On his Facebook page today, Republican Ben Loyola announced the opening of his campaign headquarters.
Only one problem: the office isn’t in the 6th Senate district!
That bright green line separates the 6th from the 7th, at least according to the redistricting plan approved by the General Assembly. Loyola’s office is at the yellow flag, which is clearly in the 7th. (Click to enlarge.)
Is he going to challenge Frank Wagner instead? The Dems are looking for a candidate 😉
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Funny, I guess there is not rule that you have to have your campaign headquarters in your district but I think it is sort of silly to have it in someone else district. They are going for a walk I hope they are walking in the 6th not the 7th district.
Well, his real home isn’t located in the 6th and now, neither is his office. Par for the course.
I know perception is 9/10s…..but legally, does it matter?
I doubt it is a requirement that the candidate have his campaign HQ in the district. It is, however, customary.
Wow, it appears that my street is literally the new dividing line for 6th and 7th; I just got my new Voter Card in the mail yesterday and it says I am still in the 6th.
I mean, honestly, as close as those lines are…I think Loyola’s team can probably get cut slack for it.
However, Loyola has done nothing but prove that he’s a right wing panderer who is only good at spouting rhetoric and not plans. He’s acted like he was running for United States Senate, and then this is just the cherry on top of the sordid sundae that is Ben Loyola.
Glad I am still in 6th so I can give Ralph Northam my vote again!
And the lake behind my house is another one of the dividing lines (you can’t see it in that photo). I’m just barely in as well – and got my new voter card today.
We got something from the registrar today, all the residents at this address. Now I know what it is.
I am not so concerned about where the office is, more concerned about where the residence is. I know it isn’t a requirement, but it should be.
I told someone that I thought it was poor form for a recent fund raiser to be held at Town Center in VA Beach. I don’t think that is part of the district. Perception.
Actually, there is a residency requirement for the legislature. That’s why some of the candidates had to move.
One of the charges against Loyola in the nomination contest was that he doesn’t live in the district.
Story from the Pilot on residency is here. Story on the Loyola residence problem is here and here.
So all the Dems have to attack Loyola on are residency and the location of his campaign HQ? Sounds like Loyola is a pretty solid candidate.
Pointing out facts isn’t an attack, Henry. His campaign HQ is not in the district. As for his residence, there’s more than enough winking and nodding going on in the General Assembly about where the candidates actually live that we hardly need more. In fact, they might as well do away with the residency requirement – it’s that bad.
Vivian,
This is all you have? The district line is on the edge of Roosevelt Shopping Center parking lot where the office is. This office is shared between Ben Loyola, Chris Stolle, and Frank Wagner. It’s in the 83rd, 7th and the entrance to the shopping center is in the 6th–Halprin Dr.
I couldn’t have a better location. You and I both know the precincts that surround it are Republican central for Norfolk. Maximum visibility, traffic….and VOLUNTEERS.
Pam Brown
Chairman, Republican Party of Norfolk
Pam – look at the map again. The Halprin Drive entrance into the shopping center is also in the 7th. This is my neck of the woods, you know.
I’m not saying it’s not a high-visibility location. It’s just not in the district. And with the new lines, may very well be confusing to voters who think they are still in the 6th.
Doug,
As a previous candidate, I can’t believe you are saying something so silly. All candidates have fundraisers anywhere & everywhere…in district or not.
If The Governor is in VA Beach, and has lunchtime open, you take it. It a matter of logistics.
Pam
Pam, while I agree there is nothing wrong about having a fund raiser anywhere, and your point about the Governor’s schedule is something I had not considered, you and I both know perception is part of the game. My point to my friend was it seems if you are hosting an out of the district fundraiser, it should be because of the convenience of invitees. I would expect the Town Point Club or some other downtown Norfolk location, or Alexander’s on the Bay would have been almost as convenient as Town Center. And this was also the first big fundraiser for the campaign, of which I was aware. Another point I made to the friend.
It’s hard to get too worked up about the location of their office. It’s accessible to the district, and it’s shared space. No big deal. (Actually, if it weren’t near the district, I’d be a lot happier. There’s nothing better for us than their racking up visibility in the wrong place.)
As for Loyola moving into the district, that’s certainly legal, as it was with John Amiral two years ago. Still, that’s two candidates in a row that the Republicans have had to import to run in what they consider favorable territory. If it’s such a great place for the GOP, you’d think they could find at least one local who could do the job.
Randy,
Trust me, I DID NOT import John Amiral.
Pam
Yes, Pam, I know. Nothing personal intended. 🙂
Wow. LOL
I know this is a late post for this article, but as the election gets closer, it’s now not just the candidate’s office that is in the wrong district. The street signs for Loyola are getting heavier in the Norfolk portion of Wagner’s district. Every time I’ve taken a walk through the neighborhood in the last couple of weeks, I’ve seen a new sign for the 6th district candiate placed in the 7th district. The shared office argument is one thing, but signs in the wrong spot? If the candidate can’t limit the simplest of campaign resources to his own district, how can he be expected to be a good steward of the state’s resources as a whole? And the extra signs will add to the confusion that’s going to exist anyway with regards to the new district lines.
I really feel sorry for the workers at Tarrallton precinct. That precinct is split between the two districts and they are going to deal with a lot of angry voters who are going to expect and demand to vote in the Northram/Loyola race that they’ve actually heard about, without realizing that they are in a different district.
Am I correct in noticing that the western part of Little Creek NAB, the part of the NAB that connects the 2.5 Norfolk precincts with the Virginia Beach part of the 7th district, has no residential facilities? That’s not as blatantly bad as using Willoughby Bay to connect the two portions of Superward Six, or zigzagging through four distinct bodies of water (Chesapeake Bay, Hampton Roads Harbor, Elizabeth River, Lafayette River) to connect the Eastern Shore with Norfolk’s North Shore Road area in the old 100th House district, but the shape of the 7th Senate district is still ugly.
We have to somehow maintain our memories of this process and make neutral, logical, and fair redistricting a major issue in the ’19 elections.