Del. James Dillard (R-41st) had been in office for a year when Michael Golden was born. But now, 29 years later, Golden is vying to unseat Dillard, a 30-year veteran of the General Assembly by running on an aggressively anti-tax platform.
Golden has faulted Dillard for moving away from the rank and file of the Republican Party by backing tax increases, increases that Golden thinks his constituents steadfastly oppose.
"In Dillard's past term, he has co-sponsored 11 bills to raise taxes," said Golden. "That's something people should know."
Dillard responded that many in the Republican leadership, including Sen. John Chichester (R-28th), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, have realized "that the state simply does not have enough money to do what's necessary to meet the needs of the citizens of Virginia.
"These are legal obligations," he said. "These are not do-gooder type things."
GOLDEN, an attorney with the firm of Latham and Watkins, grew up around Burke and Springfield before heading off to the University of Virginia for college and Georgetown University for law school. He and his wife, Jennie, live in Orange Hunt with a couple of dogs. If elected, he said, he would keep his job but work fewer hours.
"The past four years, I've had zero contact with my legislator," Golden said. Establishing a relationship with constituents is one of his motivations for running, he said.
"The vast majority of people that I've talked to, with a very few exceptions, have had very little contact with him whatsoever," Golden said of Dillard. "To be quite frank, I don't think that that's quite an accident."
When constituents learn about Dillard's support for higher taxes, said Golden, "They're just shocked, and they can't believe that somebody who purports to represent them is doing things that are so categorically opposed to what their positions on the fiscal issues are."
Golden's position on taxes has won him the endorsement of the Virginia Club for Growth. Its president, Peter Ferrara, said he endorsed Golden because he had pledged not to raise taxes.
"I think Golden will be like (Sen.) Ken Cuccinelli (R-37th). If he gets down there, he'll be another advocate for the taxpayers," said Ferrara. By contrast, he said, Dillard has shown "contempt" for the voters.
"Within a few weeks after the voters rejected the sales tax referendum [last year], Mr. Dillard turns around and introduces a bill for double the amount," he said. "I just can't abide elected officials who turn around and give the voters the finger."
Dillard said his 1 cent sales tax bill would have benefited education, which the state currently underfunds to the tune of $1 billion. By law, the state is required to fund at least 55 percent of the cost to run the state's schools. Right now, he said, Virginia funds only about 48 percent.
"We owe the localities about a billion dollars in underfunding of public education, which then puts pressure on the property tax," he said.
LAST YEAR, as the state grappled with a $6 billion shortfall, lawmakers cut every single state program except public primary and secondary education. Dillard, as chairman of the Education Committee and as chairman of the Appropriation Committee's Primary and Secondary Education Subcommittee, has been credited with saving education.
But this year will be another challenge. Dillard estimated that the state will face a $2 billion shortfall, about double the current projection coming from the governor's office. He also said he would be willing to increase cigarette taxes and impose sales taxes for Internet sales. He would also consider raising gas taxes.
"We've gone down and found all the quarters left in the couch, and there aren't any left."
In this climate, campaign talk about holding the line on taxes while increasing funding for popular education and transportation programs is "almost ludicrous, if it wasn't such a serious matter," he said.
Of Golden's campaign pledge not to raise taxes, Dillard asked, "What core services is he going to cut?"
SUPERVISOR ELAINE McConnell (R-Springfield) said she gave Dillard credit for carrying the 1-cent sales tax increase bill so soon after the referendum had been turned down.
"That would have saved the taxpayers 10 cents on their tax bills this year alone," she said.
"Did you know we were 47th in the U.S. on taxes?" she added. "Since 1991, people's average tax bill has not gone up but $500, which is less than 50 dollars a year."
Golden said he had considered running against Dillard in a Republican primary but deferred to another candidate who was mounting a primary challenge against the 30-year veteran. But when that candidate could not get enough signatures to get on the ballot, Golden jumped in as an Independent.
"I figured I had a better chance, to be quite frank, running as an Independent," he said. "There are a lot of very fiscally conservative people who won't vote in a primary."
The bottom line for Golden is "to get somebody in the legislature that I can be proud to vote for. I don't care it that's me or somebody else," he said.
But Dillard said he has always been there for his constituents.
"When people call me, they get me personally," he said. "I do this full-time. I'm in my office every day."