NORFOLK, Va. — The November general election is coming up fast, and voters in the northwest portion of Norfolk will have to choose between republican Andy Pittman and democrat Phil Hernandez for the 94th District in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Pitman said he’s “running to help restore common sense to our local government," while Hernandez said he’s “running to be a problem solver for families."
Both men may be Hampton Roads natives, but they have different priorities when it comes to their legislative agendas.
Pittman said keeping neighborhoods safe is among his top issues. He said he would be tough on crime and push for prosecutions of small crimes before they become big crimes.
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“The first thing people tell me is they’re sick and tired of crime,” Pittman said. “They’re sick and tired of putting their heads on their pillows at night wondering if they’re going to wake up in the morning to find their catalytic converter has been stolen from under their vehicle. Are they going to hear the sound of gunshots?”
Hernandez said he’s focused on problems affecting everyday Virginians, like the rising cost of living. He said he’ll push for legislation that will ease financial burdens.
“I really want to focus on affordable housing, affordable childcare, and affordable prescription drugs,” Hernandez said. “Partly because those things take up big bites out of family budgets so if we can make those areas more affordable, we’re going to make life better for folks here in Norfolk and Hampton Roads.”
Crime and rising inflation are big issues on the table this election season. So is abortion. A poll from the University of Mary Washington found more than half of Virginians believe the decision to overturn Roe V. Wade will be a major factor in November.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has already said he would support a 15-week abortion ban with exceptions for rape and incest. If Republicans get enough seats in the Virginia General Assembly, they’ll have the votes they need to get that legislation on Youngkin’s desk.
Pittman said, as a pro-life candidate, he would support it. But he added that he doesn’t believe it’s a top issue for voters.
“I am pro-life with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother,” Pittman said. “When I go door to door, I’ve only been asked about this once since April. It is not an issue that’s at the top of everyone’s plate.”
Hernandez said he is pro-choice and would not support Youngkin’s 15-week abortion ban. He questioned if the ban is only the beginning of Republican efforts to outlaw the procedure entirely.
“Frankly, I don’t really trust that they want to stop at 15 weeks,” Hernandez said. “You look at North Carolina, it’s 12 weeks; South Carolina? It’s 6 weeks; Other states in the south? It’s a total ban.”
He added: “Women should be in charge of their own reproductive choices, not politicians.”
Both men have ideas to help taxpayers save money. One priority for Hernandez is a child tax credit.
“Which will help young parents make ends meet,” Hernandez said. “We’ve had that at the federal level for about a year. It cut child poverty in half. Virginia should take that example and pass a state-level policy.”
Pittman wants to cap property assessments as part of his push for “common sense” economic policies.
“In Norfolk, they go up 5 to 7.5 percent on average, year after year after year with no relief in sight,” Pittman said. “Even if the tax rate stays the same, by increasing the property value the taxpayer has to pay more in taxes.”
Pittman said his overall priorities are safety, education and the economy. He said he supports efforts to keep neighborhood’s safe, strengthen the local economy and “keep parents in charge of their children’s education.”
Education is also a priority for Hernandez and he supports increasing teacher pay and funding for public schools. He said his other priorities include clean energy and protecting the environment, expanding access to affordable health care and fighting the rising cost of living for families.