Lieutenant governor race generates more heat than light
Issues have taken a back seat to the hostile tone of the campaign for lieutenant governor.
Republican Bill Bolling calls Democrat Leslie Byrne a liberal, saying she is out of step with Virginians on issues ranging from taxes to same sex-marriages.
Byrne says Bolling is unethical.
Leslie Byrne
Abortion: “Pro-choice.”
Gay marriage: Thinks same-sex couples should be able to formalize their commitment.
Capital punishment: Has supported capital punishment for crimes, but thinks there are serious questions about how the death penalty is implemented.
Transportation: Sponsored a law that requires covers on debris-carrying trucks. Says state should spend more on sidewalks, pedestrian bridges and bike rails.
Education: Supports smaller classrooms and qualified, well-trained teachers. Supports more funding for higher education. Opposes “charter” status for the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and William & Mary.
Environment: Supports tax incentives for recycling and manufacturing, as well as the tightening regulation of underground pipelines to prevent above-ground explosions.
Bill Bolling
Abortion: “Pro-life.” Supports parental notification and consent legislation and a ban on “partial-birth” abortion.
Gay marriage: Sponsored a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and same-sex unions in Virginia.
Capital punishment: Strong supporter of the death penalty.
Transportation: Wants to ensure transportation funds are spent on transportation projects. Supports additional funding for highway construction without increasing taxes.
Education: Supports more funding for public schools, higher academic standards and accountability in public education. Supports giving choices to families who desire alternative forms of education for their children.
Environment: Wants to provide incentives for programs that reward individuals and businesses for helping keep the environment clean.
Issues have taken a back seat to the hostile tone of the campaign for lieutenant governor.
Republican Bill Bolling calls Democrat Leslie Byrne a liberal, saying she is out of step with Virginians on issues ranging from taxes to same sex-marriages.
Byrne says Bolling is unethical. She points to his 20-year employment at the Reciprocal Group, a Richmond-based insurance company that went into bankruptcy after a fraud case involving its top executives.
“I’m a businessperson who has had three successful businesses in Virginia, and I have done it without declaring bankruptcy or fraud,” Byrne said during a debate at VCU. Pointing to Bolling, she added: “I know that’s not a very high standard, but on this stage it is.”
Bolling’s campaign has since released letters from the U.S. attorney’s office and the state insurance regulators stating he had no involvement with the case.
Stephen Farnsworth, associate professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, said the personal attacks can help candidates distinguish themselves from each other.
“You’re talking about two politicians that are at very extreme ends of the political spectrum,” he said. “There’s very little they would agree on.”
Byrne, a former congresswoman and state senator from Fairfax, has been one of the most liberal Democrats in the General Assembly, Farnsworth said. Unlike her opponent, she supports abortion rights and same-sex marriages and opposes the state’s right-to-work law.
Farnsworth said Bolling follows a conservative Christian agenda and is one of the most conservative senators. He is a strong supporter of the citizens’ right to bear arms and has earned an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association, unlike Byrne, who has an “F” rating.
While Byrne said she has supported capital punishment for capital crimes, she questions its implementation in certain situations. Bolling has said he is a strong supporter of the death penalty.
Byrne, 58, has been a member of the House of Delegates, the U.S. House of Representatives and, most recently, the Virginia Senate. When Byrne was redistricted out of her Senate seat in 2001, she called it an attempt by Republicans to keep Democrat women from state politics.
Farnsworth said Byrne may view the race for lieutenant governor as a chance for redemption – “an opportunity for her to get even.”
Bolling, 48, is serving his third term as state senator representing Hanover County. He served on the Hanover County Board of Supervisors from 1992 to 1995.
Bolling has expressed his desire to someday run for governor, and many view the lieutenant governor office as a launching pad for the executive slot.
Because the office is largely ceremonial, it’s difficult to run for lieutenant governor, Farnsworth said. The lieutenant governor’s duties are to preside over the Senate, cast tie-breaking votes and succeed to the governorship if the governor dies.
The small portfolio of duties makes campaigning difficult, Farnsworth said. “It’s more a discussion of character and policy.”
Polls show that the Nov. 8 election for lieutenant governor may be close. Bolling and Byrne seem to be trying to cater to their base supporters rather than to attract swing voters, Farnsworth said.
“I think both candidates are doing a good job of telling their supporters what they want to hear,” he said. “The challenge for both candidates is to reach out for those moderate voters.”
