Talking about issues

The local candidates vying for the Republican nomination in the 62nd District House of Delegates election answered questions to a packed house in Unionville.

Madison farmer and supervisor Clay Jackson and Orange County military wife and homeschool mom Karen Hamilton are seeking votes in this month’s primary election, the winner of which will take on Democrat Sarah Ratcliffe in the November election to fill Del. Nick Freitas’ seat. Freitas announced earlier this year that he would not be seeking reelection.

The two-hour candidate forum, hosted by the Republican Committees of Culpeper, Greene, Orange and Madison, focused on a variety of issues including affordable housing, energy, gun rights and more. Chairman of the 7th District Republican Committee Ben Hazecamp served as the moderator.

Hamilton, 41, said she’s seeking election to protect the freedoms her children will inherit and “won’t co-parent with the government.” She and her husband, former Navy Seal and brief acting administrator of FEMA Cameron Hamilton, have three children. She is a Christian small business owner with a background in structural engineering. She said the critical issues are the overreach of the government on individual liberties including parental and property rights. 

Jackson, a beef farmer and cattle salesman, said he started his political life 16 years ago, first on the Madison County Planning Commission for four years, followed by 12 years as a county supervisor, the past 10 of which he has served as chairman. He said the big direction in Madison County is commonsense, something that if elected, he’ll bring to Richmond. He said  he wants to bring representation down to the local level as the 62nd District has far different issues than those of Northern Virginia.

When asked how they would reduce the tax burden, both candidates said the state budget has to be looked at line-by-line, seeking opportunities for cutting taxes across the board. Both candidates also agreed that there is a need for unity among the Republican Party and said they wouldn’t take a negative campaign approach.

As for energy, Jackson said “nuclear is the future,” as well as natural gas utilizing existing pipelines. As for solar, he said that’s a decision that should be made at the local level. Hamilton agreed, saying she’s concerned about the rising costs of energy, noting Virginia is purchasing 40% of its energy from across state lines. She said she’d like to expand energy generation in Virginia, making it cheaper which will benefit everyone.

On affordable housing, Hamilton said she’d work to cut tax rates across the board making it easier for people to enter into the housing market. She said she’d also look for ways to create opportunities for young entrepreneurs to be successful. Jackson said housing is difficult and larger developments create the need for more services. He said people are grabbing up the available houses as quickly as they hit the market so people are seeing the value of living in the 62nd District. He said there’s “something special about this part of the world.”

On gun rights, both candidates said they support the 2A movement. Hamilton said she will carry constitutional carry legislation and plans to be one of the strong constitutional 2A supporters. Jackson said any infringement on the Constitution is ridiculous and will stand up against going down the path of regulating guns away from responsible gun owners.

When asked what their first three bills would be, Jackson said he didn’t have an answer, but knows who he works for and would learn from those who came before him. Hamilton said she would fight for constitutional carry, 100% protection of life from conception and school choice because she wants educational freedom in the state.

When needing advice or help on an issue, Hamilton said the first person she would call is her husband, then Freitas as well as talk to constituents in the district and surround herself with experts. Likewise, Jackson said he would first call his wife and is fortunate to have a great family that looks at things. He said he’s surrounded by a wealth of people he can go to.

On education, Jackson said before COVID, schools were beginning to identify how kids learn in different ways and things seem to be going back in that direction now that everyone has been brought back to a post-pandemic baseline. Hamilton said education is an issue she’s passionate about. She said many problems are born out of educational problems. She said she supports public schools and would like teachers to be paid well. She said administration appears to be bloated and money isn’t making it to classrooms.She also wants to open up freedom, stating education doesn’t need to be one size fits all.

As for how they’ve already served their communities, Hamilton said she has attended local school board meetings and supported conservative school board members fighting for children. She also started a local Moms for America group and is involved in her church. Jackson said he hopes his cattle auction business markets cattle from around Virginia and as a supervisor, he tries to represent the county as best he can. 

When asked about economic development and data centers, Jackson said counties are using data center projects to shore up local budgets preventing tax increases, but said implementing them needs to be a local decision. He said land use is a local issue, not one the state should decide. Hamilton agreed that the issue is a local one and said while no one likes data centers, no one wants to give up their phones creating the need for them. She said localities have to decide where to put data centers and the energy consumption issues surrounding them have to be worked out.

In closing, Jackson said the local area needs enhanced representation and has to adapt to challenges. He said the district has to be proactive, not just reactive and his experience will translate to representing the 62nd District. He said he will protect the right to work and go to Richmond, helping keep things moving in a positive direction. Hamilton said her top motivation is her children and the future they’ll inherit. She said children are under a direct assault and she will stand to protect their freedoms and uphold the constitution.

For more information on Karen Hamilton, visit https://www.hamiltonforvirginia.com. For more information on Clay Jackson, visit https://electclayjackson.com/.

The primary election will be held June 17; early voting is underway.