When Countryside resident John Gavin received a phone call from Lynn Chapman’s campaign, he was outraged.
"I was asked if my vote for the House of Delegates would be affected if I knew that Delegate Poisson is a ‘closet homosexual,’" he said in a letter to the editor. "First of all I’ve known David for many years and know he is not gay and happily married with a lovely wife and daughter. Secondly, it is a smear against gay people to suggest that their sexual orientation make them unfit for office."
Gavin said the poll also asked questions, like "Would it affect my vote if I knew Delegate Poisson ‘harbors illegal aliens’ or if he had a firm [connection] to Jack Abramoff."
"These are all lies by Chapman," Gavin's letter said.
DEL. DAVID POISSON (D-32) was informed of the types of questions constituents were asked by Chapman’s campaign while he was on a college tour with his wife and daughter.
"Obviously none of these statements are true," Poisson said. "I am a husband and father."
Poisson said it is unfortunate that tactics like these are used because it turns people away from politics.
Poisson defeated long-term incumbent Dick Black in the 2005 House of Delegates election, who, he said, practiced the same type of politics.
"I have succeeded over someone who practiced the same type of politics," Poisson said.
BILLY KIRKLAND, a spokesperson for Lynn Chapman’s campaign, said he did not feel comfortable releasing the poll to the press. However, the types of questions asked were your "standard issue questions."
"There were no derogatory or incendiary questions about either candidate. There were no attacks," he said. "They were standard politics, polling questions."
Chapman did not return numerous phone calls as of press time.