NCDC Produces Videos on 5th District Candidates
In normal times, candidates running for office would be hitting one house party after another, participating in candidate forums or attending Town Hall Meetings. But federal guidelines and an order from Gov. Ralph Northam have essentially shut down in-person campaigning due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, Roger Dean Huffstetler, John Lesinski, Claire Russo and Dr. Cameron Webb are on a path to seek the Democratic nomination for the 5th District Congressional seat to be decided by a primary scheduled for June 23. The four candidates are adapting to the new order of social distancing by shifting their campaign approaches to using social media outreach tactics more extensively.
Creative campaigning will come in handy anyway as Virginia’s 5th Congressional District has the largest geographic area of the 11 Congressional Districts in Virginia. It stretches vertically across the state from the North Carolina border in the south to nearly the Maryland border in the north. Nelson County straddles the center.
The Nelson County Democratic Committee, well known for its robust, grassroots door-to-door organization, is up for any challenge. The committee has posted video interviews with the four candidates on its website, Facebook page, and in this newsletter.
“We’ll help connect voters with the Democratic candidates in the primary and do the same for the nominee in November’s general election,” said Larry Stopper, NCDC chair. “With the pandemic preventing customary canvassing efforts, we’ll still reach out to Nelson voters with postcard pitches, phone calling, and video messaging.”
“Using video conferencing seemed the most appropriate way to do this since it allows viewers to get a better sense of how the candidates communicate their policy ideas,” said Dr. Woody Greenberg, emeritus professor of Journalism at the University of Lynchburg. “As well, this method offers viewers a better sense of their personalities than through written communication alone.”
Greenberg conducted the interviews with Lesinski, Russo and Webb. Huffstetler submitted his own video, answering the same six questions as the other candidates.
The questions cover why the candidates decided to run for the seat, how the COVID-19 pandemic affects their views on health care policy, what policies they would pursue in the light of the downturn in the economy, how they would strengthen educational opportunities for children, their thoughts on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and energy needs in the 5th District, and their plans to challenge the Republican nominee for the seat.
The candidates were asked to limit their answers to two minutes for each question.
The incumbent is Republican Denver Riggleman who is being challenged. Republicans will hold a convention at a date to be determined. The winners of the Democratic Primary and Republican convention will face off Nov. 3.
Nelson Democrats, please prepare to vote on June 23 for one of these Democratic candidates!
CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS