2018 General Election Elected 56 — 44

Do your job —

A prosecutor (hard as nails according to one news report), a naval commander, a CIA operative.  These are the Democratic candidates most likely to extend Virginia’s remarkable effort in 2017 to the US  Congress in 2018.   Virginians, who flipped 15 of the 17 seats they needed, want to do better this time.  They want to help Democrats nationwide flip at least 24 seats in the US House of Representatives so Democrats gain control.  

Like so many of the House of Delegate’s districts that were flipped in 2017, Virginia’s Tenth Congressional District has a Republican representative but was carried by Hillary in 2016.  The Tenth is a suburban, exurban and rural district that touches DC and continues along Virginia’s northern border with Maryland and West Virginia.  Most pundits described the Tenth as a toss up.The prosecutor, naval commander, and CIA operative are all women.  Jennifer Wexton http://www.wextonforstatesenate.com/is the former prosecutor. She is the Democratic nominee for the Tenth. 

Epithets have been important as long ago as the Iliad.  Even now, we need to get the epithets right.  Hard as nails is not the right descriptor for Jennifer Wexton.  Smart, competent, does her job — those are more accurate descriptors. 

Bill Belichick, coach of the New England Patriots is famous for telling his players to do their job. That expectation is how he has won so many championships. Jennifer Wexton has had a career in which she consistently does her job

Jennifer Wexton is a graduate of the University of Maryland and the William and Mary Law School.  She began her legal work in 2001 as an assistant prosecutor in Loudon County.  The next year, she was assigned to lead the prosecution in a case that attracted attention. 

Twenty year old college student Clara Schwartz was accused and, as a consequence of Jennifer Wexton‘s prosecution, convicted of first degree murder and conspiracy in orchestrating her father’s murder.  A distinguished biochemist, Robert Schwartz was killed, at his daughter’s instigation, by a young man who used a sword. 

Jennifer Wexton did her job and got the conviction.  She continued as prosecutor for five years when she resigned to go into private practice. 

Jennifer Wexton‘s interest in and focus on public service remained.  in 2011, she ran and lost against an incumbent Commonwealth’s attorney.  She came close in a Republican year.  In 2014, she ran for the State Senate in a special election.  She won by 14 points while her predecessor got himself elected Virginia’s Attorney General. 

As a State Senator, Jennifer Wexton did her job.  She did that job during contentious times.  The Senate was deeply, hostilely, and almost evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.  In the midst of the hostility, Jennifer Wexton worked at being a thoughtful legislator.  She defended one of her votes in a debate during the primary.  She explained she was doing her job.  Politics requires compromise and voting for compromises. 

Jennifer Wexton ran for Congress and walloped the primary opposition.  She started as the front runner and stayed there.  She earned the endorsement of the Washington Post.  She earned the support of the DCCC.  She collected nearly 50% of the vote in a primary.  Although her opponents did not have elective office experience, several were credible candidates.  Jennifer Wextonhad been a legislator and she knew how to campaign for office. 

She is geared for the general election.  During the primary, Jennifer Wexton focused on the incumbent.  She criticized Comstock for supporting the Trump/Republican agenda.  She attacked Comstock’s votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act, noting particularly that the ACA is crucial in the battle against the opioid epidemic.  She also drew attention to Comstock’s support for a House rules package to allow Congress to reduce the salary of any federal worker to $1.  That is a little scary in a district with many federal employees.

Help Jennifer Wexton http://www.wextonforstatesenate.com/ defeat the incumbent.  The incumbent has beaten back opponents before.  She is not an easy target.  The district is rated a toss up because there are a lot of Democrats there despite the experienced incumbent.  Help Jennifer Wexton. Be part of flipping the US Congress.