VMPAC 2009 endorsements

Creigh Deeds for Governor

Jody Wagner for Lt. Governor

Steve Shannon for Attorney General

VMPAC endorsed Creigh Deeds for Governor, Jody Wagner for Lt. Governor and Steve Shannon for Attorney General.  This endorsement was based on the issues of importance for Muslim voters, and our survey of these voters shows a strong interest in the following issues:

• Anti-immigrant legislations:  As in many ethnic communities, Muslims in Virginia are concerned about anti-immigrant legislations at the state level, and worry about efforts to allow state police to do immigration enforcement, and resulting possibility of profiling and civil rights violations.
• Support for diversity:  The community feels that support for diversity by candidates is essential.  Muslim voters are eager to know which candidates have a strong commitment to diversity.
• Education:  The Muslim community is worried about cuts in education budget.  It places a high premium in improving the education and is concerned about recent budget cuts in education.
• Payday lending:  Muslims strongly thing that payday lending is morally wrong and needs to be controlled.  Since payday lending practices rely heavily on usury (which is forbidden in Islam), Muslim voters feel strongly against those.  For Muslim voters, it is at once a religious and a social justice issue.
• Social services:  Muslim voters oppose cuts in state social services, like healthcare and other state programs.
• Traffic congestions:  Muslim voters in Northern VA think highway traffic congestion is a serious problem.

All of the Republican candidates seem to come up short on those criteria.  In addition, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell and ex-Congressman Virgil Goode are strong allies and have endorsed each other strongly.  Mr. Goode is infamous for his vitriolic opposition to the first Muslim Congressman Keith Ellison’s taking his oath of office on the Qur’an.  While in a meeting with Muslim leaders, Mr. McDonnell denied that he supported all of Mr. Goode’s views, but he also refused to repudiate Mr. Goode’s prejudicial remarks about Muslims in America.  

It’s pertinent to note that Mr. McDonnell is a graduate of Regent University – established by the conservative Christian pastor, Pat Robertson, who renowned for his virulent anti-Muslim views.  One of Mr. McDonnell’s graduate theses written while he was studying there caused much discussion not too long ago because of its strong bias against women.

The incumbent Republican Lt. Governor Bill Bolling has had less than stellar record of working with Muslim community issues during his last four years in office.

The Republican candidate for Attorney General, Senator Ken Cuccinelli, also subscribes to strong right-wing views which are not supportive of the Muslim community.  Interestingly, however, Muslim voters played a key role in his first election to the Virginia Senate in 2003.  In that election, his opponent, the Democratic candidate, Jim Mitchell, conducted a blatantly anti-Muslim push-poll and followed it up with an ugly anti-Muslim mailer.  In contrast, Mr. Cuccinelli showed considerable courage by standing up for the First Amendment rights of Muslim donors to make political contributions.  However, after his election, Mr. Cuccinelli joined other right-wing elected officials in supporting/sponsoring bills which negatively impacted the Muslim Virginians.  One of those bills, about Virginia divesting from Sudan, was opposed by VMPAC due to its uncertain effectiveness to alleviate the Darfur tragedy coupled with strong possibility of worsening the lives of average Sudanese citizens, as we have seen during economic sanctions on Iraq.  Immediately after the bill failed, curiously, both Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) and well-known Islamophobe Steve Emerson wrote strongly anti-Muslim pieces about this bill!

All three Democratic candidates, in contrast, have shown keen interest in and support for the issues facing the Muslim community.  While candidates from both sides have attended the Eid Al-Fitr prayers and spoke at various mosques, clearly the history and the current level of engagement favor the three Democratic statewide candidates.  Besides, the endorsement by the Washington Post cites reasons which are highly pertinent for the Virginian Muslims.

The most recent update of the VMPAC voter database shows a small increase over the past year in the number of registered Muslim voters – up to 74+ thousand from last year’s 72+ thousand (the smallest increase in last five years).  VMPAC is in the midst of an extensive GOTV campaign during the last two weeks prior to the election.  It is also actively working on taking voters to the polls for early voting.

Given the predicted closeness of this election, the Muslim voting bloc can certainly be a deciding factor, as it was in the 2006 Senate race for Senator Jim Webb. 

Aside from three statewide races, elections are being held for all State Delegates as well.  Those races are equally important, particularly because after the 2010 census, the VA House of Delegates will be involved in the redistricting of the electoral districts. 

VMPAC is in the process of distributing 80,000 copies of its endorsement cards in the community.  If you didn’t receive one, please print the endorsements below.  Please take these to the polls to help you decide.  VMPAC will also provide rides to anyone who needs it.  

We must ALL turn out to vote this year – because our future depends on it.  

For any further information, please visit our website at www.vmpac.org, or feel free to email me at mhossain@vmpac.org, or call me at 703.507-7223.

Was salam.

Mukit

Mukit Hossain, President

703-507-7223, mhossain@vmpac.org

Virginia Muslim Political Action Committee (VMPAC)
6712-A Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA 22042

www.vmpac.org

Virginia Muslim Political Action Committee (VMPAC) is a state registered non-partisan Political Action Committee of Muslim Americans living in Virginia.  Formed in 2003 and renamed in 2005, its goal is to educate and engage the Muslim community in the political process of the Commonwealth of Virginia through mobilization of votes and funds for issues which are important to the community and candidates who support those issues.

ALEXANDRIA/ARLINGTON/FAIRFAX County

Governor   R. Creigh Deeds (Democrat)

Lt. Governor   Jody M. Wagner (Democrat)

Attorney General   Stephen C. Shannon (Democrat)

Delegates:

District 034   Margaret G. Vanderhye (Democrat/Incumbent)

District 035   Mark L. Keam (Democrat)

District 036   Kenneth R. ''Ken'' Plum (Democrat/Incumbent)

District 037   David L. Bulova (Democrat/Incumbent)

District 038   L. Kaye Kory (Democrat)

District 039   Vivian E. Watts (Democrat/Incumbent)

District 040   Susan S. Conrad (Democrat)

District 041   Dave W. Marsden (Democrat/Incumbent)

District 042   Greg A. Werkheiser (Democrat)

District 044   Scott A. Surovell (Democrat)

District 046   Charniele L. Herring (Democrat/Incumbent)

District 047   Patrick A. Hope (Democrat)

District 048<   Robert H. Brink (Democrat/Incumbent)

District 053   James M. ''Jim'' Scott(Democrat/Incumbent)

District 067   C. Chuck Caputo (Democrat/Incumbent)

District 086   Stevens R. Miller (Democrat)

LOUDOUN County

Governor   R. Creigh Deeds (Democrat)

Lt. Governor   Jody M. Wagner (Democrat)

Attorney General   Stephen C. Shannon (Democrat)

Delegates:

District 013   John J. Bell (Democrat)

District 032   David E. Poisson (Democrat/Incumbent)

District 067   C. Chuck Caputo (Democrat/Incumbent)

District 086   Stevens R. Miller (Democrat)

PRINCE WILLIAM County

Governor   R. Creigh Deeds (Democrat)

Lt. Governor   Jody M. Wagner (Democrat)

Attorney General<   Stephen C. Shannon (Democrat)

Delegates:

District 013<   John J. Bell (Democrat)

District 050   Jeanette M. Rishell (Democrat)

District 051   Paul F. Nichols (Democrat/Incumbent)

District 052   Luke E. Torian (Democrat)

RICHMOND Area

Governor   R. Creigh Deeds (Democrat)

Lt. Governor   Jody M. Wagner (Democrat)

Attorney General   Stephen C. Shannon (Democrat)

Delegates:

District 071   Jennifer L. McClellan (Democrat/Incumbent)

District 073   Tom J. Shields (Democrat)