While many have expressed interest in running against U.S. Rep. James P. Moran (D-8th) in 2004, Republican Lisa Marie Cheney of Alexandria is the first to make it official.
The 38-year-old consultant and mother of two made it official at her home last Saturday. "I’m not going to run against Moran as much as I am going to run for my neighbors, family and fellow residents of District 8," Cheney said.
Michael Lane, chairman of the 8th District Republican Committee, said of Cheney, "I’m very pleased that Lisa is in the race. She’s a very credible candidate who will give Jim Moran or whomever, a very spirited contest."
Lane has known Cheney for only a couple of years but is aware of her longtime involvement in district. "She has been an active volunteer on many campaigns, most recently Bill Cleveland’s mayoral contest," he said.
While Cheney is the first candidate to hold a kickoff rally, Lane expects that there will be many more Republican candidates. "Although we are still 10 months away from determining the Republican nominee, Lisa is clearly in the first tier of active candidates," he said. "I expect that we will have a veritable plethora of candidates who believe that Jim Moran is vulnerable."
As for Moran, "The congressman remains focused on serving his constituents in the 8th District," said Dan Drumond, Moran’s press secretary. "He also feels attention should be focused on the very important local state races in the fall."
CHENEY IS A lifelong resident of Alexandria. She attended elementary school at St. Rita’s, graduated from St. Mary’s Academy, and earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from George Washington University. Ten years ago, she founded a government relations consulting firm that specializes in defense issues, specifically missile defense systems and strategic systems. Her husband, David, is a commander in the U.S. Navy, whose last tour of duty was as strike officer on the newly commissioned USS Ronald Reagan. The Cheney’s have two children, ages 2 and 3 1/2.
"I have always been interested in politics and have always wanted to run for Congress," Cheney said. Her mother has worked as a telephone operator at the White House since the Johnson administration.
"I have met every president since President Johnson, so politics has always been a part of my life," Cheney said.
SHE BEGAN volunteering for political candidates while she was in high school. She served as a point person for the first President Bush’s campaign in Chicago and worked for Congressman Jack Kemp’s presidential campaign as well.
Locally, she is a member of the Alexandria Republican City Committee and helped with many of William Cleveland’s campaigns including his unsuccessful bid to become Alexandria’s mayor in May of this year.
"I am running for Congress because I believe that the 8th District deserves better representation than we have received from Moran," Cheney said. "Because of our proximity to the nation’s capital, our local issues are often national news, and our representatives are often seen on national television and quoted in publications that are distributed nationally. Frankly, Jim Moran has been an embarrassment."
Cheney’s issues are defense, the economy and family values.
"I don’t believe that you can spend too much money on defense systems," she said. "Our country deserves the best defense that we can have, and that means investing in new technology.
"Also, we have a responsibility to aid in the defense of our allies," she said.
IN GENERAL, she supports the president’s economic policies. "I believe that we should allow the American taxpayer to keep as much of his money as possible," Cheney said. "By identifying waste and fraud, I believe that we can save sufficient money to pay for necessary programs and give money back to citizens so that they can invest in the country. This is the way to make our economy stronger."
Family values are an important part of her platform. "America has gotten too far away from the family values that used to define us," she said. "In the past, extended families were very important. My mother was a single parent, and I was raised by her and my aunt. Family is the most important thing. I am running for Congress now because, after 2 1/2 years away from home, my husband’s next tour of duty is here. He will be attending school, and his schedule will permit him to be home with our children when I am out. Also, my mother plans to retire in January so that she can work on my campaign and also spend time with the children."
CHENEY ATTENDED parochial school, and her children will do so as well. "We live in the Douglas MacArthur Elementary School area, and it is one of the best schools in the city," she said. "However, I have many concerns about the middle schools in the city, and our one high school, T.C. Williams, isn’t even accredited. Alexandrians and all residents of the 8th District deserve better than this.
"While I believe that local school decisions should be left to the School Board and to City Council, I would like to be involved in seeing that every child in the district has access to the best possible education. If this means vouchers, then that’s something we should consider," she said.