The Virginian-Pilot
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Del. Lynwood W. Lewis Jr. easily defeated Republican Melody Himel Scalley on Tuesday, facing his first challenger since he was elected to represent the Eastern Shore in the House of Delegates in 2003.
Scalley, a first-time candidate who campaigned on cutting business taxes, had accused Lewis of doing little to create jobs and improve road safety and education on the Eastern Shore.
But Lewis earned a solid majority of votes in the district that includes a tiny piece of Norfolk.
"It was a fairly substantial margin, and I appreciate that," said Lewis, an attorney who lives in Accomac. "I'm glad to get back to the business of representing the 100th House District."
Throughout the campaign, Lewis said voters should re-elect him because he helped attract two significant economic development projects to the Eastern Shore: the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport and a project to build broadband cable infrastructure throughout his district.
H e vowed to continue to seek out economic development projects for the Eastern Shore while working with legislators to find a solution to the state's transportation problems.
Scalley had said she hoped to gain votes thanks to the endorsement of gubernatorial candidate Robert F. "Bob" McDonnell.
An independent candidate, John W. Smith Jr., had dropped out of the race, b ut his name was on the ballot, and he drew more than 100 votes.
Lewis had a sizable fund raising advantage over Scalley, raising more than $132,000 in this election cycle.
Scalley raised more than $39,000, campaign records show, and couldn't pull close despite getting a $2,000 boost from state Republican leadership in the days before Tuesday's election, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
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analysis
Let's hear it for the sensible folks of the Eastern Shore. Here's how Ms. Scalley lost: 1) She ran against a well-respected, effective incumbent. Duh. 2) Her platform, such as it was, was incoherent: Jobs! Schools! Roads! Tax cuts! Freedom! What? 3) It was clear from day one that she had no clue as to what a delegate actually does. Truly breathtaking ignorance. 4) The Eastern Shore is all about tradition, which trends conservative -- but not far right wing. My prediction is that Ms. Scalley will leave the Eastern Shore within the next year for a staff position with one of the wingnuts she befriended during the campaign. The whole point of her campaign was to advance the greater good of Melody Scalley -- it had nothing to do with what was best for the Eastern Shore. Too bad for Virginia/America, but good for the Shore!
to esgal
What?!?! By your own words shows your low IQ. Lewis's campaign was typical dirty politics: refusing to have more than 1 debate because he didn't fair as well as he had hoped with the first one, yet his manager gave the Scalley campaign 3 dates, intimidating business owners who proudly displayed Scalley signs, digging up old news from over 10 years ago & treating it like it was new. Sidebar: is he still married or gay, his FB page keeps changing, just curious. How is it he can be a Delegate, Town Atty and think he can get away with what has/is happening in Hallwood? Why did Parksley get the "last mile" of broadband instead of Cape Charles or Chincoteague? Sounds like a conflict of interest to me! Not to worry, new election in 2 years. I will say it was GREAT to have a choice this year. You are very much mistaken with your rhetoric, again.