37th Senate District

Election: Tue, Nov. 4, 2003, 6 AM to 7 PM

Voting locations: All normal polling places

Jurisdictions: Southwestern to central Fairfax County (Part).
Click here to verify that you live in this district.

| Issues at a Glance | Funds raised | Ratings | Endorsements |

| Positions on issues | Political commentary | Race at a Glance |

Updated 10-31-03

Contact the candidates

James Mitchell III (D) Contact info: Tel: 703-263-0626 Email: jmitchell@metrotitleusa.com Web: www.jimmitchell.org PO Box 230568 Centreville, VA 20120

Ken Cuccinelli* (R) Contact info: Tel: 703-426-8070 Email: ken4sen@cuccinelli.com Web: http://www.cuccinelli.com PO Box 606 Centreville, VA 20122 *incumbent

Issues at a Glance

Voter Guide – click here!

Candidates Cuccinelli and Mitchell differ significantly on many issues. The information provided for voters on their websites under “Issues” also contrasts noticeably in content and specificity. (Be sure to check out their websites, above.)

Ken Cuccinelli, the Republican incumbent, is regarded as a pro-family conservative. He scored 100% on The Family Foundation 2003 Report Card. He signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge to oppose tax increases. He is pro-life, pro-business, favors school choice, and was a leader in the grassroots efforts against increasing the Sales Tax (Referendum), which voters defeated in 2002. He supports legislation to increase local school board accountability and teacher salary increases. He recently co-hosted a conference at GMU to examine NVa transportation alternatives & solutions (see articles in Political Commentary). He supports legislation to prevent raiding the Transportation Trust Fund for general spending. He sponsored legislation to limit the rate of increase for real estate taxes to 5%/yr, and a bill to limit state budget increases to population growth plus inflation. He favors revenue neutral Tax Code revisions. He supports codifying marriage as between one man and one woman, and the protection of 2^nd Amendment rights. He voted for death tax repeal, for parental consent before a minor’s abortion, and for a ban on partial birth abortions. (For additional details, see his Issues Survey response and his website.)

We regret to inform voters that Jim Mitchell, the Democrat challenger, is misrepresenting his opponent’s potisions. To avoid making a decision based on false information, please refer to the Issues section of Mr. Cuccinelli’s website, his Issues Survey response (above), the summary of his voting record (above), and the link to his voting record under “Positions on Issues” (below), or contact the candidate’s campaign.

On issues, Mr. Mitchell says his “second priority is to raise state taxes” (Fairfax Chronicle, 10-1-03). He favors income tax increases (Washington Post, 10-23-03), and he opposes capping real estate tax increases to 5% per year. In establishing his liberal credentials to voters, Mr. Mitchell said, “I am the only candidate in this race, in either party, that has previously been endorsed and financially supported by all the following organizations: NARAL (the National Abortion Rights Action League), NOW, (the National Organization of Women), Handgun Control, Inc., the Fairfax Education Association, the Fairfax Teachers Association, the Virginia AFL-CIO, and various other labor and teacher organizations.” (Source: Jim Mitchell’s letter to primary voters, 6-23-02.) In addition to being pro-choice and favoring gun control, he supports the gay legislative agenda, and is endorsed by the Virginia Partisans Gay & Lesbian Democratic Club. Unlike his opponent’s website, Mitchell does not have a section on issues, nor does he mention on his website his positions on increasing taxes, school choice, Tax Code revisions and other family impact issues. He also has not returned his Issues Survey questionnaire for voters.

Vote smart. Call the candidates with questions on issues important to you.

Issues, Ratings, Endorsements, Background

James Mitchell III (D) Positions on issues: Issues Survey response - Candidate ignored requests to return his Issues Survey Click here to send Jim an Email with questions on issues important to you. Ratings: Taxpayer Protection Pledge-No Endorsements: -Virginia Partisans Gay & Lesbian Democratic Club, NEA, Northern Virginia Realtors -NARAL, NOW, Hand Gun Control, Fairfax Educators Assn, Fairfax Teachers Assn, Virginia AFL-CIO (previous) (See his letter regarding endorsements.) Personal Background: Biography President, Metropolitan Title & Escrow Centreville Strategic Planning Task Force Herndon-Dulles Chamber of Commerce

Ken Cuccinelli (R) Positions on issues: Issues Survey response-click here Voting record Ratings: The Family Foundation-100% NFIB-(--) , Virginia FREE-77% AFL-CIO-(--) Taxpayer Protection Pledge-Yes Endorsements: Virginia Society for Human Life PAC All Children Matter NRA Virginia Eagle Forum PAC Virginia Conservative Action PAC Personal Background: Biography Attorney Catholic, Lector

Fundraising, Political commentary

Funds raised by the candidates:

Click here to link to Virginia Public Access Project report for this race.

Political commentary related to this race or the candidates:

Big Difference in 37^th Distr Candidates, Springfield Connection, Ltr-to-Ed, 10-23-03

Cuccinelli co-hosts innovative Transportation Summit at GMU
Policy Commentary, Va Club for Growth, 9-9-03

HOT Lanes & Cuccinelli, letter-to-editor, Washington Times, 8-13-03

Race at a Glance

This is Ken Cuccinelli’s 4^th race in 17 months for this seat (2 primaries, a special and a general election). Jim Mitchell ran for Delegate in 1999 and for the Democrat nomination for this seat in 2002, losing both races by narrow margins. According to the Washington Post, Gov. Warner plans to dump $150,000 into this race to defeat Cuccinelli. Mitchell is reported to have hired Allen Secrest, a political consultant noted for his negative campaigns. The Northern Virginia Realtors group endorsed Mitchell, citing Cuccinelli’s opposition to the Sales Tax increase as a major reason for doing so.

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