Released on July 28, 2009

Scott Surovell, candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates for the Mount Vernon area, held his campaign kickoff last Saturday, July 25, at Woodlawn Elementary School in southern Fairfax County.

The campaign kickoff marks Surovell’s first official event since he accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination, after Del. Kris Amundson announced that she will not seek re-election.

Amundson joined other elected officials to show support for Surovell at the kickoff.  Congressman Jim Moran, State Senator Toddy Puller, State Senator Chap Petersen, Delegate Mark Sickles, and School Board Member Dan Storck spoke on behalf of Surovell.  Former Congressman Herb Harris also made a special appearance.

“He likes to get involved in things that he cares about,” Congressman Moran said of Surovell.  “Families, community, protecting our environment, making this generally a better place to live – that’s the kind of person you want representing you.”  Surovell served as Moran’s first intern in his District Office on Franconia Road in 1991.

Amundson acknowledged at the kickoff that her decision not to seek re-election is made easier because Surovell “was ready and had been ready to step in, not only to run a terrific campaign, but then, and much more important, to be a terrific delegate.”

In his speech, Surovell explained his reason for running for Delegate.  “I’m running because I think Richmond is largely broken,” he said.  “I don’t think Richmond has been working for the people.  It certainly hasn’t been working for the people in Northern Virginia.”

Surovell spoke on a range of issues he commonly hears from voters in the district, including transportation, education and senior living.  He pointed to the disparity in state revenue from Northern Virginia and state spending in the region and called for a revaluation of funding allocations that largely benefit Virginia’s rural jurisdictions.

Regarding transportation and Richmond Highway, Surovell advocated finding solutions in the long-term and focusing on transportation alternatives such as rail, bicycles and pedestrian travel.  “What we need are some real, sustainable, long-term solutions.  We need to make sure that whatever money is raised in Northern Virginia stays in Northern Virginia.  Long-term, we need to focus on getting some rapid transit down here, bus rapid transit and, long term, we’ve got to get Metro down here.”

Surovell, who attended public elementary, middle and high schools in the Mt. Vernon area, was resolute in his support of the region’s schools.  He noted that schools on the west side of Route One especially need more investment and support from the state.

Surovell also addressed the need for available preschool in the Mt. Vernon area and throughout the state.  Surovell’s grandparents were one of the founding families of one of the longest operated preschools in Northern Virginia, Tauxemont Cooperative Preschool, in the early 1940’s.  “Preschool is where it starts.  People need to have preschool available to them.”

Surovell also made clear that higher education will be a priority for his campaign.  While his opponent proposes out-of-state enrollment caps for colleges, Surovell argues that more investment from the state is needed to expand our colleges.  “To say you’re going to cap out of state students but you’re not going to give the colleges any more money, that’s not a solution.”

Surovell also spoke of the high concentration of seniors living in the Mount Vernon area, believing that they should be allowed to live in their own homes with dignity and respect.  He proposes grants for community based organizations and regulating home health care workers, adding that this will minimize taxpayer burdens.