portsmouth School Board, clerk of the Circuit Court and the council.

The winner of the primary will face former Park View Civic League President Jennifer Lee, who was nominated by Republicans for the Nov. 3 election. Independents have until Tuesday night to file for the race.

Staff researcher Maureen Watts contributed to this report.

Jen McCaffery, (757) 446-2627, jen.mccaffery@pilotonline.com