Sixth District congressional candidate Beth Macy spoke before a crowd of supporters in Roanoke Tuesday night to officially announce her run for the Democratic nomination to unseat Republican Ben Cline.
On Monday night, she will travel to Waynesboro for the first stop on her listening tour.
A best-selling author and former journalist, Macy announced plans to hit the road to hear from Virginians about issues that matter the most to them.
“I pledge right here and now to visit every county in the district, red or blue, to do the same thing I’ve been doing as a reporter for four decades to listen, and believe me, I will be taking notes,” she said during her announcement speech.
At the historic Fire Station No. 1 where both Barack Obama and Franklin D. Roosevelt once spoke, Macy said through her writing, she has given a voice to people who feel left behind by politicians.
“I’m running for Congress to make sure the oligarch class pays its fair share—instead of lobbying for tax breaks delivered by bought-off politicians like Ben Cline and paid for on the backs of Medicaid and food stamp recipients, the large majority of whom are working hard and still can’t keep their heads above water,” Macy said.
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“This race is for you, and it’s about you, so I promise to listen to everyone, to learn, and to represent all the people. It is by giving all people a voice – not just the rich and powerful –that we can hope to become a more perfect union.
“Hear me when I say this: I am not promising my vote in Congress to any president or any party. What I promise is that I’ll stand up for the working people of our communities who need a voice.”
Macy is one of three candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for the Sixth District Congressional seat which Democrats hope to flip blue in the mid-term elections next year. The seat has leaned Republican for more than three decades with Cline and his predecessor, Bob Goodlatte. Democrat James Olin held the seat from for 10 years beginning in 1983.
Macy will square off in a Democratic primary on June 6 against Ken Mitchell and Pete Barlow, who have both announced for the seat. The winner of the Democratic primary will be on the ballot for the Nov. 3 general election.
Macy raised $350,000 in the 24 hours following her announcement last week. Cline has raised nearly $450K; Barlow nearly $70K; and Mitchell has reported nearly $25K in donations, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, or VPAP.
Listening tour kicks off Monday night
Macy’s event in Waynesboro on Nov. 24 is being held at the Faded Poppy (old Rockfish Gap Outfitters) at 1461 E. Main St., running from 5:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
Additional events are planned in December in the district including:
- 12/04: Botetourt listening session, 5-7 p.m., Fincastle Branch Library, 11 Academy St.
- 12/11: Clifton Forge listening session, 7-8 p.m., Masonic Theatre, 510 Main St.
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Crystal Graham
