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By CHELYEN DAVIS
RICHMOND--
A Westmoreland County doctor plans to challenge Rep. Rob Wittman for the 1st District congressional seat.Dr. Keith Hummel, an emergency-room physician, hopes to win the Democratic nomination to run against Republican Wittman for the seat in November's election. No others have filed as candidates.
Wittman won the seat just last December in a special election, held after Rep. Jo Ann Davis died of breast cancer. The 1st District extends from Fauquier County to York County.
Hummel, 57, who also runs a vineyard and winery, has never run for political office. He said he's running now because his own populist viewpoint isn't being represented.
"I'm running because I have a concern that we are losing our representative form of government. It is my perception that a lot of people in Congress, their ear is held by the lobbyists," Hummel said. "We need someone who is not a professional politician for the 1st Congressional District, who will listen to the people, who will put the interests of the people and the nation ahead of the interests of the lobbyists."
Hummel thinks this is the year for a self-described populist to do well because the presidential election campaign has galvanized many people who have felt disenfranchised, and Hummel says they're the kind of people to whom his populism appeals.
"Over the last few years, a lot of people have felt a sense of being disenfranchised in the 1st District," Hummel said. "Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have really enfranchised a lot of voters--people who felt they had no say, now feel they do. I think that helps with the turnout."
Those voters, Hummel thinks, worry about the same issues he's running on: jobs, health care, security, immigration.
For instance, Hummel favors universal health care.
"I strongly favor a basic universal health care with a single-party payee with participation by everyone," Hummel said.
"This is not socialized medicine. We need to have a single payee because that simplifies the payment process. We need to have it be public rather than private because the profit motive adds a significant amount to the expense."
He said health care should be considered a government responsibility the way transportation and schools are.
Hummel believes the solution to curbing illegal immigration is not to build fences, but to strengthen rules and punishments for employers.
He proposes requiring employers to verify that their hires are citizens or legal residents, through a computerized system that already exists.
"If you choose to go around that system, and you choose to hire undocumented aliens, you must pay a very, very stiff penalty," Hummel said.
Illegal immigration puts a huge burden on government systems, he said, and proposes to limit the services available to illegal immigrants to emergency medical care only.
And when legal visas are given, Hummel said, he believes strong preference should be given to those who speak English, have a useful skill and are willing to assimilate. He favors making English the official language of the United States.
Hummel also thinks the United States needs to revamp its tax and tariff system to discourage companies from taking manufacturing and other jobs overseas.
The tax structure, he said, should reward companies for keeping jobs here.
Hummel believes the United States should end its involvement in Iraq, because the war there is costing money, opportunity and "democratic currency" in the rest of the world.
Hummel isn't officially the Democratic candidate yet; he must be formally nominated at a convention May 17.
He said Wittman "is a conservative Republican and I believe he puts forth principally the viewpoints of the administration."
Hummel said he expects a civil campaign. "I believe most of us will stick to the issues, because I believe there is enough difference in our positions that I think the issues will drive it rather than something personal."
More on Hummel and his positions can be found on his Web site, virginiapopulist .com.
Information on Wittman can be found at his campaign Web site, robwittmanforcon gress.com.
Chelyen Davis: 804/782-9362
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com
