To the Editor:

As a longtime observer of local politics, I feel compelled to write about our local delegate’s race.  I have known Bill Barlow and his family for many years.  I may not agree with him 100 percent of the time on issues (who does?), but I know he is the type of delegate I want representing me and this community in Richmond.

When you get to know Bill, you realize that he is the right person for the job.  His personality and intellect are perfectly-tuned to working in politics.  He has good relationships with people of both parties.  Bill knows how to listen to all sides and come to a decision — a decision that almost always angers someone.  But that’s politics.

Isle of Wight County is changing faster than most of us ever imagined. The result is a once largely-rural area faces challenges of crime, crowded schools, and congested roads that are familiar to our more urban neighbors.  Bill has been the right person to help navigate these new challenges.  In Richmond, he’s pushed for more authority for our local officials to manage growth and development.  He backed Governor Mark Warner’s tax reform package that put Virginia on sound fiscal footing and invested new money in schools and public safety.

Next year we’ll have a new Governor, new circumstances – and who knows what challenges our next delegate will face?  I know all of the candidates in this race and Bill Barlow is the one I trust to represent me in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Ann Edwards

Smithfield