Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. and Virginia State Sen. Suhas Subramanyam visited Rappahannock County Sunday for a joint meet and greet and roundtable discussion on how to address challenges the county faces.
Kaine and Subramanyam are both on the campaign trail, with Kaine up for reelection to the United States Senate, and Subramanyam running as the Democratic nominee for Virginia’s 10th congressional district that includes Rappahannock.
Kaine led the roundtable discussion, hosted by the Rappahannock County Democratic Committee, which featured several community, nonprofit and local government leaders. Kaine opened the discussion saying he and Subramanyam plan to “leave smarter than when we came,” and listened to each panelist’s views on the key issues the county faces.
The panel discussed affordable housing, the support of agriculture and farmers, conservation, broadband access and school and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit funding.
Subramanyam said the struggles of smaller communities often go overlooked in policy discussions, but he hopes to uplift rural voices if elected to the House.
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Virginia State Senator and District 10 Democratic congressional candidate Suhas Subramanyam speaks with attendees before the roundtable discussion.
“The outcomes of a student, or the economic outcomes of a family shouldn’t depend on their zip code,” Subramayam said. “We think about investing in Richmond and Northern Virginia, and the tech corridors, but we also need to think about Rappahannock, and Culpeper, and Fauquier when we’re thinking about the future of Virginia, so that’s really what I’m trying to get at.”
In an interview after the event, Kaine said that by visiting rural communities , he is able to learn directly from the people who face the problems he is advocating to change. Hearing points from community leaders like Rapp at Home President Joyce Wenger and farmer Mike Sands, Kaine said, gives him a better understanding of the nuances of issues in the community, and what exactly Rappahannock needs on a state and policy level.
“I can take these lessons back to my office and try to incorporate them,” Kaine said.
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Sen. Time Kaine speaks with local farmer and roundtable participant Mike Sands, who gave Kaine a copy of the American Farmland Trust “Regenerate Virginia: An Action Plan for Regenerative Agriculture.”
Kaine said he has demonstrated his commitment to rural Virginia throughout his political career, supporting legislation on issues discussed by the panel, like supporting farmers, rural healthcare, infrastructure and broadband access for all, which he plans to continue to support, if reelected in November.
Ireland Hayes is a reporter for Foothills Forum, a nonprofit organization that supports local news in Rappahannock County.
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