Northam has another challenger

Ralph Northam, the first term Democratic state senator representing me and my fellow citizens in the 6th district, has drawn another challenger: former 2nd Congressional District candidate Ben Loyola.

I saw “another” because John Amiral, who unsuccessfully ran in the 87th House District in 2009 has also thrown his hat in the ring. The last time I spoke with Amiral, he was determined to be the nominee for the 6th, but that was before other candidates emerged. At one point, I heard that there were four candidates on the Republican side, who will be using a convention to choose their nominee. Whether Amiral and the others step aside for Loyola is at this time unknown.

In a press release announcing his candidacy, I think Loyola forgot that he’s running for the state senate and not Congress.

As a small business owner, Naval Veteran, husband and father, Ben Loyola understands that free market principles and faith in the free enterprise system are the keys to economic growth, and sees that liberal Democrats like Ralph Northam are roadblocks to Governor McDonnell’s job-creating policies.

“Ralph Northam’s remedy for the economy is more taxes, government-run “Obamacare” and more regulations that are hurting Virginia’s families and killing jobs. He offers obstruction instead of ideas, and the few ideas he has offered have been higher taxes, more spending, and destructive anti-job policies,” said Loyola.

“We need a change in the Virginia Senate now to get our economy growing as it should be.”

I had to laugh at that “liberal Democrat” line. Kind of hard to paint the guy who tried to broker a power-sharing arrangement with Republicans  as a “liberal Democrat.”

Obviously, hyperbole is what Loyola’s handlers plan to engage in.

I’d recommend that they consider first moving their candidate into the district he’d like to represent. I hear his Chick’s Beach “residence” still has for rent signs up 😉