As though he were reviewing a movie, Great Falls resident Shawn DuGay described his friend’s bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th) as "a classic David and Goliath thing," with Town of Herndon resident Greg Daines in the role of the Biblical underdog.
"It’s daunting," said DuGay, "but Greg has the stick-to-itiveness to do this. If Greg could get his message out, he would win."
With an April 12 filing deadline looming ahead, Daines, a former John Connolly Republican, has yet to crack the century mark of the 1,000 signatures required to be placed on the ballot to secure the Democratic Party nomination for the right to face Wolf, a two-decade veteran of the U.S. House.
Not only was Daines a Connolly Republican, the 1980 Langley High School graduate said he even volunteered for Wolf’s campaign that year. "That was one of my first political experiences," said Daines, born at the Vandenburg Air Force Base in Lompoc, Calif.
Following graduation from Langley, Daines returned west, going as far as Provo, Utah where he graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in history in 1986 — a stint that included the traditional, two-year Mormon mission. After BYU, Daines was graduated from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. with his J.D. in 1989.
Although Daines isn't currently practicing law as an energy and management consultant with Technology & Management Services, Inc., he put his law degree to use working for U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), from 1995 to 1999, first as a legislative assistant then as chief of staff of the Energy and Water Subcommittee on which Reid served.
"That’s a committee handling $22 billion per year in appropriations," said Reid. "Greg was there. He had numerous responsibilities. He worked to get the thousands of requests from the agencies and set up the hearings involved and write bills." Reid said Daines assisted in crafting legislation as well.
"I think he would do a fine job," said Reid, from his office last Friday. "I know he’s an underdog. I’m very proud of him for running. He’s a very honest, candid person and understands the issues. That’s what we need in politics."
ONE OF THE ISSUES Daines is focusing on is energy and the environment. "I couple those because they are related,
he said. "I sat and negotiated the safe drinking water bill of 1995. The Republican agenda was whether or not there was a cost benefit analysis. What does that mean? When folks send their kids to bed at night with a drink of water, how dirty is it? Is the cost of cleaning the contaminants the bigger issue to these companies? There are certain basics in our society that cannot be measured by the company bottom line," he said, thinking of his own children.
Daines and his wife of 17 years Marilyn have three children: Lacey, 13, who attends Herndon Middle School and Connor, 10, and Hunter, 5, who both attend Herndon Elementary School. For Daines, education is not a far off issue, but one he contends with on a daily basis.
"Let’s talk about true reform, real standards," he said, questioning the Standards of Learning (SOLs). "Teachers are being handcuffed to this restrictive teaching to the test regime. This is a difficult issue to address at the national level, however, we have to take a look at how the world has shrunk in size and is more mobile. People living in Herndon are coming from far away nations and other parts of the country. A common understanding of America is not a bad thing."
"THE BUSH BUDGET has had a negative impact on K through 12 education and federal agencies are in distress. We need to look at the recent education reform act and assess its full impact in its totality," said Daines.
"We waited for the Republican government in Richmond [on SOL] and they walked away from it," said Daines.
Yet, Daines dismissed the notion that he should seek his first elected office at the state level, running for the state Senate in 2003, instead of at the federal level this year. "For the last six years since returning to the 10th Congressional District, I have worked at the federal level, negotiating federal legislation and working with federal agencies. Congress happens to be the forum that I am familiar with and have experience in. It is also where we are not being served by the incumbent. It’s time for a change," said Daines.
Coming full circle from volunteering for Wolf in 1980 to attempting to orchestrate a campaign against him 22 years Daines said "my campaign is not about parties. It is about an alternative to the status quo."
"It’s time for a change. When Greg said he was going to run, my wife and I said we will help any way we can, and I tend to lean more toward the Republican Party," said DuGay, adding that he will give consideration to a Democrat who "is a compelling candidate. I don’t see Greg as a typical liberal Democrat. He’s a moderate. He’s definitely a better choice for me."
"Greg is a good father, a good husband, he’s active in his church," said DuGay. "He’s a steady kind of guy and he’s real. He’s not some big-time businessman. He’s a regular guy raising his family like I am, with a wife, kids and a mortgage. He understands where I’m coming from. Frank Wolf doesn’t have a clue what I’m about. We certainly don’t move in the same circles."
"WE HAVEN’T ENDORSED a candidate, but I’m happy there are Democrats stepping forward," said Herndon resident Jan Reeves, chairman of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee. "It’s good for the process and good for democracy. I know Greg, living in Herndon the last year and a half, through Warner’s gubernatorial campaign," she said.
"I think it’s great," said Jerry Reed of Lake Ridge in Prince William County, an independent consultant who worked with Daines on Capitol Hill for two years for Reid. "More people should try to serve their country in an elected capacity. I know Greg cares about people. He’s courageous and I admire him for doing it. He has good credentials. Working for Sen. Reid gave him good exposure on the issues. I think Americans do better when they have a choice," said Reed.
"Virginians have to ask themselves," said Daines, knowingly paraphrasing Ronald Reagan, "are Northern Virginians better off because the incumbent has been in office 21 years? Why do we still sit bumper to bumper on 495, Route 7, 123, the Toll Road? Why hasn’t Metro been brought out here? Why did we wait for land prices to get so high? Where’s the vision?"
"By accepting the chairmanship [transportation appropriations] Wolf said to Virginians that he would influence federal funding for Northern Virginia," said Daines. "He made that issue his public record and yet we still sit bumper to bumper."
Daines said an official announcement regarding his campaign is forthcoming pending his filing. For more information about Daines, see his web site at www.dainesforcongress.org.