Boyd plans to challenge Perriello in 2010

The lone Republican on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors announced Monday that he is running for the GOP nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello, D-Ivy.
Kenneth C. Boyd, who has represented the Rivanna District since 2004, sent an e-mail to supporters Monday that confirmed his candidacy.
Boyd is the latest of several Republicans who are aiming to win the GOP’s backing in next year’s mid-term race against Perriello, a freshman Democrat who defeated six-term incumbent Virgil H. Goode Jr. in the nation’s closest congressional race of 2008.

Previously announced candidates in the GOP nominating contest include Feda Kidd Morton, a Fluvanna County biology teacher and longtime Republican activist; Laurence Verga, an Ivy resident and real estate investor; and Bradley Rees, an assembly line worker and tax reform advocate from Bedford County.
Cordel Faulk of Charlottesville, who had also been considering a possible bid, said Monday that he has decided not to enter the race. Yet another possible candidate, Sen. Robert Hurt of Chatham, did not return a call Monday, but an aide said he has not yet decided if he will run.
In the e-mail, Boyd touted his experience as owner of a small business called Boyd Financial Services and as a 10-year veteran of local government who served a four-year term on Albemarle’s School Board and six years on Albemarle’s county board, including two years as chairman.
“We need to stop the pattern of people who go to Washington with little life experiences and become ‘inside the beltway’ politicians out of touch with their constituents,” Boyd wrote. “My 40 years of controlling budgets, as well as my ability to stick to these principles in a Democratic leaning county, have prepared me well for both the coming campaign and hard battle that must be fought to protect your tax money and stop plunging our children into debt. As George Allen used to say, ‘If you work for a living and pay taxes, then you should be on our side.’”
Boyd goes on to describe himself in the e-mail as “conservative on social and foreign affairs.”
“In moving up to Congress, make no mistake, I … would bring strong conservative values to social and foreign affairs issues as well,” he wrote. “I am pro-life, and believe we must defend traditional marriage. I am a gun-owner, hunt, and will protect the 2nd Amendment.

Keeping your guard up

“Now that it has been seven years since the terrorists attacks on our soil, too many politicians are again letting their guard down,” he continued. “We need a strong military — now more than ever — and we simply cannot allow terrorists into our homeland whether they try to take a plane or come over our border.”
Albemarle GOP Chairman Chris Schoenewald said the 5th District Republican Committee is likely to select its nominee in a convention, rather than an open primary. Schoene-wald said he cannot comment about Boyd or any other candidates because of his position in the party.
Boyd said he has the best shot at unseating Perriello because he can speak with authority on fiscal matters, shares the conservative values of the district’s southern part, is a proven campaigner who managed to raise $61,000 in a Board of Supervisors race, and can appeal to voters in Perriello’s base of Albemarle County.
“When asked why I am the best Republican to beat Congressman Perriello, I need to borrow a quip from President Reagan and promise to ‘exploit for political purposes my opponent’s youth and inexperience,’” Boyd wrote.
“Seriously though, the unbelievable deficits being run up in Washington are the result of a combination of a liberal ideology and complete inexperience of those in power at managing a budget,” he continued. “We can blame Democrats for MOST of this, but how many ‘conservative’ Republicans have disappointed us with out-of-control spending? Our next Congressman must both have a conservative philosophy AS WELL AS have experience managing money and knowing how to go into complicated budgets built by liberal bureaucrats and get rid of the massive wasteful spending that does little to no good.”

Good luck, a little

Democrat David Slutzky, who is chairman of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors, wished his colleague luck, but not too much.
“Ken’s a nice guy. I wish him well,” Slutzky said. “But I’m supporting Perriello.”
Boyd was re-elected to Albemarle’s county board in 2007, beating Democrat Marcia Joseph by a margin of 149 votes. His seat is not up for re-election until 2011.
Valerie L’Herrou, chairwoman of the Albemarle County Democratic Committee, said Boyd is unlikely to unseat Perriello, who has proven himself a tough campaigner and an excellent congressman.
“There have been a lot of candidates who have announced, but I don’t think any of them are up to the caliber of Congressman Perriello,” she said.