Schilling to run for City Council
By Ben Sellers | March 1, 2002Charlottesville Republicans nominated local businessman Rob Schilling as a candidate for the upcoming City Council election during a meeting last night at the Albemarle County Circuit Court. "I think he has a real chance of winning," said Robert Hodous, chairman of the Charlottesville Republican Committee. Schilling's personal appeal and position on issues could succeed in winning over traditionally Democratic voters, Hodous said. Schilling agreed with Hodous and noted that voters might not focus solely on party identification. "I'd like this race to be about issues and not about labeling," he said. Schilling's candidacy puts to rest speculation that the party would only run in the City Council race if two candidates came forward to fill the two Council seats up for election May 7. Though the committee will meet again Monday to see if a second candidate will come forward, Schilling said he believes he will be the only one. The absence of another Republican candidate would not deter Schilling's goal of "letting people hear different points of view and decide whom they want to vote for," he said. Topping his platform agenda were education reforms.
