Virginia Democrats may not exercise much power in the General Assembly these days, but Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, said yesterday he remains optimistic about the party's future.
Deeds, who spoke to Virginia Law Democrats in Withers-Brown Hall, said Republicans currently hold most of the seats in Virginia's rural and southern areas. However, he said he believes the Democrats can increase their number in the region.
"There are more Democrats than there are Republicans," he said. "We represent the interests of the majority of the people" in those regions.
As the only Democrat currently representing the Shenandoah Valley, Deeds said he has learned to find the middle ground on touchy subjects such as gun control and abortion. Although the region he represents embraces conservative viewpoints, Deeds urged Democrats to step above the fray.
"We have allowed [the GOP] to use social issues to divide us from our base," he said. "We cannot allow that to define what a Democrat is. We must find a path that allows us to bring people home."
"The Democrats are for the people," he added.
Deeds also gave advice on how to begin working for Virginia's Democratic party. He encouraged the crowd to take advantage of the opportunities offered by Charlottesville's unique position as a liberal community in the south.
"Use the opportunity while you're in Charlottesville," he said. "There's not another organization like this where you're going to get hands-on experience. This is a good place to get started."
Deeds also addressed the recent court ruling against the Republican-led redistricting of Virginia. He said that in Virginia's Tidewater region, Republican-led gerrymandering led to oddly-shaped districts that redistributed black voters and diminished minority voting strength.
"We'll get justice," Deeds said.
He also spoke on the case against state GOP Executive Director Ed Matricardi, who was charged with eavesdropping on a March 22 conference call between Virginia legislators, among them Deeds himself, and Gov. Mark R. Warner.
"I said things on the call that I would not have, had I been in public," Deeds said.
Matricardi resigned his office yesterday.
In addition, Deeds explained the financial situation that led to budget cuts for Virginia's public colleges and universities.
The 1999-2000 budget year "was the year of the fatted calf," Deeds said. "The surpluses were exorbitant, and there were those who wanted to believe it would go on forever ... [The budget cuts] were the result of the revenue forecast compounded with the recession. Governor Warner was absolutely not to blame."
Students who attended the event said Deeds' speech pleased them.
"Senator Deeds did a great job at presenting new ways for the Democratic party to go," Virginia Law Democrats President Terrence Rasmussen said.
Deeds served as a member of the House of Delegates and chairman of the House Democratic Caucus before his landslide victory in the special election to fill the seat vacated by the deceased Emily Couric. Deeds beat Republican Jane Maddux 69 percent to 31 percent.
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