Five vie for 8th District seat
By Claire Compton
Longtime 8th Congressional District incumbent Jim Moran (D) must first face a Democratic primary challenger before he takes on a Republican opponent in this year's election.
Democrat Matthew Famiglietti, 55, a lawyer from Alexandria, said his priorities are health care, the environment and what he called an increasingly frustrating situation in Iraq.
“This country is spending $15 million a month for Iraq and it's time for change, time to move these troops out,” he said.
Famiglietti has raised about $1,200 so far, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Moran, 62, has served as the 8th District's representative since 1990, prior to which he was mayor of the City of Alexandria for five years. He has raised more than $577,000, according to FEC reports.
Despite his tenure, Moran is promising change on several fronts in the next term.
“Our nation is ready for change, ready for an end to the war in Iraq, ready for environmental policies that actually help, not harm, and ready for a commitment to strengthening our public infrastructure and our economy,” he said.
The Republican field for the seat has been fluctuating, with a few candidates that have already withdrawn. At press time, the apparent candidates for the Republican nomination are Mark Ellmore, Amit Singh and Dianne Kelly.
Ellmore, 49, a banker from Kingston, returns for a second try at the nomination after losing to Tom O'Donoghue in 2006. He is the single father of two grown children.
This time around he says the top priority of voters has shifted from border security and the war in Iraq to the economy and transportation.
Ellmore wants to rein in federal spending in the face of a recession.
“In Northern Virginia, with the lack of public transportation, with rail not getting done, in addition to that people are being taxed to death – people can't afford the basics anymore,” he said.
Ellmore is currently the only confirmed Republican challenger who has filed with the FEC. He said his motivation is not so much out of dissatisfaction with Moran, but a desire to bring change to the office.
“I believe in a policy that says we have got to stop the federal spending. ... It's literally gotten so that future generations will have nothing left,” he said.
Amit Singh, 32, of Arlington, is also seeking the Republican nomination. His platform is “libertarian leaning” and advocates reducing the size and scope of the federal government.
Singh, born and raised near Richmond, graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in electrical engineering. He now owns his own engineering firm that primarily serves federal agencies. This is his first foray into politics.
“A lot of this is a new experience to me, but I'm learning quickly,” he said.
His biggest issues are the federal deficit, preserving personal liberties and foreign policies, which he said are costing the United States financially. Singh said he has not yet begun the fund-raising portion of his campaign.
Kelly, who has also not yet filed with the FEC, is listed as a candidate on the District Republican Committee Web site. She did not return calls seeking comment about her campaign.