Virginia’s Ninth Congressional district is in the western corner of Virginia. It includes the counties of Lee, Wise, Dickenson, Buchanan, Scott, Russell, Tazewell, Washington, Smyth, Wythe, Bland, Giles, Craig, Alleghany, Montgomery, Pulaski, Grayson, Carroll, Floyd and Patrick Counties and parts of Henry and Roanoke County.
The current Congressional Representative from there is Republican Republican Morgan Griffith.
Previously, a Democrat held this district from 1983 to 2010. In 2010 Griffith won it with 51.2% of the vote. He has held the district since.
Two candidates are running in the primary: Bill Bunch and Derek Kitts. Both are Democrats.
The local Democratic Party committees across the 9th Congressional District are holding caucuses on the weekend of April 16-18 to pick delegates for a May district meeting where the party’s nomination will be made. Link.
Bill Bunch is a firm Bernie Sanders supporter.
Bill Bunch:
- A Tazewell County farmer and a retired postal worker.
- He served the U.S. Army and was an anti-war activist from within the ranks during the Vietnam War.
- After his stint in the army, he began to work for the U.S. Postal Service.
- He became a union steward and understands negotiation and compromise.
Mr. Bunch is a Democrat. He’s contributed to Democratic candidates before. However, this cycle, he contributed to Bernie Sander’s campaign. In fact, he volunteered to phone bank for Bernie Sander’s campaign from New Hampshire before the NH Tuesday primaries.
This is the first time Mr. Bunch has attempted a run for public office. In 2014, Democrats did not run a candidate in that district. It was left open for Griffith to win. Mr. Bunch is running because:
It won’t do any good to send Bernie up there by himself, without any company.
His priorities are:
- To slow climate change.
- To institute single payer health care system proposed by Sen. Sanders.
- Mr. Bunch describes himself as pro-life, for after the baby is born. He does not support any new restrictions on a woman’s right to choose.
- The 9th is Virginia’s mining country. Coal. The industry is fading and Mr. Bunch would like to bring in new, innovative, and green businesses to help the district.
Mr. Bill Bunch is a member of 90for90.org. It is an organization set up in honor of Dr. Ferguson Reid, Senior’s 90th birthday. It is an organization which supports and advocates for registering more voters and to make registering to vote an easy thing to do. Really, it is an organization which advocates for a better and more participatory democracy.
Mr. Bunch is up against a much better funded incumbent, Morgan Griffith. Here is Mr. Bunch’s donate page:
Please, throw a few dollars towards a candidate who feels the Bern!
Believe me, Virginia’s 9th Congressional could use a U.S. Representative who is a Berner. That area could use the care and nurture of a Progressive.