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State Senatorial candidate Steve hunt
Former Fairfax County School Board at-large member Steve Hunt has thrown his hat into the ring to replace Attorney General-elect Ken Cuccinelli in the State Senate. A former Naval Officer, he has a long track record of service. Mr. Hunt currently works at SAIC, a defense contractor, as a senior systems analyst. He is well versed on the issues of the region and demonstrates a willingness to serve the 37th District as its next State Senator. He recently provided some exclusive insight on his campaign and what he stands for to the Fairfax County Conservative Examiner.
Mr. Hunt says he is running because he wants, "to continue Senator Cuccinelli’s efforts to provide leadership in Richmond that recognizes government is there to protect, not infringe upon the rights of Virginians.” He also has committed to conservative values which he says will guide his actions in the State Senate. “I have a demonstrated track record as a conservative Republican that approaches issues with a logical, solutions-oriented approach that engages all sides in discussions without compromising my conservative principles,” he told the FCCE.
He has the most name identification among all the GOP candidates for this seat, Will Nance and Marianne Horinko are vying for the nomination as well. He is also the only candidate who has served in elected office. Having run and won races in Fairfax County could be the deciding factor in a close election. He served on the School Board from 2004-2007 and has flirted with other public offices since, keeping him occasionally in the spotlight.
His elected office experience dictates that education is the issue that he is most proficient. Mr. Hunt supports legislation that has been submitted by Delegate Tom Rust to create a permanent, revolving school construction fund that would supplement the Literary Fund. The Literary Fund is a state sponsored educational account meant to, “provide localities with capital construction funds for the purpose of erecting, altering, or enlarging a public school building.” The legislation he refers to would provide additional moneys for school building projects. He also says that tax credits and public-private partnerships can lower costs for schools.
Of course transportation is always issue number one in northern Virginia and Mr. Hunt is no stranger to the problem. When asked if he supported the current state transportation funding formula he responded, “No, it needs to take into account the level of traffic, the cost of construction and degree of congestion.” The current system does not provide adequate funding to the biggest problem areas in Virginia, namely Fairfax County. “Vehicle miles traveled needs to play a larger role in the formula than miles of highway. These would provide a needs-based factor to the equation.”
While he supports mass transit Mr. Hunt doesn’t believe that it is necessarily the first step to fixing the gridlock of northern Virginia. In his eyes the first step must be to fix the disorganization of the state funding mechanisms. As he puts it, “Trust must be returned to the Transportation Trust Fund.” His platform supports funding from revenues generated from new natural gas and oil exploration and putting safeguards in place so funds designated for transportation can not be raided for other projects. He also argues that, “We need solutions that take advantage of ever-improving technologies and public-private partnerships to improve our transportation network.”
In a time of economic recession and the inflated budgetary mess that Governor Tim Kaine has left the next administration Mr. Hunt says that raising taxes is not the answer. “Setting priorities and unleashing the American economy is the answer,” he explained. This includes putting together a sensible budget that focuses on funding security and emergency services, justice, infrastructure and public education. “The free market is the key to creating jobs, providing all Americans with health care options, and providing government sufficient revenue to meet its core responsibilities…The only sure way to increase revenue is to ensure that the entrepreneurial spirit and the genius of Americans are unimpeded.”
Mr. Hunt also opposes the federal cap-and-trade bill, a government health care takeover and is a staunch supporter of right-to-work laws.
While Del. Dave Marsden appears to be the only Democrat positioning to run against the GOP it appears that he may first have to move in order to be eligible. Democrats have remained mum on who their candidate will be in the race but have been very vocal that they believe their chances to win are good.
If Democrats are to prevail then they will have to match the heart of a candidate like Steve Hunt. “Above all, I will represent the people of Virginia to their government, not the government of Virginia to the people,” he told the FCCE. “I will continue to fulfill the oath to defend the Constitution against enemies foreign and domestic that I first took as I became an 18 years old NROTC midshipman at Duke University and repeated as I became a Fairfax County School Board member.”
Mr. Hunt shows his passion for service in his words. Voters continually elect those who exhibit common sense, hard work, patriotism, and leadership skills that their public officials must have to inspire and to get things done. Steve Hunt certainly shows all of those characteristics.
The nomination process will be a “firehouse primary” on December 1st. Voters may cast their ballots between 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM at Centerville High School in the media center which is located at 6001 Union Mill Road, in Clifton, VA 20124. The general election date has not yet been set. The Governor must schedule a date after Attorney General-Elect Cuccinelli officially resigns his seat, which he is yet to do.
For more information on Steve Hunt please visit his website: http://www.stevehunt.org
Follow me on Twitter: @SecPress
(Photo courtesy of Steve Hunt for Senate)
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