For a good many years now, Western Tidewater has enjoyed a good relationship with its regional elected leaders.
Delegate Bill Barlow and Sens. Fred Quayle and Louise Lucas since 1992, and Delegate Roslyn Tyler since 2005, have all been extremely accessible and responsive to the requests and needs of their local constituents. While their individual positions on issues have not always been ones that we would endorse, we recognize that in today’s world of high-dollar political lobbying — where access to elected officials is often impossible to gain without a stout checkbook — we have been fortunate to have such access to our representatives in the General Assembly.
To have the same type of relationship with a U.S. congressman is unthinkable.
J. Randy Forbes, the Republican congressman who has represented Virginia’s 4th District since winning a special election in 2001 to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Congressman Norman Sisisky, has also been highly accessible and responsive to the needs and requests of Western Tidewater residents.  Again, policy endorsements aside, we have been blessed to have such a relationship.
Virginia’s 4th Congressional District, as it stands now, runs from Forbes’ hometown of Chesapeake to the Richmond suburbs in Chesterfield County. On a good day, one would not describe our community as densely populated.
In purely political terms, we are a relatively insignificant part of the 4th District as it relates to the number of potential voters we offer a congressional candidate.  Yet Forbes and his staff continue to make time for his constituents here without regard for the potential electoral return on the investment of his time.
On Friday, June 10, The Tidewater News and Franklin-Southampton Area Chamber of Commerce will co-host a luncheon at Cypress Cove Country Club where the guest speaker will be Forbes.  The small charge for the meal is well worth the discussion that will take place.  We encourage all who are able to attend.