Candidates for Virginia House of Delegates, District 59: Independent Linda Wall

Businesswoman Linda Wall seeks to reform the nation by reintroducing biblical truths and action into government beginning with running for the 59th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Wall is an Independent whose opposition is Republican Matt Fariss and Democrat Connie Brennan. Although Wall does see a challenge in running as an independent as opposed to being attached to a party, she has prepared to run for political office since the mid-1990s. She worked for the House of Delegates, lobbied and fought for laws and amendments and testified in committee hearings.

The Virginia native believes that the focus of the United States government and citizens should be to turn their focus back to God.

“It’ll be 50 years in 2010 since prayer was taken out of schools,” Wall said.

Ultimately, Wall believes the solution to the nation’s problems, particularly those of the economic crisis, starts with obedience to God and prayer. Wall referenced recent history and stories from the Bible explaining that, often, the result of a nation’s turning away from God was a cursed economy.

“As believers, we have failed to realize part of the economic downfall is a direct result of a nation turning from the Lord,” Wall said. “I really think a big part of that solution would be for God’s people to humble themselves, pray and turn from their wicked ways because the Lord said he’d heal the land.”

Turning to the natural side of the economic issue, as opposed to the spiritual side, Wall is “a firm believer in getting back to the label ‘Made in America.’”

As the owner and operator of Linda’s Buttons and Fun Fotos in Appomattox, Wall has experience in the area of small business.

Wall claims one of the biggest reasons for the economic downturn is the China job drain. She believes jobs are no longer available in the United States because they are being outsourced to other countries, mainly China.

Wall referenced Capps Shoe Company Inc., a manufacturer in Virginia that makes shoes and has an outlet, Johansen, in Lynchburg as an example of locally-made goods. She wants to develop a directory of American-made and Virginia-made products to spur citizens to choose to buy American-made products.

“Every time we purchase something with a foreign label, that’s some American’s job that he doesn’t have anymore,” Wall said. “Do we still think about pinching a penny or do we take this thing to heart and decide we’ve had enough.”

As people who will soon become major players in the United States economy, Wall speaks to college students, particularly Liberty University students, in calling them to be witnesses for Christ now and especially after graduation.

“It is not enough to say, ‘I’m a Christian lawyer,’ or, ‘I’m a Christian teacher,’ but we have to be God’s representatives in everything we do,” Wall said.

In addition to the economy, Wall takes firm stances on abortion, marriage and family issues.
Early in her life, Wall believed “the lies” that an unborn child was just a glob of tissue, Wall said.

“It took a Pro-Lifer handing out Pro-Life tracks on the streets of Norfolk for me to grab one, look in it and see those little feet at 10-weeks-old, and I knew then that we were killing unborn babies,” Wall said.

Wall believes that marriage is designed for a man and a woman to be in union with each other. The repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in the military will significantly affect this country and bring an attack on the Virginia Marriage Amendment, Wall said. Wall fought for the Virginia Marriage Amendment for two years and saw it come to pass.

“I believe that the way it was set up in the beginning with family traditions in this country, that’s the only way this country will survive,” Wall said.

Wall attended Longwood College where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in teaching. Aside from working as a teacher, Wall worked in the Virginia General Assembly as a lobbyist, defeated the regional sales tax and marched for the unborn, Wall’s campaign website said.

“There are four core functions of state government: economic development, transportation, education and public safety,” Wall said on her campaign website. “It is time for state government to restore those functions.”

The candidates running for District 59 seek to replace retiree Watkins Abbitt Jr. who has held office as Delegate since January 1986.

District 59 includes Appomattox County, where Wall resides, Buckingham County, much of Campbell County and parts of Albemarle and Nelson Counties.