Ed. — The following are responses to questions posed by The Independent News to candidates for 84th District of the Virginia House of Delegates in the election on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Answers to our questions in this series generally are not edited, aside from obvious punctuation issues, spacing and formatting, or for clarity. Our full voter guide is now on stands. Davis is the incumbent.
GLENN DAVIS (R)
Residence: Castleton
Age: 46
Occupation: Telecommunications CEO
Military Service/Education Completed: College
Endorsements: Virginia Police Benevolent Association, National Federation of Independent Businesses, and Stop the Flooding NOW!
Website: glennrdavis.com
Phone: (757) 802-4982
Email: team@glennrdavis.com
Social media: @DelGDavis on Facebook and @DelGlennDavis on Instagram and Twitter
What are your specific qualifications for this office? I have been honored to represent the 84th District since 2014. My experience as a small business owner has helped me understand the needs of entrepreneurs and how to create jobs. I’m proud of my record fighting for all Virginians. Throughout my time in Richmond, I have worked across the aisle to tackle important problems and spearhead practical, commonsense reforms to improve people’s lives. I took on my own party for years to reform and expand Medicaid and fought health insurance companies for four years to make it easier for patients to get the treatments prescribed by their doctors.
What, to you, is the most important issue facing your district and how will you address it in office? The most important issue facing my District is the flooding here in Virginia Beach, which I have worked to address since my time on City Council, when I led the effort to address neighborhood flooding issues by funding much-needed stormwater infrastructure maintenance and dredging our neighborhood lakes. In Richmond, I patroned legislation to ensure homebuyers are made aware if a property is located in a flood hazard area before purchase. I’m proud to have been endorsed by Stop the Flooding NOW- a bipartisan grassroots organization of concerned Virginia Beach citizens fighting for efforts to curb the flooding here in Virginia Beach.
What are your three main legislative priorities? My three main priorities are ensuring an equal playing field for small businesses, quality schools that prepare students for successful careers, and healthcare that is good quality, affordable, and fair. I fought for four years against large out-of-state businesses to create a level playing field for Virginia businesses and will continue to ensure greater opportunities for small business. I was proud to support the 5% pay raise for teachers and to spearhead efforts to rein in standardized testing. I will continue fighting for teachers and families. One of my proudest achievements was passing a bill that adds transparency and reasonableness to the process by which insurance companies are currently able to override doctor-recommended treatment. I also worked to expand healthcare to 400,000 Virginians in need by reforming Medicaid. I will continue fighting to ensure all Virginians have access to fair and affordable healthcare.
What priorities do you have that will help support the agriculture community? How have worked (or how will you work) on issues impacting this industry? I was proud to receive the endorsement of the Virginia Farm Bureau’s AgPAC in my reelection campaign this year. Many people do not realize how much farmland there is in Virginia Beach. I am proud to represent farmers and to fight for the needs of rural Virginians and protect our farms across the Commonwealth.
How will you support local efforts to address sea level rise and recurrent flooding? Virginia Beach is already experiencing firsthand the impact of sea level rise, and if we are not proactive, the consequences will be devastating. In addition to my efforts to combat flooding through infrastructure improvements, I have supported projects to preserve green spaces and enable us to be better stewards of the environment. This includes approving the funding for Virginia Beach to acquire 118 acres of green space at Pleasure House Point and supporting the efforts for the Brock Environmental Center. I also recently met with President Obama’s FEMA administrator Craig Fugate to discuss practical solutions for states and localities to address sea level rise and flooding.
How will you support Virginia Beach in its long term recovery from the May 31 mass shooting, including the needs of survivors? Virginia Beach is still reeling from the horrific events of May 31st. No dollar amount will bring back loved ones, but we have an obligation to help the families during their time of need and support our city. The city had requested funding for Building 2 and tax-exemption related to the financial support received by the families. I strongly supported both of these initiatives.
Do you support efforts to ensure nonpartisan redistricting? Why or why not? Yes, I have supported and voted for a nonpartisan redistricting commission to fairly oversee the redistricting process. I believe that we need to ensure that the voters are allowed to choose their representatives and not the other way around.
Do you support access to sexual and reproductive health care, including birth control and abortion access? Give an example of legislation you might support or oppose on this issue. There is always a reasonable middle ground respecting everyone’s rights and beliefs. I opposed Delegate Tran’s bill allowing abortions in the third trimester up to the moment of birth without having more than one doctor provide an opinion related to its medical necissity. My opponent, who just took $200,000 from Emily’s List, disagrees. I championed Medicaid expansion back in 2014, providing affordable healthcare to 190,356 low-income women, I worked across the aisle to provide better access to affordable birth control, and I supported bipartisan legislation slashing the sales tax on feminine products by 50%.
KAREN P. MALLARD (D)
The candidate did not respond.
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