BLUEFIELD, Va. — A retired Wythe County educator who was successful in her first run for the Virginia General Assembly and veteran Juvenile and Domestic Relations judge from Pulaski County are running for the Sixth District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Delegate Anne B. Crockett-Stark, 64, a Republican from Wytheville, was elected to the House in 2005, in her race against three-term incumbent Delegate W.B. “Benny” Keister. During her first term in office, Crockett-Stark proved to a champion of education, jobs and transportation issues in her five-county district.
William F. “Bill” Thomas Jr., 73, decided to re-enter the political scene after a 35-year hiatus when he served on the bench of the Pulaski County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Thomas promises to bring “strong leadership,” to the General Assembly if he is elected, and to work with people in the district to create positive change.
“I’ve been going door-to-door, attending meetings and talking with people throughout the my district,” Crockett-Stark said. “Early in the campaign, all I heard about was concerns from people on the abuser fees. I think there are some things we can do to address those concerns. I think the governor should revisit the application of the fees to small, minor offenses, but I think the fees can serve as a deterrent in major offenses that endanger people’s lives.” Crockett-Stark said she would also like to have certain inequities in the law removed that excuse non-Virginian drivers from the most severe applications of the abuser fees. “It should be the same for everyone,” she said.
Thomas said that he, too, has heard a lot of concerns from the public related to the abuser fees — legislation that dramatically increased the fines for most traffic violations. “It seems to be a big thing for the voters,” Thomas said. “Unfortunately, since I have not served in the General Assembly before, I can’t simply point to my record and say this is where I stand on this issue or any other issue.
“As I look at it, serving in the General Assembly is a hard decision job,” Thomas said. “I just came from a hard decision job. If the people of the sixth district send me to Richmond, I promise that I’ll make the hard decisions.”
Thomas has been traveling through the district, meeting people and attending meetings and events. “I’ve met a lot of nice people since I received the nomination,” he said. “Win, lose or draw, I’m glad that I got a chance to meet with so many good people.”
While Crockett-Stark said that residents were talking about abuser fees early in the campaign, the talk later changed to healthcare and illegal immigration. “People want to know if their tax dollars are going to pay for services for people living in this country illegally,” she said.
Thomas said that, in lieu of a record to run on, one of the strengths he would bring to the job is the ability to hear both sides of an issue. “It’s important to hear both sides of any issue,” he said. “I think people are looking for representatives to go to Richmond, use their common sense while they’re there and come on back home.”
Crockett-Stark said that her district has experienced positive growth during her first term. “Good things are happening in the district,” she said. “I hope to keep the momentum of bringing more jobs and good-paying jobs into the area. Of course, education has always been a major concern of mine.” She added that transportation matters are also seeing improvements in the sixth district.
Thomas said that a great deal has changed in the 35 years since he was actively campaigning. “I’m walking from door-to-door like I did, but people who were running for office back then didn’t have campaign managers,” he said. Still, he noted that when he wants to get briefed on the concerns of people living in southwestern Virginia, he visits with his friends at the 9:30 a.m., coffee club at Martin’s Pharmacy in Pulaski.
Crockett-Stark said that the Democrat and Republican party representatives of the “Far Southwest” work together on matters of importance to the region. “We’re more friendly adversaries than anything else. There can be balance,” she said. “Every issue needs to be looked at.”
Crockett-Stark is the widow of Dr. Carl Stark. She holds an undergraduate and masters’ degree from Radford University and has done post graduate work at Virginia Tech. Thomas earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Richmond and received his law degree from the University of Virginia. He and his wife Gertrude live in Pulaski.
— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com
Local News
October 27, 2007
Thomas challenging Crockett-Stark in Va. House
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