At last Saturday’s Unity Rally, DPVA Chairman Dickie Cranwell mentioned that Democrats have candidates running in 72 of the 100 House of Delegates seats up for election this fall. One of those candidates is Gary West, a first time candidate for office in Newport News’ 94th House district. He is challenging Republican incumbent Glenn Oder. I had the pleasure of spending some time with him a few weeks ago.
West, 55, is a native of Virginia, having been born in Dry Fork, near Danville. He graduated from Bridgewater College and obtained a masters’ degree in political science from Virginia Tech before attending law school at Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans. He practiced law for a few years there but came back to Virginia to be closer to family. His wife, Linda, was raised in Virginia Beach. Together with their two daughters, the family relocated to Newport News in 1989, where Gary joined the law firm of Patten, Wornom, Hatten, & Diamonstein. (For those who are not familiar, the firm does a lot of work representing those who are afflicted with occupational lung diseases, most notably asbestosis. In partnership with Norfolk attorney Richard Glasser, they were among the first in the country to pursue litigation on behalf of workers and their families who had been exposed to this deadly contaminant.) After a brief stint with Rutter, Mills, Gary has been a solo practitioner since 2003. During this time, he also served on the Newport News Planning Commission.
Mentioned briefly on his website is something that I think really defines the man Gary West is: his family. His wife is a breast cancer survivor. This diagnosis came at a time when their two daughters, Catherine, now 24 and Diane, now 22, were in high school. Gary cut back on his law practice to care for Linda and the girls. Having watched him interact with his family on a couple of different occasions, there is genuine love and admiration among them. It is this dedication that Gary brings to the campaign. I get the sense that the whole West family is running for office.
The 94th district is an interesting one. Ten of the 19 precincts in the district lie in the 3rd Congressional district, represented by Democrat Bobby Scott. The other nine fall into the 1st Congressional district, represented by Republican Rob Wittman. Support of both Democrats and Republicans will be necessary. Gary has already demonstrated that he has both: his appointment to the Planning Commission garnered the unamious vote of the members of Newport News City Council.
He intends to focus his campaign on the big problems of our day: transportation and crime prevention. We discussed briefly his ideas on both, and more information will be forthcoming over the next few weeks.
Gary West will be a formidable challenger in this district. I look forward to his campaign and election.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Gary is a great candidate. I plan on spending a lot of time helping Gary and LInda in their quest for Gary to become the newest delegate to
the House of Delegates.
Finally, someone to counter the pure hypocrisy of Republican Glenn Oder. Oder likes to take credit for “fighting” the predatory Payday Lenders. BS, he voted FOR HB940 that let the payday lenders into the state in the first place. Plus Oder has been taking big campaign contributions from the predatory payday lenders for years. See for yourself:
http://www.vpap.org/candidates/profile/money_in_industry3/35162?start_year=2000&end_year=2009&lookup_type=year&filing_period=all&industry=69
I will work for and help Gary West any way possible, to get rid of this two faced Glenn Oder. Oh, and Oder voted FOR HB3202, which created the Hampton Roads Transporation Authority, then wanted credit for “abolishing” it! Unfrigginbelievable! Thanks Vivian, for focusing on a Peninsula Race!
You can donate to Gary West on ActBlue, or, even better, set up your own fundraising page to help him out.
To donate: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/entity/22105
To fundraise: http://www.actblue.com/pages/new/22105
Looks like the Letters to the Editor in the Daily Press has some input on this topic:
http://www.topix.net/forum/source/hampton-roads-daily-press/TRSD9Q787PMH1TQ4K#lastPost
Just as Newport News was the critical battleground in turning control of the Senate to the Democrats with the election of John Miller, it will be the same with the election of both Gary and Robin Abbott!
No rest for the weary!
u cant compare the senate race to this, stall was a terrible candidate that support taking away funding for public school, thats like one of the 3 things u dont EVER say if u wanna run for public office
Of some interest to locals, the campaign manager that booted Marty Williams, for Stall from the Senate, Pat Murphy, and then was a Senior Advisor to Miller, is also listed on VPAP as being involved in the West Campaign. Oder can kiss his seat goodbye! Murphy devised a brilliant plan to unseat Williams that no one thought possible. If he brings that same moxy to West, the Hod could be Blue before the end of the evening on November 3rd.
Murphy is terrible, he has crazy ideals of how to run a campagin and it showed yes Williams lost BUT SO DID STALL! Oder has this area locked down, hes out funded West twofold and as i go door to door everyday, the reaction is the same, i dont know who im voting for, for gov, ltgov and att gen BUT yeah im voting for Glenn! and this was the reaction for EVERYBODY! and these were neighborhoods that the West ppl had already walked
BOOOO Gary West, Glenn Oder for ever!