Donny Ferguson is the challenger in the race for the 36th district of the House of Delegates.
Ferguson, who moved to Reston in January, is a Libertarian whose campaign literature boasts that he’s made a living of electing Republicans. Del. Ken Plum (D-36) is the incumbent and serving his 13th term.
As they head for their Nov. 8 showdown, Ferguson’s campaign has been taking it one door at a time. “Right now, I’m just going door-to-door,” said Ferguson, adding that he’s trying to take his message directly to the voters.
FOR THE MOST PART, Ferguson has been focusing on “taxes and the Metro.”
“People are very, very worried about the density that comes with Metro,” said Ferguson, who opposes rail coming to Reston. “It essentially turns your neighborhood into a commuter lot.”
Instead, Ferguson has been touting an alternative, bus rapid-transit, which he argues would be a cheaper, more efficient way to alleviate traffic in the area.
“We can get people moving through bus rapid-transit. You would achieve the same objective of Metro, and get people moving, but you could do it now and in a very cost-efficient manner,” said Ferguson, outlining his position at a debate last month.
FERGUSON JUMPED into the race after working the last few years in constituent services in Loudoun County. He is a current staffer to Board of Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling). While working in the district office, Ferguson said that he has heard all kinds of problems and concerns from Loudoun County residents, from traffic to taxes.
Before that, Ferguson worked as a congressional staffer for former U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas). He also worked for Judicial Watch for about a year.
For his campaign, Ferguson has used his personal phone number, so he can have direct contact with potential voters.
Tony Torres, chair of the Libertarian Party of Fairfax County, has taken time to help out in Ferguson’s campaign.
“[Ferguson’s] a straight-shooter,” said Torres. “He definitely knows his stuff.”
Torres said that Ferguson offers voters an alternative. “He gives them something beyond what I call the ‘stale two-party system.’”
Torres also said that Ferguson will be a strong advocate of civil liberties and will not raise taxes. In fact, back in April, with Stockman as a witness, Ferguson signed a Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which is a promise “to oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.”
FERGUSON BELIEVES that many the problems he sees can be remedied with less government. “I believe government should limit itself to protecting public safety and should leave people alone to live their lives as long as they don’t harm others,” he said during a September debate with Plum.
If elected, Ferguson wants to be known for passing a taxpayers bill of rights, which his Web site says would help limit governmental sprawl. “We need to protect taxpayers,” said Ferguson, “and stabilize the growth of state government.” He also said he would like to see a cap on property taxes.
In his spare time during these last few weeks in the campaign, Ferguson also said that he has been looking to buy a house in Reston.