2011: Creigh Deeds’ Re-Election Campaign Announcement

Nearly 20 years ago I stood at Millboro Elementary School in Bath County with my family and announced I was going to seek a seat in the House of Delegates. In that first campaign, I had three themes centering on the notion of opportunity. First, I wanted to create economic opportunity by bringing good paying jobs to the area I wanted to represent. Second, I wanted to create educational opportunities to ensure our workforce could meet the demands of those jobs. Finally, I wanted to create electoral opportunities by making the system more transparent and responsive.

During my years in the House of Delegates and in the State Senate, I have maintained a focus on opportunity. I have worked to bring jobs to Virginia by supporting such initiatives as the Governor’s Opportunity Fund and tax incentives for clean energy manufacturers. I have worked to make sure every child in Virginia has the opportunity to receive a quality public education and access to a top notch public system of higher education, both by supporting standards in our schools and by supporting much needed investments in education. I have also worked to open up the political process by requiring voting machines to have a paper trail and to reform the archaic process by which district lines are drawn.

Since 1991, we have been on a political journey together. We have had ups and downs, successes and failures, but we have continued to work together to create opportunity in every corner of this Commonwealth. This coming year will bring decennial redistricting and another election cycle for every seat in the General Assembly. No doubt many of my detractors consider me vulnerable and maybe even finished.

I am running for re-election because I am not finished. I am running for re-election because I know that to create opportunity in every corner of this Commonwealth, we have to invest in the necessary transportation and educational infrastructure to support economic growth. We need a transportation system that will move the workers and goods of a world class economy. We need to turn out world class workers and attract the best paying jobs in the world to Virginia by taking a backseat to no one when it comes to education.

We need to continue to work for improvement in every public school in this Commonwealth and to make college education affordable. We cannot allow the glimmer that remains of the American Dream to slip out of the grasp of middle class families.

I am running for re-election because we have much to do to make Virginia government completely responsive to the people. For over 30 years, Democrats and Republicans have tried to reform the redistricting process. The legislation I sponsored progressed farther in the process than any prior attempts, and I am committed to completing that journey. Voters should select their politicians, not the other way around.

Nearly 20 years ago I stood at Millboro Elementary School in Bath County with my family and announced I was going to seek a seat in the House of Delegates. In that first campaign, I had three themes centering on the notion of opportunity. First, I wanted to create economic opportunity by bringing good paying jobs to the area I wanted to represent. Second, I wanted to create educational opportunities to ensure our workforce could meet the demands of those jobs. Finally, I wanted to create electoral opportunities by making the system more transparent and responsive.

During my years in the House of Delegates and in the State Senate, I have maintained a focus on opportunity. I have worked to bring jobs to Virginia by supporting such initiatives as the Governor’s Opportunity Fund and tax incentives for clean energy manufacturers. I have worked to make sure every child in Virginia has the opportunity to receive a quality public education and access to a top notch public system of higher education, both by supporting standards in our schools and by supporting much needed investments in education. I have also worked to open up the political process by requiring voting machines to have a paper trail and to reform the archaic process by which district lines are drawn.

Since 1991, we have been on a political journey together. We have had ups and downs, successes and failures, but we have continued to work together to create opportunity in every corner of this Commonwealth. This coming year will bring decennial redistricting and another election cycle for every seat in the General Assembly. No doubt many of my detractors consider me vulnerable and maybe even finished.

I am running for re-election because I am not finished. I am running for re-election because I know that to create opportunity in every corner of this Commonwealth, we have to invest in the necessary transportation and educational infrastructure to support economic growth. We need a transportation system that will move the workers and goods of a world class economy. We need to turn out world class workers and attract the best paying jobs in the world to Virginia by taking a backseat to no one when it comes to education.

We need to continue to work for improvement in every public school in this Commonwealth and to make college education affordable. We cannot allow the glimmer that remains of the American Dream to slip out of the grasp of middle class families.

I am running for re-election because we have much to do to make Virginia government completely responsive to the people. For over 30 years, Democrats and Republicans have tried to reform the redistricting process. The legislation I sponsored progressed farther in the process than any prior attempts, and I am committed to completing that journey. Voters should select their politicians, not the other way around.

I have not made this decision lightly. The political climate is full of vitriol. Our economic recovery continues to be slow. People are frustrated and divided. I know there are challenges ahead. But I have proven I am an effective legislator and am committed to building a better future for Virginia. This campaign will not be easy, and I need your help. Will you help me in this campaign with your donation of $25, $50, $100, $250, or whatever you can afford to give?

I appreciate your friendship and support and look forward to working with you to build a better Virginia.

Sincerely,

R. Creigh Deeds