The Shadow
Sen. Creigh Deeds wants to keep his job after 20 years in Richmond.
The Bath County Democrat decided to seek re-election last year, while still coming to terms with his loss to Republican Bob McDonnell in the 2009 governor’s race.
“I still feel that I have a very important responsibility to the people I represent and the people of Virginia,” Deeds said Monday.
Deeds, like his Republican opponent in this year’s Senate race, T.J. Aldous, says jobs and economic development are the most important issues facing voters.
“Jobs are the number one issue in whatever political race you are involved in this year,” Deeds said. “We have got to get some good-paying jobs in this community.”
Deeds says the Alleghany Highlands’ economy has been reeling since a fire curtailed operations at Covington’s Hercules plant in the 1980s. And he says that while some sections of the state have experienced a slight recovery from the economic recession, the Highlands hasn’t.
But Deeds says it isn’t government’s role to create jobs.
He says it’s government’s role to create an environment that is “conducive to job growth and economic activity.”
In June, CNBC ranked Virginia as the top state for business and Deeds says the state must capitalize on that distinction continuing to invest in public education, higher education and transportation. Transportation is a critical issue for the General Assembly, he said, because projections indicate that the state will run out of money for road construction by 2017.
Rural areas like the Alleghany Highlands must play “small ball” in their efforts to create jobs, Deeds says, and not be fixated on attracting large businesses. He cites the recent opening of a Senior Transitions Unit at LewisGale Hospital-Alleghany as an example of expanding the economy through small-scale projects. The LewisGale project represented job creation and the investment of $1.3 million into the community, he said.
“It’s going to take a bunch of singles,” said Deeds, using baseball vernacular to illustrate his point. “It’s going to take a bunch of small ball.”
Deeds also points to an ongoing $16 million project by Lumos Networks (Ntelos) to expand broadband services and infrastructure to underserved areas of Alleghany County. He said the broadband access will give the Highlands a competitive advantage over other areas of the state.
“This investment is going to give us an advantage. We just continue to have to play to our advantages and create our opportunities,” Deeds said.
Aldous advocates adopting a flat tax in Virginia to make the state’s taxing system more equitable. But Deeds argues that Virginia already has a fair tax structure with the last income tax increase occurring in 1973. Deeds says he helped lead the fight to eliminate the state sales tax on food.
Deeds also shakes his head at Aldous’ assertion that he supports federal Cap and Trade legislation that would reduce carbon emissions from industries such as MeadWestvaco in Covington. Carbon emissions need to be reduced, but Cap and Trade would put American companies at a competitive disadvantage in the global economy, he said.
“That’s nonsense, I have never supported Cap and Trade,” Deeds said. “That’s just not true.”
As for working with McDonnell, Deeds says, “I’m willing to work as hard as I can and do whatever it takes to bring jobs to this area and other parts of my district.”
“I’ve been in the General Assembly for 20 years and I have served with six governors. I have had different relationships with all of them,” he said.
Although the race between Deeds and Aldous has been rather low key, all 140 seats in the General Assembly are up for election in November and Republicans are attempting to seize control of the Senate. If they win three seats in the Senate, they will have outright control of both chambers of the legislature along with the governor’s mansion.
Deeds said that while McDonnell has been pouring money out of his campaign fund to support Republican Senate candidates, Aldous has not been on his contribution list.
As of Sept. 30, Deeds held a huge lead in fundraising, raking in more than $370,000, compared to Aldous’ $25,477.
Since his loss to McDonnell in the 2009 governor’s race, Deeds has returned to Bath County to practice law and work the family farm. He also teaches a public policy class part-time at Washington & Lee University in Lexington.
First elected to the House of Delegates in 1991, Deeds moved to Senate in 2001 after winning a special election to fill the seat held by the late Emily Couric, a Charlottesville Democrat. Deeds’ career in state politics also includes a narrow loss to McDonnell the 2005 attorney general’s race.
Now 53, Deeds says he’s proud of he record as a state lawmaker and notes that his accomplishments include the passage of Megan’s Law in 1998 and ongoing efforts to increase funding for a police unit that would crack down against crimes against children on the Internet. Deeds also points out that in 1996, he was a leader on legislation for the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to assist localities with job-creation efforts.
“What you see is what you get with me,” said Deeds, who was first elected to public office in 1987 as Bath County’s commonwealth’s attorney. “I’m the same kind of legislator I’ve always been.”
