Anderson open to Metro to Woodbridge, focused on vets, public safety

Editor’s note: The story was produced from an interview with Richard Anderson conducted by Potomac Local on Skype. His opponent, Hyla Ayala, did not respond to a request for an interview.

Rich Anderson is running to reclaim his seat in Prince William County’s 51st District.

• First elected in 2009, House of Delegates through 2017, when a “blue wave” unseated him and many other Republicans, leading to the election of Democrat Governor Ralph Northam.
• He is now one of the many Republicans this year hoping to take back his seat.

“It is a very exhilarating campaign,” Anderson told Potomac Local.

The 51st House of Delegates seat has been held since 2017 by Hyla Ayala.

• With nearly $268,000 on hand, Ayala has outraised Anderon by 104%.
• Ayala introduced nine bills in the 2019 (all failed in committee) session and was co-patron to 12.
• Since taking office, one of her chief-patron bills — a requirement to notify the state’s department of taxation of a personal data breach — was signed by the governor in 2018.

The 51st District is a cross-section of the heavily-populated, urban eastern side of the county, as well as out west around Manassas in some moral rural areas of the county.

“What I hear at the doors with a fair amount of frequency is what some have called chaos and embarrassment versus leadership and results in Richmond,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s effort to take back the seat comes as state Democrats have been involved in a series of high-profile scandals. Earlier this year, Governor Ralph Northam was embroiled in a blackface scandal where an image in his 1984 college yearbook surfaced, and a man wearing blackface appeared on a page next to his class photo.

Northam initially apologized, but then retracted the apology the next day saying there was no conclusive proof that was him in the photo.

• Two women also accused Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax was accused of sexual assault.
• Northam had also faced criticism after making controversial remarks about abortion on WTOP radio, with many Republicans accusing him of supporting infanticide.

Anderson acknowledged the scandals, but said, “I don’t want to talk about that stuff.”

• Anderson said he’d rather talk about the “kitchen table” things such as caring for military vets, transportation, education, and public safety.
• One of Anderson’s primary focuses is caring for veterans.
• Anderson led the way to bring a state veterans’ medical center to Vint Hill.
• He also championed legislation that allows U.S. servicemen and women to pay less in tuition at Virginia community colleges and state schools.

Anderson is currently a member of the Joint Leadership Council of Veteran Service Organizations that crafts bills that can make it into the 2020 legislative year.

“I’m very pleased with the progress they’re making,” Anderson said. If he is elected, he will leave the council and will again chair the General Assembly Military Veterans Caucus.

Anderson’s loss in 2017 was narrow- he lost by six points.

• But this time, Anderson says “It’s not as simple as knocking on more doors.”
• He says this year’s campaign has eclipsed anything he has done before.

“I will not be outworked,” Anderson said. “But I also intend to continue to bring this message about solid stable dependable predictable government in the Commonwealth of Virginia – not the sorts of things that we saw unfold in 2018 and really in 2019 with the chaos and embarrassment that ruled the day.”

Anderson said that a major quality life of issue he hears about at the doors is transportation.

“It would require a huge infrastructure change which will probably take several decades but I’m not a “no” on Metro to Woodbridge,” Anderson said.

• Anderson also discussed a gas tax which takes a percent at the pump that is currently helping fund the transportation costs in the state, but there is currently no floor. A floor would establish a baseline of funding regardless of how low gas prices drop.
• Anderson said that was a key flaw in the gas tax legislation. “… I knew that it would have some dysfunction that no one saw. Do you know what that dysfunction was? That dysfunction was no gas tax floor in Virginia.”
• A floor was later added in 2018.

Anderson is married to Ruth Anderson, who represents Occoquan as an elected official on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.

• Both Air Force veterans are up for election this year.

“We had a good training background there because collectively Ruth and I were in the Air Force for 51 years – me for 30, she for 21,” said Anderson. “It’s absolutely a privilege and a pleasure to be able to continue in public service with her. Whether it’s in elected office for me or whether it is as a private citizen being engaged as a community that’s just what we do. It’s all about public service and nothing else. That’s all I know.”