Tuesday, June 14

4th Congressional District primaries

On Tuesday, voters in Richmond and portions of several nearby cities and counties will go to the polls to make their choices for Democratic and Republican nominees to run for the 4th Congressional District seat.

Because the seat is open — there is no incumbent — and because roughly 43 percent of the voting age population living in the newly drawn 4th District is African-American, we urge our readers to seize this opportunity to select candidates who will represent their interests.

Democratic primary

Two upstanding Democrats, state Sen. A. Donald McEachin of Henrico and Dr. Ella Ward, a member of Chesapeake City Council, are running for the party nod.

Both have solid records earned through representing the people in elective and appointed office.

Dr. Ward, 70, has a clear understanding of the critical issues confronting urban school systems in the district — and possible solutions — because of her 35 years of experience as a teacher and administrator in Portsmouth. She also was appointed by former Gov. Mark Warner to the state Board of Education and served for eight years.

She would be a strong advocate on the federal level to help Richmond, Petersburg and the district’s other jurisdictions to obtain desperately needed resources for public education.

When the district’s host of issues are taken into account, we believe that Sen. McEachin, 54, would be the most effective candidate should he win the Democratic nomination.

We believe his combined 16 years of experience and leadership in the Virginia General Assembly have forged the mettle needed in Congress.

Many of the issues he has wrestled with in the Virginia House of Delegates and the state Senate are playing out in Washington — gun safety, health care for the uninsured, infrastructure improvement, job creation and environmental protection. He will be able to push for legislation nationally without a huge learning curve.

He also would be a strong candidate in the November general election.