Residents of the 67th district of the Virginia House of Delegates have a new face in the running to consider this coming November.
MARC CADIN, 32, of the Oak Hill community, is the newest Republican contender throwing his name into the hat, bringing with him promises of better transportation, stricter immigration laws, and better education in schools.
Sound familiar? These are some of the top issues for most of the districts this voting season, so what makes Marc Cadin unique?
A self-proclaimed politically un-biased individual, Cadin worked through Virginia's education system as a civics teacher at Flint Hill Junior High. There, as part of an end-of-the-year project, he would ask the students to identify a real problem in their area, and then try to come up with solutions to fix it.
While there, he also coached lacrosse, which he started playing in high school as a graduating class member of 1992, then continued to play first-string goalie at Villanova where he graduated in 1996.
If it wasn't for the fact that someone had to stay at home to be with his wife Jennifer and their children — Madeline, Jack, and Carter — Cadin says that "I'd probably still be teaching, I loved it that much." He then went on to complete his law degree from Catholic University in 2006.
IN HIS OPINION, the Virginia House of Delegates needs a change — new solutions, to "Have people come to the table with new ideas that provide good results for everyone."
Cadin quotes Benjamin Franklin by saying, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." As a part of his new ideas, his plan to bring more of this area's tax money back to Northern Virginia, is a change in the funding formula itself.
Stricter immigration laws are something he feels strongly about as well. The allotting of illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition benefits is unacceptable to Mr. Cadin, and he'll strive to give local police more flexibility in dealing with these issues.
Says Cadin: "It's unfair that illegal immigrants are getting the same rights as tax-paying citizens." He goes on to talk about the governing system in America, and how there is so much cynicism in it that it's turning people off to politics.
"We're supposed to be this 'Shining city upon a hill,'" and then quotes Winston Churchill by saying "'Democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried,' and we have the opportunity to improve on this system and make it something great."
Clearly, Cadin is educated in one form or another on political philosophy, and his ideals sound as if they are larger than just a House of Delegates chair, but he claims that he is 100 percent focused on winning this coming election, and that is his No. 1 goal.
Cadin then corrects himself by saying "No, my No. 1 goal through all of this is to stay married and have my wife and children still love me; that's what is most important to me."
Another familiar topic to those following politics is education. As a former teacher himself, he is aware of the growing issues that teachers have to face. A strong supporter of increasing teacher's salaries, he knows firsthand how the poor wages can affect someone's decision to stay in the teaching field. Teachers to him are "the most important aspect of our educational system."
WENDY VU, a teacher at Robinson Secondary from the Chantilly Greens area, has been a friend of his for over six years and says, "He'll do a great job. He really picked his plane about certain issues ... asked me a lot of questions; he really wants to be very informed."
Marc Russell, a member of the K.E.E.N. organization (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now), a non-profit group that benefits children, claims Marc "is a genuine person who cares about our community and what goes on around him, he seems incredibly well grounded ... [Marc will] return a sense of civility and public service to politics in our district."
Molly Craig, a neighbor of Cadin's for three years and a full-time mother who's kids shared a soccer team that Marc coached, says she is "Thrilled ... I think he brings a lot of freshness that is desperately needed. I know Marc personally and I know what kind of family man he is, and he wants to create a certain atmosphere for his community and family."
With so many promises of new ideas and change, is the Virginia House of Delegates ready for Marc Cadin?
The current incumbent, Chuck Caputo, who took office in January of 2005, currently leads Cadin in campaign funding by $21,000, according to the Virginia State Board of Elections.
When asked about Caputo's monetary lead he replied: "Money doesn't win elections; people and where candidates stand on important issues wins elections."