Daily Progress - Married Congressional Candidates Running in Different Districts

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By Bryan McKenzie

Bedfellows can make for strange politics.

In a routine congressional election featuring incumbents and challengers singing the songs of their parties, Independent Green Party candidates Ken and Elaine Hildebrandt stand out like thumbs mistaken for nails.

They're not the usual suspects.

They are married. They accept no campaign donations from anyone -- no citizens, no lobbyists and no large corporations.

Elaine Hildebrandt, a teacher, is running for election in the 6th Congressional District, but lives in the 5th District. It's rare, but legal.

Ken Hildebrandt, running for and living in the 5th District, has challenged his opponents to an ice-water dunking on behalf of the ALS Association and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

To top it off, the Hildebrandts' combined political platform rests on legalizing hemp, marijuana's overachieving and non-intoxicating big brother.

In short, neither stands a chance of winning.

"They have lots of electoral burdens to keep them out of the winner's circle," said Larry J. Sabato, head of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.

"We're reluctant candidates," admitted Elaine Hildebrandt. "I'm a teacher and Ken is a healer and so that's what we do, we look to teach and to help and to heal."

"It's something we need to do," said Ken Hildebrandt. "We can't compete with the big parties, but people are increasingly dissatisfied with the parties. We are an alternative. We're not asking people to send us money because money is part of the problem. Look at the [corruption conviction of] former Gov. Bob McDonnell and you can see what happens when you start throwing your influence away for money so you can be elected."

Ken Hildebrandt gave up his New Jersey chiropractic practice in 2000 to focus on being an independent web journalist. Elaine Hildebrandt, originally from Manhattan, is a former New Jersey elementary school teacher, businesswoman and nonprofit organizer. They moved to Virginia in 2004.

Besides the election strike of being outside the two major political parties, Elaine Hildebrandt's second strike is living outside her district, Sabato said.

The Constitution includes no requirement that members of Congress reside in the district they represent. Rather, the document states only that, "when elected," a member must "be an inhabitant of that state in which he was chosen." But even absent constitutional edicts, there are political ramifications.

"In general, voters want their member of the House to live in the district, or at least have a home in it. That's especially true in a state like Virginia, which is so close to D.C.," Sabato said. "We expect to see our representatives a great deal. You're taking a chance if you don't meet expectations. Ask ex-Rep. Eric Cantor, R-7th, who was apparently seen over Skype more often than live and in-person in district town halls and other forums. Voters notice over time."

Elaine Hildebrandt recognizes the unlikelihood of getting elected, but she doesn't see her residency as a big drawback.

"A lot of people I talked to when I was circulating petitions in the district to get onto the ballot said they worked in the district but didn't live there and, in a way, that's how I look at it," she said. "The district is where I will work, even if I don't live there."

Ken Hildebrandt ran two years ago in the 5th District and took 5,500, or 1.57 percent, of the cast ballots. The couple said they think the odds could be better if they were allowed to participate in debates sponsored by organizations in the electoral districts, however.

"The Republicans and the Democrats all try to duck us as if they're scared to meet with me, to talk in public with me," Ken Hildebrandt said. "If I have so little to offer, then why wouldn't they want to meet with me in public in debate and show that? They're afraid of what I may have to say and that the voters might listen."

A spokesman for Robert Hurt, the 5th District Republican incumbent, said he welcomes Ken Hildebrandt and "competing ideas" to the race. Democrat Lawrence Gaughan and Libertarian Paul Jones also are running in the district.

"Congressman Hurt has always had a deep appreciation for the fact that Virginia's 5th District seat in the United States Congress belongs to the people -- not to any particular person," said Josh Puccio, Hurt's campaign manager. "For that reason, he welcomes the opportunity to take his pro-growth message of American jobs, American fiscal strength and American freedom to the people in November."

Party nominations put Gaughan and Hurt on the ballot. Both Hildebrandts and Libertarian Paul Jones had to circulate petitions.

"Having two third-party candidates bodes well for the future of Virginia," Jones said. "The commonwealth is a leading state in the movement to make our elected officials stop the "business as usual' practices that they are famous for. It's time to crash their party."

Goodlatte, Elaine Hildebrandt's major party opponent, could not be reached for comment. Libertarian candidate Will Hammer said the Hildebrandts are independent candidates identifying themselves as Green Party members.

The Independent Green Party of Virginia split from the Green Party of Virginia in the early 2000s, according to the Independent Green website.

"Hopefully, the voters will actually vote for the people who are honestly running and offer a serious choice from the two parties, not just a paper candidate," Hammer said.

So, if neither stands a Mississippi snowball's chance, why are they running?

"A candidacy is a useful vehicle for pushing an issue or concern," Sabato said. "The press is pretty much required to cover your candidacy, even if you are drawing 1 percent or less, so you get ink and airtime to discuss your political raison d'être."

That, the Hildebrandts admit, is right on the money.

"Part of it is trying to gain recognition for the hemp issue," Elaine Hildebrandt said. "We want people to hear about it and to know about it, and that's what this election can do."

Hemp has a variety of industrial uses, including paper, textiles, clothing, biodegradable plastics, body products, health food, rope and animal feed. Hemp recently has been used as an alternative ingredient in capacitors for electronics. Many states are considering legalizing it.

"Two years ago, the idea of legalizing industrial hemp was really out there," said Ken Hildebrandt. "Now it's really in there. It would be crazy not to come to our own aid by legalizing hemp."

Both of the Hildebrandts' Libertarian challengers back their hemp stance.

"I am all for legalizing it. It's past time that we got over our feudal fears of evil plants," Jones said.

"I think it's utterly ridiculous that such a great plant with so many possibilities is illegal to grow in the U.S.," Hammer said. "Instead of subsidizing certain crops, the government needs to allow farmers to produce what the market demands."
Hurt said he is willing to consider industrial hemp.

"As a former prosecutor, Congressman Hurt believes generally that the use of marijuana should not be made legal. However, he recognizes that industrial hemp is a different plant and is open to the idea that the cultivation of industrial hemp holds the prospect of economic opportunity for farmers in Virginia," Puccio said. "With that said, any changes in the current law would have to take into account the concerns of law enforcement as it relates to the enforcement of our drug laws."

Besides putting hemp into the commonwealth's collective consciousness, Elaine Hildebrandt said their campaigns will help encourage voters to look beyond the two-party system.

"People want something other than what's being offered," she said. "People are ready to be represented by people, not puppets."

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