BRISTOL, Va. – Democratic candidate Jody Wagner told a gathering at Java J’s coffeehouse Friday that if she is elected as Virginia’s lieutenant governor in November, she will push for progress on numerous state issues, including education, transportation and jobs.
During her appearance on State Street, Wagner took questions on health care and the state’s ability to attract more business. She also accused state Republicans of blocking efforts to draw industry to Virginia and help unemployed residents. And she criticized incumbent Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, her Republican opponent, as being “the voice of no.”
Bolling, who is seeking his second term as lieutenant governor, also was in Bristol recently, attending a June 29 ribbon cutting for the GOP’s campaign office downtown.
“This is not about good guys and bad guys. I believe our opponents want what is best for Virginia,” Bolling said during the ribbon-cutting event. “But there are a lot of different issues and two clear visions for building a better Virginia.”
He said the GOP ticket favors reducing taxes and regulations on businesses to foster economic growth, while the Democrats favor raising taxes and more governmental regulation.
Friday’s visit wasn’t Wagner’s first to Java J’s this year. She also visited during the Democratic primary campaign. She is among a handful of Democrats who have made the State Street coffee shop a regular stop during campaign swings in Southwest Virginia.
A former state treasurer and secretary of finance, Wagner has told her Bristol audiences that the march to victory in November won’t be easy.
“People believe Virginia has turned blue,” she said in early June. “It’s a tinge blue, but it is very tenuous and the Republicans are very excited.”
Among those attending Wagner’s campaign stop were state Sen. Phillip Puckett, D-Lebanon, and Bristol Commissioner of Revenue Terry Frye.
rbrown@bristolnews | (276) 645-2512
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