Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 1 · column 5 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
By SHARON KILPATRICK
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
When Democrats gathered at Rappahannock High to nominate Jerry Wood of Warrenton for the 31st District House of Delegates seat, the theme of the convention was that rural areas need to elect Democrats if they want to have influence in Richmond.
Sen. Thomas Michie, D-Charlottesville, who represents Stonewall-Hawthom District in the Virginia Senate, gave the keynote speech. He said that rural areas have lost influence in the General Assembly to Northern Virginia and Tidewater, and they will have even less influence with the new redistricting.
“For many years the Democratic Party has controlled the destiny of Virginia and has guided it well,” Sen. Michie said. He said when he first went to the General Assembly, Virginia ranked 31st among the states in per capita income, and now it ranks 12th. “We have prospered,” he said.
He acknowledged that the state is currently facing a fiscal crisis that is part of the nationwide recession but said Virginia is ranked fourth among the states in its ability “to handle the crisis.”
“We are the party in control, and those of us who represent rural areas have fewer and fewer votes,” he said.
He noted that a representative from Louisa County with many years of seniority has “enormous influence” in the General Assembly. “If he’d been a Republican, he’d have no influence,” Sen. Michie said.
See CONVENTION, p. A-6
93.2%