Daily Press - Wittman Cites His Time As An Elected Official

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Daily Press - Wittman Cites His Time As An Elected Official

Says he will focus on enhancing the mission of local military bases.

BY DAVID LERMAN

Name: Rob Wittman

Age: 48

Occupation: State delegate and director of field operations, Division of Shellfish Sanitation

Residence: Westmoreland County

Electoral history:

Montross Town Council: 1986-1996

Mayor of Montross: 1992-1996

Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors: 1996-2005

Westmoreland County Board chairman: 2004-2005

Virginia House of Delegates: 2006-present.

Web site:www.robwittmanforcongress.com

Relevant experience: Rob Wittman brings to the race a wealth of experience in local elected government that he said would serve him well in Congress. From serving on a town council and a county board of supervisors to his present post as a state delegate, Wittman said he is intimately familiar with how decisions made in Washington can affect local residents.

"My experience in elected office is critical," he said. "In my years of local government, there are a lot of issues we had to work with Congress on in Washington. I have a clear record of being able to get things done."

Wittman also boasts strong local ties to the district, having lived in Westmoreland County on the Northern Neck since his teenage years.

He also touts his educational background. He received a bachelor of science degree from Virginia Tech, a master's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a doctorate in public policy and administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Important issues: Like most Republican candidates, Wittman takes a conservative stance on issues from taxes to abortion.

He said he would hold employers who hire illegal immigrants accountable and work with states to establish facilities to detain illegal immigrants for processing by the U.S. Attorney's office.

He opposes tax increases and would work to keep President Bush's tax cuts in place. But as a state delegate, he voted for the state transportation plan that included a regional authority with new taxing power to raise money for local road projects.

"We had to try to do something on transportation," he said. "I would rather have done it another way, but I voted for it. We had to raise money."

An opponent of abortion rights and supporter of gun rights, Wittman said he also would focus on enhancing the mission of local military bases and protecting them from closure.

Says he's uniquely qualified because: Unlike most candidates in the race, Wittman said, his broad experience in local elected government would make him a more effective congressman.

"My 22 years of experience in elected office is extraordinarily helpful," he said. "All those offices are intricately related to what happens at the federal level. That experience can't be underestimated. I'll be able to hit the ground running."

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