“I’ve always been a fan of Jack Kemp. He believed that politics isn’t just about defeating your opponent…it’s about providing superior leadership and better ideas than the opposition,” said Delegate Glenn Davis (R-Virginia Beach). As political races begin in the run-up to Virginia’s 2019 elections, Davis is promising a seemingly unorthodox campaign compared to what is normally seen today, based on the legacy of Kemp and his auspicious conservatism.
For those who do not know who Kemp was, he was professional football player turned Republican congressman from New York, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1971 to 1989. He was then picked by President George H. W. Bush as secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and was even Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole’s vice presidential running mate in the 1996 general election.
Notably, Kemp’s legacy is not exactly what he did, but how he did it.
In the current national political climate of ideological sectarianism, inflammatory rhetoric, and divisiveness, Kemp symbolizes the hope for a more decent, humane conservatism, one which leaves nobody out and nobody behind. During is tenure as a Republican lawmaker, when people spoke of malaise and economic suffering, Kemp countered with a message of hope and an “American Renaissance” for all.
When campaigning, Kemp was optimistic, idealistic, solutions-oriented, and incapable of personal attack and negative campaigning, even when it cost him. With this, Davis hopes he can help transform the Republican Party back into the “party of ideas.”
Though, Davis said he is “not naive” and “neither was Jack.”
“He [Kemp] knew then what every political consultant knows today: negative campaigning works – over-hyped, emotionally-charged character attacks can have a profound impact on the voters, against a political opponent,” Davis said.
Regardless, the Virginia Beach Republican explained, “It’s time campaigns became about the issues, about the ideas and leadership exhibited to better the lives of those one represents. It should be about the passion and persistence that one fights for when they know the right course of action.”
However, Davis, who is looking for victory in his fourth consecutive House of Delegates run, stated, “that’s not the easiest way to win a campaign – the talking points won’t sound as ‘sexy’ and the sound bites won’t illicit a surge of emotion.”
Just as he has done in the past, though, Davis is ready for doing things the hard, but correct way to provide for better leadership and representation for his constituents and Virginians elsewhere.
“Voters shouldn’t expect or allow their representatives to take the ‘easy path.’ They should demand that they take the ‘right’ path, a path that requires them to demonstrate past and future ideas that have had a real, positive impact on the lives of those they represent, and exhibit the leadership necessary to see those ideas to reality,” he said.
In his first of many video messages, Davis then said he will “apologize” for what constituents in the 84th House District will see in his campaign.
He said he apologizes “for the long policy overviews, detailed discussions, for the ‘in the weeds’ analysis, for not making it as easy to understand as ‘my opponent is a bad person and I’m not.'”
“I’m going to run a race on what I’ve done and what I’ll continue to do,” he stated.
For him, that means an ideas and solutions-based campaign in 2019, one that is hopeful, optimistic, and inclusive.
“You’ll hear about the four years I carried legislation and joined with patient advocacy groups fighting against insurance carriers for transparent and reasonable medical practices. You’ll hear about the four years I fought against large out-of-state businesses to create a level playing field for Virginia businesses that ultimately created hundreds of new jobs and saved thousands of others,” Davis explained.
“You’ll hear about the two years I fought for access to medical CBD oil for Virginians afflicted with severe illnesses, and you’ll hear about my legislation to eliminate business property taxes on many in-home businesses and lessen that burden on all other businesses across the Commonwealth,” he added.
Many more pieces of legislation that Davis explained he continues to fight for coming out of the 2019 legislation session, as well as those going into next year’s 60-day session, are to “make a real difference in the lives of those I represent, and many small businesses across the Commonwealth.”
“These pieces of legislation aren’t ‘sexy,'” he said, adding that “in some cases, can’t be summed up in 10 words or less.”
“But, in all cases,” Davis expressed, “I can point to individuals whose lives have been positively impacted.”
When Davis meets with his Virginia Beach constituents during his campaign this year, he promises, “Like Jack Kemp, I’m not interested in just winning, but be worthy of winning.”