The three men seeking to succeed him are nervous that the election will slip the minds of the 62,777 voters who live in House District 45, which is made up primarily of eastern Alexandria; Arlington’s Fairlington, Shirlington, Abingdon and Aurora Hills neighborhoods; and the Belle View and Huntington areas of Fairfax.
“Running a get-out-the-vote effort on Labor Day weekend has no track record,” said Rob Krupicka, the Democratic candidate and a member of the Alexandria City Council for nine years. He will face Republican Tim McGhee and Libertarian Justin Malkin after an abbreviated race without debates or candidate forums. “It’s a pretty tough day to have voting happen,” Krupicka said.
Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) scheduled the election just over a month ago, opting for a September vote because another special election Tuesday, this one in Norfolk, will result in another vacancy in the General Assembly. Del. Kenneth Cooper Alexander (D-Norfolk) is running unopposed for the seat of the late Sen. Yvonne B. Miller (D), who died July 3.
According to the Virginia Public Access Project, which tracks campaign finance reports in the commonwealth, Krupicka has raised more than $70,000, compared with McGhee’s $5,745 and Malkin’s $9,670, most of which is self-funded.
McGhee lost by an almost 2-to-1 ratio in November in a state Senate race against Democrat Adam P. Ebbin. This is Malkin’s first run for elective office. They are both Alexandria residents.
Krupicka, 41, who is emphasizing his record of community involvement and progressive values, said there are ideological differences among the candidates.
“A large number of people are very concerned about the extreme social efforts coming out of Richmond,” Krupicka said, noting controversies over women’s health and gay rights in the Republican-controlled legislature. “I’m pretty confident that the big issues we’re going to tackle in Richmond are made for me. I’m in a position where I can immediately contribute to that discussion.”
Krupicka, who is also a member of the Virginia Board of Education, said that too many schools are still not performing as they should and that he would work to improve them. The state should also expand Medicaid and address the region’s transportation and infrastructure needs, he said.
McGhee, 35, who describes himself in his LinkedIn profile as an “American with the heart of a Thessalonian, the soul of a Roman, the mind of a Berean, and the strength of a Colossian,” runs his own Web-design and -hosting firm and has worked as a database administrator for The Falls Church and Cherrydale Baptist Church.
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