Brian Moran, a candidate vying for the Democratic nomination for Virginia governor, emphasized his similarities to the state's last two governors and President Barack Obama in an informal speech in the Mary Graydon Center Wednesday evening.
"We need to continue on what we strived to achieve over the last eight years with two consecutive Democratic governors [Mark Warner and Tim Kaine]," Moran said. "I have been a part of the Warner-Kaine agenda, and we must continue that and build on it."
Choosing to stand in front of - instead of behind - the podium, Moran spoke to the audience about achieving his campaign wish list if he wins.
He said Virginia is lagging behind nationally with teacher salaries but that he doesn't think he can secure the money to match the salaries to the national average, which would cost the state $500 million annually.
"That's something that I don't think is high in the sky," Moran said. "I really do think that's something achievable. I don't know if I'm going to get there practically, pragmatically . it's becoming a large budgetary constraint and I don't know if I'll be able to accomplish it."
Julian Asbury, a freshman in the School of International Service and the liberal club liaison for the AU College Democrats, said he appreciated Moran's honesty.
"He was very realistic," he said. "I liked how he said that he may not be able to do some of the things he promised because of budget and just realism in general."
Asbury, a Virginia resident, said he would vote for Moran and thinks he will win the Democratic nomination based on a grassroots campaign similar to the one President Obama waged during the 2008 election.
In a subsequent interview, Moran emphasized the ideological similarities he and Obama shared. He said he wants to partner with Obama to secure a piece of the federal funding that aims to give every child health care. He also drew parallels with their stances on the economy, energy and the environment.
Moran said he opposes offshore drilling and a proposed 1,500 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Surrey, Va. He vowed to create thousands of green jobs while requiring 25 percent of all energy in Virginia to come from renewable energy by 2025.
He said that he was excited about the recent approval of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's planned silver Metrorail line, which would link Tysons Corner and the Washington Dulles International Airport to the Metrorail system.
"We're [the Virginia state government] going to have to put money toward the project," he said in a subsequent interview. "It's a multi-billion dollar project and we have to make sure that it stays on track. And [with] state, federal and local government, we're all at the table and we'll make sure it has sufficient funding to do that properly."
AU College Democrats Treasurer Sam Hagedorn said he thinks Moran was "a breath of fresh air" and was impressed by his speech.
"I think what we see here is somebody who's grounded, who's understanding and thinking not just about the campaign, but thinking about what it's going to take to govern the state of Virginia," Hagedorn said.
Moran will face two other gubernatorial hopefuls in the June 9 Democratic primary - state Sen. Creigh Deeds and former chairman of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe. Several polls currently predict a tight race between Moran and McAuliffe.
Moran said he is confident he can win over the state's Democratic voters, despite McAuliffe's national fundraising efforts. McAuliffe's involvement in Virginia communities and politics has been nil, Moran said.
"I've been fighting in Virginia for 20 years," he said. "I can't believe that he's going to be able to come in and buy this race. It's not going to happen. I'm not going to let it happen."
AU College Democrats President Bo Hammond said he met Moran at a fundraising event in Virginia and asked him to speak at AU. He said he realized most AU students are not from Virginia, but that having Moran speak was relevant because it's an off-year election and the Virginia governor's race will be the main political focus this year.
Virginians will vote for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general on Nov. 3.
You can reach this staff writer at thallerman@theeagleonline.com.
