Virginia's 45th District

THE RETIREMENT FOR health reasons of Del. Marian Van Landingham, a liberal, well-loved state lawmaker who has ably served Alexandria and a shifting assortment of nearby precincts for nearly 24 years, has triggered a hard-fought Democratic primary to fill her shoes in Virginia's 45th House District. The district, which includes Old Town Alexandria, a chunk of Arlington and a swath of southern Fairfax County, is staunchly Democratic, so the winner of the party primary June 14 is virtually assured of winning the general election in

November.

Of the six candidates contesting the nomination, the most impressive include a political novice and a relative veteran. The novice is James K. Lay, 39, an Alexandria lawyer who served as a prosecutor and a staff member both in the U.S. Senate and in Virginia's House of Delegates. He is a thoughtful and articulate candidate who was moved to run for office out of conviction that the Republicans who control the state legislature have treated Northern Virginia high handedly. He has been dismissed by some Democrats as an infidel because he once considered himself a Republican, though a moderate and not very partisan one; in 2000, he cast a vote for Sen. John McCain of Arizona in the GOP presidential primary, then turned to the Democrats when President Bush was elected. A native Northern Virginian, Mr. Lay has stressed public education, even suggesting that Virginia should opt out of President Bush's No Child Left Behind program. That would cost the state federal funding, but Mr. Lay, despite his political inexperience, argues that it would ultimately improve the quality of education. He deserves serious consideration by primary voters.

So does Libby Garvey, 54, Arlington's School Board chair. She is the relative veteran -- the only candidate in the field who holds elected office, having served on the county school board since 1997. Outgoing, energetic and occasionally prickly, Ms. Garvey is a passionate advocate for her causes, which in addition to education, a topic she knows well, include emergency preparedness. She has the experience to be a capable delegate.

David L. Englin, 30, who retired from the Air Force last year, is a promising newcomer who has mounted the most energetic campaign. Mr. Englin, who holds a master's degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, has developed detailed, substantive stands on taxes, transportation, education, health care and other critical questions. But he has lived in the district barely two years, so his personal involvement with local issues is slight; politically, he cut his teeth only last year in Howard Dean's and John F. Kerry's presidential campaigns.

Former state Del. Richard R.G. Hobson, 73, an Alexandria lawyer who held the 45th District seat from 1976 to 1980, is trying somewhat halfheartedly to reclaim it. Despite his long experience in party politics, he began campaigning in earnest only a month ago. Asked why he was seeking the legislative seat he gave up a quarter-century ago to make more money, he replied that it was an "honorable, important" position.

The remaining candidates include Elsie M. Mosqueda, 61, longtime legislative aide to Democratic Del. Brian J. Moran of Alexandria and a fixture of liberal causes in Alexandria for years; and Laura J. Mandala, 43, owner of a market research firm who teaches a course at Georgetown University's business school.