WASHINGTON – There is a long and growing list of hopefuls seeking to replace outgoing U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf, R-Va., who is retiring after 34 years.
The latest is Del. Bob Marshall, who has represented parts of Prince William and Loudoun Counties in the Virginia General Assembly for more than 20 years.
Rep. Wolf currently represents the 10th District, which stretches from McLean to Winchester.
Marshall, who has represented parts of Prince William and Loudoun counties in the General Assembly for more than 20 years, faces a formidable opponent in Del. Barbara Comstock, R-Fairfax, who announced her candidacy in January.
He told reporters he believes his candidacy will appeal to the conservative party activists who typically make up the electorate in such a primary.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Marshall said he was the best conservative alternative to Comstock.
“(She’s done)nothing on marriage, nothing on protecting the right to life, nothing on the Second Amendment,” Marshall said. “I’m aggressive on those things.
“There’s a difference between someone who leads on these things and someone who just votes on them.”
This isn’t Marshall’s first attempt to break into Washington politics: in 2008, he ran for the U.S. Senate and nearly won the nomination over former Gov. Jim Gilmore.
Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, tells WTOP that the real test of this competitive race could come down to money.
“You don’t know who is going to survive, I think some of this shakes out because of fundraising,” he said.
Republicans are holding a “firehouse primary,” also called a party canvas, on April 26 to choose their nominee. Virginia Democrats will hold a party convention to choose their nominee for Wolf’s seat on the same day.
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