Charlie Diradour, the owner of a Richmond-based real estate development firm, is expected to launch a bid today for the Democratic nomination to challenge Rep. Eric I. Cantor, the House Republican whip.Charlie's website is live and being fleshed out, but a few lines and phrases jump out at me: "Representative democracy should be the order of the day, not an exercise in collecting power for one’s self" (gee, I wonder who that could be describing - lol); "Charlie is an activist at heart;" "Through respectful discourse and debate, Charlie and his supporters were able to create consensus and ultimately achieve a goal" ("respectful discourse and debate" would be a huge contrast to Eric Cantor's House Republicans, like Joe "You Lie!" Wilson); "Let’s step over the rhetoric and get some real and positive things done for our community" (unlike Eric Cantor, who voted against economic recovery money that would have brought jobs, extended unemployment insurance, and economic development to his district).
Paul Goldman, a former candidate for the Richmond City Council and a policy adviser to then-Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, confirmed that Diradour will seek the nomination to run against Cantor in 2010. A campaign Web site was live yesterday.
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Goldman said Diradour has been involved in local politics but that this is his first run for office.
"He's a very talented guy," Goldman said. "I think he'd be a very strong candidate."
Also, I've spoken with Charlie and he's an impressive - energetic, accomplished, intelligent, articulate - guy. Obviously, it won't be easy for any Democrat to defeat Eric Cantor in 2010, but Charlie is the type of candidate who should be able to give him a run for his money (emphasis on money, given that Cantor has a large warchest built up). I'm very much looking forward to watching how this campaign develops and hoping to hear a lot more from Charlie about why 7th CD voters should consider him as a replacement for the right-wing blowhard Eric Cantor.
P.S. No offense to liberal Democrat Anita Hartke, but she got creamed (63%-37%) by Eric Cantor in 2008, running far behind Barack Obama, who lost the district by just 7 point (53%-46%), and Mark Warner, who won the district by 21 points (60%-39%). It's time for someone new to take on Cantor.
