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Congressional candidates debate top priorities for Va.

The contentious race to succeed Robert Hurt in the House of Representatives came to a head on Sept. 26 with a debate between candidates Sen. Tom Garrett and Democratic nominee Jane Dittmar.

The two candidates for the upcoming 5th Congressional District election faced off in a debate hosted by the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance at Appomattox Inn and Suites with 80 people in attendance at the event.

ABC 13 anchor Mark Spain moderated the debate. Basic questions concerning congressional goals pertaining to business and the economy were compiled beforehand by the Alliance panel.

A sign-in booth in the lobby allowed audience members to write down questions of their own for submission to a drawing just minutes prior to the debate.

Garrett and Dittmar expounded on their individual federal goals and tax relief initiatives.

Both candidates stressed working on “both sides of the aisle” where parties are concerned.

When asked about the biggest issues facing the business community, Garrett stressed keeping deals and promises while Dittmar emphasized “retraining new sectors” of the workforce in the face of expanding technology.

During the audience’s question time, Garrett addressed the recent controversy over a condemning advertisement released by the Dittmar campaign, which claimed that Garrett supported uranium mining during his tenure in the General Assembly.

Garrett denounced the ad at Monday’s debate, calling it “disingenuous” and demanding that the Dittmar campaign either retract it or apologize. Dittmar refused to budge.

“If you vote for something, you should stand by it and not change your position for a debate,”
Dittmar said.

Garrett offers his Student Security Program, which he has described on his campaign website as a proposal that “allows for individuals who currently hold student loan debt to have $5,000-$7,000 of that debt forgiven for every year that student agrees to defer Social Security disbursements.”

“It lets people make their own decisions,” Garrett said after the debate concluded.

“It doesn’t force anyone into anything. You don’t change yesterday’s promises. You change tomorrow’s promises. You let people make that decision for themselves instead of the government forcing ‘one size fits all.’

My campaign is working specifically with millennials. There’s nobody in the nation, I don’t think, who’s done more, with more specificity to actually address the student loan debt crisis and the long-term viability of Social Security than we have.”

Dittmar seemed to echo Garrett’s disdain for “one-size-fits-all” regulations and tax codes, though she emphasized the need to capitalize on the economic benefits that having multiple colleges in one
area can bring.

“The economic impact of institutions of higher education, such as Liberty, on their home communities and on a generation of innovative ideas can be measured, and it is extensive,” Dittmar said.

“Because of this impact, corporate partnerships are developed with the universities resulting in millions of research dollars.”

Dittmar continued to say she will stay focused on training to keep up with the technological and entrepreneurial growth in the district.

“The individuals and the corporations who have invested work together and create new tech businesses that normally stay and grow our communities,” Dittmar said.

“We are seeing such immense growth in the tech sector within our district because of our universities and the partnerships they develop. Payroll is a significant investment in the economy that surround the campus, and more jobs are created as a result.”

Dittmar previously served as the chair of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and is a former representative of the Scottsville District, according to her campaign website.

She also is a certified mediator for General District and Circuit Courts and served as court coordinator for the General District, Juvenile and Domestic Relations and Circuit courts for the City of Charlottesville.

Similarly, Garrett has a deep political background, as he currently represents the 22nd district in the Virginia Senate.

Garrett also has extensive military experience, serving for six years in the Army as a Combat Arms officer where he led more than 50 U.S. soldiers in Bosnia during Operation Joint Guard and Joint Endeavor.

Because Garrett and Dittmar are running for election in the 5th Congressional District, residential Liberty students who reside on campus are unable to vote for either, as Liberty is located in Virginia’s 6th Congressional District.

Liberty students have the option to either vote for incumbent Bob Goodlatte (R) or challenger Kai Degner (D).

The election of the congressional candidates will take place Nov. 8, the same day as the presidential election.

A separate box for congressional candidates will be located on the same ballot, adjacent to the list of presidential candidates.

Jarrett is an opinon writer.