Feder hopes 2nd time is the charm

By Drew Houff
The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — When Democrat Judy M. Feder took nearly 41 percent of the vote against long-time incumbent Rep. Frank R. Wolf in 2006, it marked one of the closest races for the Republican in his nearly three decades of holding the 10th District congressional seat.

Wolf received 138,213 votes (57.32 percent) to Feder’s 98,769 (40.96 percent).

Feder’s strong showing in the election gave her the confidence to try again. She is seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination to run against Wolf in November.

Feder, 60, said in a telephone interview this week that voters have shown they want a choice, particularly because Wolf has been unable to deliver sound leadership on issues like health care, the housing crisis, the economy, transportation, and the war in Iraq.

She said the housing crisis in the 10th District, along with a sputtering economy, puts additional pressures on families, businesses, and communities.

"The Bush administration has been asleep at the wheel, and Frank Wolf has been there helping them," Feder said. "Their practice has been to borrow and spend, which is not good."

She said Wolf has campaigned for years about getting rail service to the Dulles International Airport, but none has been installed.

"Frank Wolf has been promising rail to Dulles for years, but the danger is we are not going to get it," Feder said. "People are very concerned about having a transportation system where it needs to be."

Feder said the concern about Iraq also calls into question Wolf’s fundamental support of Bush policy.

"I was talking to a couple in Manassas, and their son is in his second tour in Iraq," she said. "They said he was all right, but his wife and children need him back now. [Wolf’s stand with Bush on the war] has put [soldiers] at risk and in harm’s way."

Feder said the cost of the war could pay for health care for 40 million Americans who do not have it now.

She said Wolf generally has been supportive of Bush and his policies, often at the expense of residents of Virginia’s 10th Congressional District.

"People need to know his record and realize he is not doing a better job," Feder said. "I will stand up for the future. I am proud of my positions.

"I became a grandmother in the last six months, and I am going to lead the future. I am going to do what I can to win this race."

Feder’s first challenge will be winning the Democratic primary on June 10 against Mike Turner.

She said she continues to work with supporters, reminding potential voters of her need for support in the primary.

"I let them know I’ve got the energy and am able to do the job to beat Frank Wolf," Feder said. "I am holding parties all over the district, letting people meet and get to know me."

She said voters view her as a viable candidate against Wolf, who has been elected to the House of Representatives 14 times.

Feder, who has written several scholarly articles, worked at the Brookings Institution and Urban Institute before joining the faculty of Georgetown University in 1984.

She was dean of Georgetown’s Public Policy Institute from 1999 to 2007.

Feder’s husband, Stan, is a former intelligence analyst with the CIA, and now teaches at both Georgetown and for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This year’s campaign, Feder said, should mirror the change being experienced throughout the 10th District, as citizens want more from their government leaders.

"It’s an exciting race," she said. "Nobody has ever run against him again [successfully]. I will come at him with the experience of the last race and the attitude to succeed."