VIRGINIA BEACH
So far, Peter Schmidt said, the issue hasn't really come up.
The 82nd District candidate insists most of the discussion during his door-to-door campaign has centered on his goals for local and regional transportation. Or his income-tax-relief plan.
Occasionally, he'll even field a query about the state of University of Virginia football.
But as the Nov. 3 election moves closer, surely the masses will start to wonder: What's a Republican doing on the Democratic ticket?
"I'm confident it will be used against me," said Schmidt, who has shifted from red to blue in a bid to unseat veteran state Del. Bob Purkey. "But I don't think it will be an impediment in this campaign. I've always voted my conscience. I'm comfortable in my own skin."
The big question is how much any of this will matter. The 74-year-old Purkey has held office since 1986. He trounced Schmidt in the 2005 Republican primary, garnering 63 percent of the vote.
Now a member of the surging Democrats, Schmidt, 60, thinks this fall will be different.
"Political office isn't an entitlement, it's about fixing stuff that's broken," he said. "I'm proud to represent the Democratic Party."
Democrats think Schmidt looks like a winner, too.
"We're very optimistic about the 82nd, and the biggest reason for that is Peter Schmidt," said Ollie Bates, chairman of the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee.
For now, Purkey is keeping his thoughts to himself.
"I have absolutely no comment on that," he said. "The election will be decided on issues, and we have an awful lot of issues."
Chief among them, Schmidt said, is a transportation infrastructure he says is virtually obsolete. He said the House of Delegates should take up issues such as building light rail, widening Interstate 64 and mitigating tunnel congestion to enhance "arguably the best port on the East Coast."
"There's a lot of things we can do, but it involves political courage," said Schmidt, who is president of a company that imports and distributes materials for concrete masonry manufacturing. "The roadblock is on the Republican side of the House of Delegates."
That used to be Schmidt's side. From 1994 to '96 he led the Department of Environmental Quality under then-Gov. George Allen, a former classmate at U.Va. He was elected to the City Council in 2002 and made a run at Purkey's seat three years later.
" There were some problems that needed to be dealt with," he said. "I lost handily. But last summer, I started thinking about it again. The problems have just gotten worse."
Although Schmidt said his party switch is more about ideas than opportunity, he does acknowledge that the Democrats clearly have some wind at their backs. President Barack Obama was the first Democrat in 44 years to carry Virginia, in part because of his narrow victory in Hampton Roads. And Glenn Nye upended Republican incumbent Thelma Drake to win the 2nd Congressional District.
"People always say this is Republican country," Bates said. "We like to say this used to be Republican country.
Just as Schmidt used to be a Republican.
Paul White, (757) 418-1447, paul.white@pilotonline.com
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class act
Peter is a class act who votes with integrity. He is an honest up front guy who deserves to be elected!
Another Opportunist
Why has the issue not come up yet? More specifically, why has Schmidt not brought the issue up? I see a man who was a 'Republican' when it was helpful and is now a 'Democrat' as it currently suits his needs. What exactly is it that caused him to switch parties? Was it a midnight vision where he realized that he was really a progressive? Is he concerned that there are not enough government programs? Does he believe that the 'rich' don't carry their fair share? Or was it an evening brainstorming session where he realized that he had no future as a republican and found the political wind in the Dems sails personally beneficial. Please define for us what exactly it is you stand for beyond election?
A Delegate with Energy and Enthusiasm
Peter Schmidt is a fiscal conservative who understands quite well that we must have a Delegate who will stand up in Richmond and work for what is best for the citizens of his district. We are fed up with pot holes on I-264, with closed bridges, closed rest stops, with cancellation of needed projects because the Commonwealth won't provide state match, with a delegate who simply takes orders from the Speaker of the House, Bill Howell, instead of orders from us, his constituents. Peter served this City well as a member of City Council, he served George Allen well as a senior member of his administration, and he serves the environment well as a conservator of the Elizabeth River and the Lynnhaven River. We need a delegate with the energy and the enthusiasm and the commitment to work for us, not for the majority party that has thwarted progress in this great Commonwealth for over a decade.
Schmidt is a moderate,
pragmatic guy who can be a great representative for the district. It is past time for new leadership in the 82nd.
With all the losses, by the
With all the losses, by the democrats and socialists in Europe, Schmidt just may want to reconsider his democrat stance. I believe that the voters will turn against the democrats this year, because of the way that Obama and the democrats are handling the issues now. Maybe more independents will get elected this year, with the voters ignoring or voting against both parties.