10th District Virginia Senate candidates to face off at VCU

Make an educated decision on your elected officials.

October 16, 2015; 9:14 AM • by Richard Hayes

From VCU:

The candidates for the 10th District seat in the Virginia Senate will field questions from young voters at a town hall on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Democrat Dan Gecker, Republican Glen Sturtevant, Libertarian Carl Loser and Independent Marleen Durfee will discuss key issues in the race from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the University Student Commons Theater, 907 Floyd Ave., on VCU’s Monroe Park campus.

The event is sponsored by Virginia21, a nonpartisan group representing the state’s young voters; the VCU chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists; and VCU’s Department of Political Science and the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture in the College of Humanities and Sciences.

The candidates are vying to succeed Republican Sen. John Watkins, who is retiring. Gecker is a member of the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, and Durfee is a former county supervisor. Sturtevant is a member of the Richmond School Board. Loser ran for circuit court clerk in Powhatan County last year.

The outcome of the Nov. 3 election could determine whether Republicans continue to control the Virginia General Assembly. The GOP dominates the House of Delegates and has a 21-19 advantage in the Virginia Senate.

Watkins is considered a political moderate who has sided with Democrats on some issues, such as expanding Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income residents. In recent statewide elections, the 10th Senate District has leaned Democratic.

The district includes parts of the VCU campus, part of Chesterfield County and all of Powhatan County. For a full map of the district, go to: http://www.vpap.org/ offices/state-senate-10/ district-map/.

During the town hall, Sturtevant and Gecker will answer questions from a panel of young voters assembled by Virginia21. They will include VCU, community college and high school students. The candidates will also take questions from the audience.

The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Guests must RSVP at: bit.ly/VA21TownHallatVCU.

Libertarian Carl Loser and Independent Marleen Durfee also are running for the 10th Senate District seat. It is among a half-dozen Senate races that are considered especially competitive this fall.