The shake-out from Democrats’ proposed map of new congressional district lines in Virginia has produced an additional candidate for the 6th District.
That redrawn district, which would stretch from Radford to Charlottesville to Harrisonburg, would already include Roanoke author Beth Macy and former U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello of Albemarle County.
Jumping into the race on Thursday was Hugh Murray, an attorney and U.S. Army veteran.
“I was raised on values of honesty, duty, and accountability,” Murray said in a statement. “Congress has completely forgotten those standards. Families’ healthcare and grocery costs are out of control; there’s no accountability for the corruption in the White House. The 6th District needs a Democrat who can win this tough district and hold it beyond this election. I’m the candidate who can do that. I believe in serving my country. I did it in uniform, and I’m prepared to do it in the halls of Congress.”
The twist: Murray lives in Henrico County, but Henrico isn’t in either the current or proposed version of the 6th District. However, members of the U.S. House aren’t required to live in their district, just in their state.
Why isn’t Murray running in the district where he lives, which would either be the 4th (now represented by Democrat Jennifer McClellan) or the 5th (which has no incumbent)?
“Virginia is fortunate to have a strong Democratic candidate in the 5th District,” a campaign spokesman said, referring to Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor. “But the reality is the 6th District currently does not have the best Democrat positioned to win and hold this seat. That has consequences for the entire Commonwealth. Hugh is running in the 6th because this district needs a serious, battle-tested candidate who can win in a tough district at a time when the soul of our democracy is being sorely tested.”
The current version of the 6th is a strongly Republican district now held by Republican Ben Cline of Botetourt County. The proposed version of the 6th leans Democratic but has no Republican incumbent living within its borders.
