By Mickey Gorman
Andy Schmookler, the Democratic candidate for Congress from Virginia’s 6th district, stopped by the Rockbridge Regional Library to speak with local voters last week.
Schmookler is challenging 10-term Republican Congressman Bob Goodlatte for the district that runs from Roanoke to Rockingham County. Schmookler says he believes that the people of Virginia deserve more from their representative.
“I’m trying to represent the spirit of the greater good: Doing the people’s business, government for the people and by the people,” Schmookler said. “And that is something that should be of concern to the people of this district because I don’t think they have been very well served.”
Schmookler said that Republican representatives in general have been “deceptive and manipulative” with the information they choose to disclose to the people. Schmookler said he hopes to contest what he called Goodlatte’s misinformation in the upcoming debates.
The candidates will engage in three debates later this month. The first debate will be at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13, in Roanoke at James Breckinridge Middle School.