Dear Editor,
My name is Bill Card. My family and I moved to Prince William County and purchased a home in August 1995. Two years later, I retired from the Marine Corps, and we decided to stay here. At the time, I thought politics was a dirty business, so I focused on new career options and went to work.
I got energized to get involved in politics by an encounter with my House of Delegates member, Jeff Frederick, and again, much later, through a postcard related to the battle for the “Rule of Law” resolution. That was nearly 20 years ago. I served as a Republican precinct captain, a magisterial district chairman, and I served three terms as the Chairman of the Prince William County Republican Committee. Now, still a member of that committee, I look at this Gainesville Supervisor contest, and it kind of reminds me why good people shy away from politics.
I like Brian Landrum. Once you get to know Brian, it’s hard not to like him. I met Brian a decade ago when he walked into our office on the Parkway to work on the 2015 campaign. Brian was energetic, young, and whip smart. He was always willing to help, regardless of the task. He was part of the highly successful reelection campaign of the Republican majority on the County Board of Supervisors that year. Brian was an important part of that success. Brian knows how to win.
After that, Brian joined the County Committee and became part of the fabric of the Republican effort—not only in Prince William County, but also by lending his expertise to campaigns in many states and localities. He rebuilt the Prince William County Republican Committee email system and our website. He did special projects to support specific events and our fundraising efforts.
Often, he jumped in and fixed things for free, and even when we insisted on paying him, we were certainly getting the “family and friends” discount. He has been a technical advisor, contributor, and part of the leadership. I suspect that many people weren’t aware, but Brian has been a big part of “Team GOP” in the county, no matter the district or neighborhood where you live.
Now, I know the influence and the importance of lines that are drawn on a map. All of Gainesville’s problems are—and will continue to be—County problems, just as positive solutions for Gainesville’s problems will be County solutions. My property shares a boundary line with my county supervisor. We are neighbors in a proximity sort of way. She goes to church; she is a nice person who has always been polite to me. However, what we don’t share are conservative values.
No matter how neighborly she wants to be, she is wrong on nearly all the issues that are important to me and my family. She would scoff at the Virginia Republican Creed, which is the bedrock upon which all Republican candidates and officeholders must run and govern. Brian and I do not live close in terms of the physical proximity of our dwellings; however, he is one of my closest neighbors when it comes to Republican and community values. I suggest that you need an ideological neighbor, not one you simply chat with over your common property line.
I don’t know Brian’s opponent in this “Firehouse Primary.” I’ve been an activist in the County for 20 years now, and I don’t believe I have ever laid eyes on him. I suspect that’s true about some people who live around the corner from me. However, Brian has always been there for us, but I first saw his opponent when he came to us to ask for our support. He wasn’t even a member of the committee he needed to support him until the week before. That’s not that unusual, unfortunately, and it always rubs me the wrong way.
Lastly, you are going to hear a lot of things about both of these men. Some of it will even be true, but sadly much of it will not. What’s important—what eclipses everything you are going to hear—is how Brian will vote when the right thing might not be the popular thing.
What’s important is that when the County Board of Supervisors is in executive session and none of us will ever see or hear what happened, Brian will do the right thing. This seat is important to everyone in the county, no matter what side of the lines you live on. We need a consistent, Conservative warrior to carry our standard and win in November. That’s why I like Brian Landrum for Gainesville AND for Prince William County.
Bill Card
Dumfries, Va.
Editor’s Note: After a two-year pause, Potomac Local News is once again accepting letters to the editor. We invite submissions on matters of local interest and public concern. Email your letter to [email protected].
