Multiple candidates in the past couple of weeks have announced their campaign for the 5th Congressional District seat, but former Delegate Ward Armstrong will not be among them. Over the weekend Armstrong announced that he is not considering a run for Congress.
Paul Collins with the Martinsville Bulletin reports:
“Armstrong first was elected to the House of Delegates in 1991 and served 20 years before losing a re-election bid to Del. Charles Poindexter, R-Glade Hill, in 2011. Armstrong served as House minority leader from 2007-2012,
Armstrong said he was surprised by Hurt’s announcement and thought Hurt would have a long tenure in Congress.
Serving in Congress takes a toll on family, and also Congress “is so polarized,” Armstrong said. “It just would be a terrible job. I worry very much about this country. Congress is a symptom of all the problems we’ve got.”
Armstrong, a Democrat, made his statement to not run after a string of announcements from those entering the race, including: State Senator Tom Garrett, IT Executive Michael Del Rosso, and Trump Supporter/Bedford County Businessman Jim Mckelvey. Additional names have been floated on the Republican side. According to Andrew Cain at The Richmond Times-Dispatch, Albermarle Supervisor Jane Dittmar and former Congressional staffer Ericke Cage have announced their campaigns for the Democrats.
Armstrong would have added much needed credibility to the Democrats’ chances of taking back the 5th Congressional District. He served in the House of Delegates for over 20 years, rising to the rank of Minority Leader. Former Congressman Tom Perriello is not considered a likely candidate. Perriello was just appointed to a State Department job by President Obama in July of last year.
Many fellow Virginia politicos will remember the 2011 dogfight of a campaign that was waged between Armstrong and Poindexter. Both were long-serving delegates from Southside Virginia whose homes were drawn into the same district. Over 2 million dollars was spent between both candidates, with Poindexter winning by 5%.
One has to wonder if the Democratic Party of Virginia will find a more suitable candidate. With no clear Democratic leader of the 5th Congressional, it may be that the Republican Primary is more exciting than the actual general election.
