Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
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Martinsville, Virginia 24115
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| In governor's race |
Del. Brian Moran, a Democrat campaigning for governor and who represents the 46th District in the House of Delegates, shakes hands with Del Ward Armstrong after Armstrong endorsed him for Governor Thursday at the Jefferson Plaza in Martinsville. |
Friday, December 5, 2008
By DEBBIE HALL - Bulletin Staff Writer
Del. Brian Moran picked up support from local and state officials in his campaign for governor during a swing through Martinsville on Thursday.
Moran, a Democrat, was endorsed by Del. Ward Armstrong, D-Collinsville; Martinsville Democratic Committee chairman Lorene Martin; and Martinsville Sheriff Steve Draper, who also is president of the Virginia Sheriff’s Association, during the event at the Jefferson Plaza.
Businessman and former national Democratic Party chairman Terry McAuliffe, along with state Sen. Creigh Deeds, also are seeking the party’s nomination to run in the Nov. 3, 2009, gubernatorial election.
While the decision on who to support may be tough for some, “to me the choice is very clear,” Armstrong said. He recalled one of Moran’s many visits to the area following the closing of Tultex Corp., when the local unemployment rate “shot to 19 percent” overnight “and this community was thrown into turmoil.”
Moran attended a community meeting with displaced workers here on a Saturday “when he could have been at home” with his family, Armstrong said.
“Since then, he has been a frequent visitor” to the area, along with former governor and now Sen.-elect Mark Warner and Gov. Tim Kaine, Armstrong said, adding that Moran knows the area well and understands local residents’ concerns.
Moran “has worked for Democrats all over Virginia, and now we’re ready to go to work for him,” Martin said.
Draper was unable to attend the event. In a prepared statement, he touted Moran’s “strong record in support of public safety and first responders. I’m proud to support this former prosecutor.”
Moran responded that he was “honored to have the support of these community leaders.”
“Virginia has chosen Democrats to lead” in what have been turbulent times since Warner was elected governor in 2001. “I plan on being a champion of rural Virginia” just as Warner was, Moran said.
Partly due to his upbringing, Moran said he identifies with the values of “hardworking men and women” in Henry County, Martinsville and across the state.
After joining the work force bagging groceries when he was 14 years old, Moran said he went on to work in construction, tended bar and worked “the midnight shift” as a gas station attendant while putting himself through college and law school.
From the urban corridor to Southside, Moran said Virginia is filled with diversity, but “it’s clear we’re more alike than different” and share similar concerns on education, transportation, economic development, energy efficiency and other areas, he said.
Moran has two children, and both attend public schools. Not just for his children, but for those across Virginia, Moran said he will continue working to ensure Virginia’s schools are among the top in the world, thereby “giving kids a chance to succeed” through a challenging curriculum in top quality schools.
He cited the New College Institute as a “great example and a great investment” in the future of education and promoting lifelong learning.
If elected governor, Moran said he will mount a bipartisan effort to develop an economic competitiveness plan, strengthen curriculum and ensure “top quality schools,” and also work to develop transportation solutions.
He said he hopes to see the commonwealth emerge as an “energy efficient leader,” supports “green” energy projects and wants to ensure neighborhoods are safe.
Moran has served as the chairman of the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Advisory Council and chairman of the Community Corrections Resources Board in Alexandria. He was elected in 1995 to represent the 46th District (which includes parts of Fairfax County and Alexandria) in the House of Delegates and has worked to strengthen drunken driving legislation, champion quality education and improve transportation.
He was elected chairman of the House Democratic Caucus in 2001.
Moran earned a law degree from Catholic University and worked as a clerk for the Arlington County Circuit Court before joining the prosecutor’s office in 1989. Later, he served as senior assistant commonwealth’s attorney until 1996. |
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