Let’s face it, the 81st district is not exactly Democrat friendly. It seems that most of the organizing has been around Republican candidates to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of Delegate Terrie Suit. Barry Knight, Tom Keeley, and Paul Lanteigne battled each other for the Republican nomination. An Independent, Jeff Dente, has also thrown his hat into the race.

While reading up on the biographies, positions, and proposals of these candidates, I couldn’t help but to ask, “Are there any Democrats in the 81st?”. Eileen Levandoski over at VB Dems has been stratigizing (i.e. laying out a diabolical plot) to get a Democrat elected in the 81st, but no one seemed to be stepping up to the plate.

Well, Virginia, there is a Democratic candidate in the 81st. His name is John LaCombe. He’s the Executive Director of CapAmerica, an organization that is dedicated to providing support, information, and grassroots action around attempts across America to eliminate predatory payday lending. He’s also 24 years old.

I sent a questionnaire to LaCombe, and was thrilled to to receive a very quick reply. My questions, and his responses are below.

VBP: Why are you running for the Virginia House of Delegates?

“I believe that the system in Richmond is broken and largely non-responsive to citizen concerns. Virginia has a part time legislature, with a full time corporate lobbyist machine which aims to circumvent legislation that would protect our environment, protect those less fortunate, and ensure appropriate government oversight of Virginia big business. We must be proud of our designation as a business friendly state, but we must work to protect consumers and the environment. The culture of our legislature has abandoned the focus on these protections. We have sincere progressives working to change this, and we need to elect more true progressives so that this culture can finally be changed.”

VBP: Have you been involved in other local, state, or national campaigns? If so; in what way?

“Like many Americans, I was proud to work toward the election of Barack Obama as our 44th President. The election of Barack Obama shows just how much is possible when Americans unite to work toward progressive solutions to our nation’s challenges. I have also worked in advocacy positions with House of Delegates races, particularly in Northern Virginia and associated with the objectives of our organization.“

VBP: What are your views on abortion?

“I support Roe V Wade, and would not support any effort to overturn or invalidate that ruling. I believe all Americans can unite in a desire to lessen the number of abortions and unplanned pregnancies, which starts with appropriate, age specific but comprehensive biological and family education in schools. Public service campaigns have proven effective in delivering a message of support for responsible decision making for young people, and these programs should be expanded whenever possible.”

VBP: What are your views on gun legislation?

“I believe that citizens have a constitutional right to bear arms, and that government should not unduly infringe on that right. At the same time, the government does have the responsibility to enact and enforce common sense legislation to protect the public and ensure those who buy guns have the right to do so. I grew up in a family of hunters, and I have a respect for those that own guns for hunting and self protection. Their rights must be protected, while we constantly work to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.”

VBP: What are your views on gay marriage?

“There is a difference between “civil marriage” and “religious marriage”. This is a tradition in America that long predated the debate over gay marriage (for example, many churches require different rites of passage, sacraments, or counseling before allowing couples to marry). Because of this, religious arguments against gay marriage should not preclude gay and lesbian people from celebrating, recognizing, and supporting their relationships. I respect different beliefs and feelings on the issue, and would never force a church or religious group to recognize any marriage they do not wish to support. Likewise, I would not support any church or religious group having the authority to invalidate the relationship of people who may not affiliate with that organization or faith. I oppose any effort to write any discriminatory language into any state or federal constitution.”

VBP: With transportation being a major issue in Hampton Roads, what sort of proposals do you have to improve roads and traffic conditions in the region?

“We have to be aware of the current economic crisis and how raising taxes or implementing new tolls will affect the residents of Hampton Roads and specifically the 81st. I am excited about the new economic stimulus plan being formulated by President elect Obama, and I believe that tunnel expansion (whichever alternative we ultimately decide to take) can be funded in whole or part by this ground breaking plan to invest in American infrastructure. With Hampton Roads military infrastructure, this type of federal investment in our current economic crisis makes total sense. We would also create thousands of new jobs and put people throughout Hampton Roads to work. Our Congressional and State legislative delegations need to push for this funding proposal in the upcoming stimulus package. Long term, we need more effective planning around how we build communities, how we expand public transportation, and how we raise the money to do so.”

VBP: How do you view the significance of military establishments (bases, squadrons, ships, etc.) in Hampton Roads?

“Our local economy depends on our partnership and support of the US military. We must fight to maintain military partnerships and encourage common sense, appropriate growth near bases, etc. We must fight (as our congressional delegation is doing) to protect the area’s military assets and resist efforts to relocate military units or personnel to other parts of the country.”

VBP: What is your position on government and taxes?

“Government’s role is to protect the citizenry and to work on the side of Americans to provide opportunity for prosperity. Government must oversee and, when appropriate, regulate industry to ensure that the citizen and consumer are protected. Taxes should be used to support the government in these endeavors.

The Government must allow the market to work, and we cannot raise taxes in a time of economic downturn. We must understand that the power to tax is a solemn one, and the government must always remember that when we pass budgets we are spending the money of the citizens of the state. This must encourage us to be responsible and to listen to constituents over the interests of big business and lobbyists.”

VBP: Do you have any proposals concerning the state budget shortfall?

“We must protect the integrity of state educational and public safety programs. With that in mind, we must examine every agency in state government for opportunities to curb waste. This is a problem families across the 81st face every day, and we have all had situations where we have had to tighten our belts and make changes in the personal or family budget. Instead of throwing cash at big business, we should focus on partnership efforts on tax breaks and tax cuts for businesses that bring green technologies to the commonwealth. We must make sure that revenue generated from the state lottery be utilized exclusively for education. The general assembly must not be allowed to appropriate these funds elsewhere.”

VBP: What are your views on social programs, such as welfare?

“I support programs with common sense regulations that promote work in the Commonwealth. In this time of economic crisis, we must work to protect the citizens of Virginia. We can use this opportunity to mandate that people who receive unemployment benefits be enrolled in education/job skills training, and we must work to provide these programs in order to make Virginia workers more competitive in our global marketplace. In many instances, these programs can be paid for by public/private partnerships.”

VBP: How important is protecting the environment and wildlife refuges such as Back Bay? What sort of proposals do you have to support your position?

“The importance of protecting our environment, and specifically Back Bay, cannot be overstated. We are stewards of this land and must ensure that all levels of government – through appropriate funding, oversight, and regulation – protect our environmental treasures.

We must never allow the importance of protecting our environment to take a backseat to growth of industry. We must encourage the growth of green jobs and green grids, and we must provide support and tax credits to business that bring green industries to the 81st.”

VBP: Why is Democrat written with a lowercase “d” in quotation marks on your campaign website?

“When asked by Charlie Gibson about his cabinet, then candidate Barack Obama said “I think we need republicans, not just as show pieces”. President elect Obama’s commitment to bringing Republicans and Democrats together in unity is inspiring. I am a proud democrat, and I am confident that leadership from our party will restore America’s promise. Before being a Democrat, however, I am an American. I believe the people of Virginia are tired of leaders who vote how they are instructed and work for their parties before their constituents. I certainly am tired of that – and that is why so many Americans came together behind the candidacies of people like Mark Warner and Barack Obama. We must govern for our citizenry, not for the lobbyists, the special interests, the political party leadership or our own political futures. We must do what is right for the people. This is why I am a “d”emocrat. I am proud of my party, but my constituents come first. “

VBP: What is the message you hope all voters hear about you, your campaign, and the issues important to you?

“I am clearly not your typical Delegate candidate. I want the people of the 81st to understand, if nothing else, that they deserve better than what their government has given them. They deserve a delegate who will listen to them before lobbyists, who will protect the beauty and the environment of the 81st before the interests of big business, and who can be counted on to be the delegate of all residents of the 81st, not just those with d’s or r’s behind their political affiliations. We have arrived at a new dawn of hope, and the election of Barack Obama has shown that – as a people – we are capable of anything. I believe that through hard work and dedication we will win this race, and that all people of the 81st will be truly represented in the House of Delegates. This representation is long overdue.”

No doubt, LaCombe faces a tough race. I’m not sure yet if there will be a Democratic primary (as I’ve not seen other candidates mentioned as of yet), but the lack of one would remove one hurdle. If he’s the only Democrat in the race, it looks like he’ll be facing Barry Knight, who just won the Republican primary in the 81st.

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