CRYSTAL CITY, Va. — Making the case for Virginia gubernatorial
candidate Jerry Kilgore here yesterday, running in perhaps the
nation’s most important race this off-year, Senator John Warner
cited support that includes President Bush, as well as powerful
Virginia Republicans in Washington. “Jerry Kilgore can call eight
Republican senators — excuse me, congressmen. Right, Frank?”
Warner didn’t mean to refer to Congressman Frank Wolf as a
senator. He attributed his slip to the top-heavy state of Virginia
Republican politics: “All those guys want to take my job.” For now,
they’re behind Jerry Kilgore.
Flanked by Wolf and former Gov. Jim Gilmore at the Crystal
Gateway Marriott ballroom, Senator Warner represented the united
Republican front that Kilgore has secured early in the race.
Kilgore is a former state attorney general (he resigned as Virginia
AG on Feb. 1 to prepare for his run) from a staunch Republican
family that hails from Gate City, population 2200, just miles from
the Tennessee line. Statewide and nationally, Republicans see
Kilgore as the best chance to retake the governorship of one of the
fastest growing and most politically important states. And he’s off
to a strong start, with a March 10 poll showing a 10-point
lead.
GOP blessing in hand, Kilgore turned to a wider audience
yesterday. While Kilgore faces a nominal challenger in the primary
from Warrenton Mayor George B. Fitch, he is aiming for apparent
Democratic nominee Lt. Gov. Timothy Kaine. Asked about the primary,
Deputy Press Secretary J. Tucker Martin said, “We’re running
against Tim Kaine.”
Kilgore and his surrogates swiped at Kaine before the crowd of
about 300. Contrasting Kilgore to Gov. Mark Warner, with whom Kaine
has closely identified himself, Jim Gilmore said the Republican
candidate is a “fiscal conservative. And by the way, he’s not going
to redefine fiscal conservatism by just raising taxes.” John Warner
disparaged Kaine’s lack of valuable Washington contacts. Kilgore
himself concluded the meat of his speech with a series of
contrasts, “My opponent’s record is out of step with Virginians
like you and me.”
Jerry Kilgore showed Tuesday at his campaign kickoff tour stop
that he has a familiar tightrope to walk: balancing his appeal
between assurances to conservatives and safe offerings to all
Virginians. Broadly emphasizing “Virginia values,” Kilgore said his
administration would focus on rising tax assessments, education,
transportation, public safety, and new jobs. Kilgore vowed to “cap
real estate tax assessment increases at no more than five percent
per year” and subject any state tax increase to a referendum. His
campaign also pledges a phase-out of the contentious car tax.
Kilgore offered few specifics on his public safety positions.
However, Rep. Wolf said Kilgore is “committed to eliminating all
violent gangs” and Sen. Warner promised to help secure federal
homeland security funds.
Kilgore called for increased transportation and education
spending. Three out of Wolf’s four reasons “to go out and tell
anybody” to support Kilgore were specific transit projects of
special importance to the national capital area: such as extending
rail to Dulles Airport, widening Interstate 66 within the Beltway,
and building a new interchange along I-66. Kilgore also promised to
devolve transportation power and funding to regional transportation
authorities. Nothing exciting, but this is what governors do.
On education, Kilgore proposed $500-per-child tax credits,
higher pay for superior teachers, and an education investment trust
fund devoted to school infrastructure.
The Kilgore campaign seems conscious that conservatives may balk
at some aspects of its platform. The education trust fund is new
spending, Martin conceded, but it will last only so as the money’s
there. Kilgore told reporters that “we will prioritize our budget”
if economic conditions sour.
Kilgore presented a delicate mix of butter and populism. Despite
his reliance on Richmond and Washington for support and funding,
Kilgore repeatedly declared his suspicion of Richmond solutions.
“All the answers are not found in Richmond, and all the decisions
should not be made there either.” Citing the “watchdog commission”
he would create to monitor waste, he said, “I’m convinced it’s not
a lack of money in Richmond; it’s a lack of priorities.”
For now, Kilgore is comfortable as a conservative. A substantial
portion of the crowd was Fairfax Christian School students bussed
in for the rally. Students Mark Thomas and Rayan Almadani, who
volunteered for the Bush campaign, said their principal David
Thoburn brought the students to support his friend Jerry
Kilgore.
Proving that the Terri Schiavo case has become a conservative
bellwether, Kilgore was ready for questions about the battle over
the Florida woman’s life. “I support the president. I support the
culture of life. I thought Congress did the right thing in giving
her family the shot to try and save her. And my thoughts and
prayers are with the family today.”
