Landes fends off Marrow

Incumbent House District 25 Del. Steve Landes crushed his first major party challenge in more than a decade Tuesday, rolling past Democrat Greg Marrow.

With 96 percent of precincts reporting, Landes earned an eighth term in office by capturing 73 percent of the vote to Marrow’s 27 percent. It was the most decisive Republican victory on a night filled with them – the GOP swept statewide and local state House and city races.

“I’m really honored that the people turned out today and supported not only me but the [statewide] ticket,’’ Landes said.

Landes said the legislative agenda for him and Gov.-elect Robert F. McDonnell is immense.

“People want things done in Richmond,’’ he said.

The priorities include transportation, balancing the state budget and higher employment, Landes said.

“We have to figure out how to make government work more efficiently and accomplish the job expansion [McDonnell] wants within the constraints of limited resources,” Landes said.

Marrow said the campaign “was a great experience and I’m happy I did it.”

Marrow said he knew his battle would be difficult running against an entrenched incumbent like Landes.

But the task was made more difficult by McDonnell’s impressive vote totals.

“The Republicans put forward a huge effort to bring out the vote,’’ Marrow said. “They wanted to make a statement to the Obama administration.”

The incumbent campaigned hard for a return to Richmond. He did much of his work door-to-door, and spent election day working across the district in Weyers Cave, Fort Defiance, Fishersville, Waynesboro and Elkton.

Marrow, a Harrisonburg optometrist, offered a jobs creation agenda and criticized Landes for not doing enough for the district, which includes the city of Waynesboro and portions of Augusta, Albemarle and Rockingham counties.

Landes has pointed to his efforts on behalf of the district, and has chided Marrow for not understanding the legislative process.

“Government does not change quickly,’’ Landes said during a recent interview. “You must fight in the trenches each day.”

Marrow began election day in his hometown of McGaheysville, and was encouraged by the response he received from voters at stops across the district.