Republicans Pat Herrity and Keith Fimian saw almost eye-to-eye on federal spending, President Obama’s health care overhaul and even what to do about the U.S. Post Office. How each man delivered that message during Thursday’s debate couldn’t be more different.
Style, not policy, emerged as the greatest distinction between the two 11th District congressional hopefuls as they sparred before at light crowd at Springfield’s Greenspring Retirement Community.
Fimian pitted his hyper-charged, at times theatrical, vision of a future of “scarcity and servitude” against Herrity’s more staid critique of the Obama administration and congressional Democrats.
Fimian railed against “blatherheads” on television who he believes don’t understand how to create jobs. He pledged to abolish all earmarks. He forecasted a coming blanket amnesty for illegal immigrants in the wake of the health care bill’s passage, many of whom “will be on the public dole.”
“That will vastly increase the ranks of Democratic voters” who will support sustaining those benefits, Fimian charged.
Herrity, in turn, said he believes in a “high fence and a wide gate,” espousing the benefits of legal immigration and a secure border while attacking illegal immigration for burdening schools, health care and social services.
“We clearly, clearly cannot be looking at amnesty,” he said. “But it’s also unrealistic to put them all on a bus and send them back.”
Fimian ran unsuccessfully against then-Fairfax County Board Chairman Gerry Connolly in 2008 for the 11th District seat. Herrity, a Fairfax supervisor, ran unsuccessfully to replace Connolly on the board in 2009.
Both men touted their business experience. Herrity advertised his role as part of the Republican opposition on the county board, where he frequently challenged Connolly’s initiatives.
“I’m fixing the mess that he made in the county, I’m going to fix the mess that he’s making in Congress,” Herrity said.
The candidates also released first-quarter campaign finance data on Thursday. Herrity, who declared his candidacy in mid-January, raised $278,000 through March and ended the period with about $200,000 on hand.
Fimian, who declared in November, said he has raised $280,000 in the three months and ended with $600,000 on hand.
Watch debate video below:
