Underwood mulls run for Scott’s House seat

Tom Underwood, Culpeper County’s Salem District representative on the Board of Supervisors, said Friday he is considering a run for the 30th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Underwood, 38, is the newest, and youngest, person on the seven-member board that oversees the county. On Dec. 3, he filed a statement of organization — a required step for candidates wanting to run for office.

“Right now I’m discussing it with friends or supporters,” said Underwood, a Republican.

The 30th District includes all of Culpeper and Madison counties and the eastern portion of Orange County. Culpeper is the district’s primary population center.

Republican incumbent Ed Scott has held the seat since 2004. Scott, 43, is a member of the Transportation, Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources, and Science and Technology committees.
Underwood acknowledged that Scott may have the advantage of local familiarity.

“I don’t believe I would have an advantage over him in terms of background with local issues, Underwood said. “Certainly, I have done everything I can to familiarize myself with him, and I believe I could be very effective.”

Scott himself stopped short of making any predictions on who might emerge the victor.

“My focus right now is on the upcoming General Assembly session and on gathering information to take from home to Richmond,” Scott said, adding that the budget is at the forefront of the issues. “Once our work in Richmond is complete, it’ll be time to come home.”

A statement of organization is just the first step in the long process to run for public office, and Underwood explained that it doesn’t mandate a candidate officially run. Candidates are required to file about a half-dozen declarations and documents by varying deadlines that begin in mid-March, according to the State Board of Elections Web site.

A native of Alabama, Underwood, 38, moved to Culpeper in 2000. He began Underwood Farms, a cattle and land company in Reva. Last November, he defeated incumbent John Coates and longtime county resident Kim Williams to take the Salem District seat. Underwood’s term expires Dec. 31, 2011.

In his first year on the board, Underwood has emerged as an outspoken voice on land use, development, agriculture and bringing the board’s discussions out of closed session when possible. He also heads the Town-County Interaction Committee, a group charged with overseeing the execution of a petition-initiated proposal that seeks to dissolve the town into the county and create a new, unified government.

Scott understands that being challenged is a part of serving in public office.

“When you serve in a job that has a two-year term,” he said, “you understand that folks are welcome to challenge you. … What I’ve tried to do is be accessible and be responsive to the citizens of Culpeper, Madison and Orange to help them with issues they may have with state government, and I’m going to continue to do that.”

During his time as a supervisor, Underwood said he’s been frustrated by state laws that aren’t in the best interest of localities.

“I don’t like hearing that we’re hamstrung because of state code,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of room for improvement in terms of what can be done to empower localities … so that’s why I decided to actually look at attempting to do it myself.”

Scott, who has served three terms after being elected in 2003, wouldn’t confirm Friday if he planned to run again, saying that a formal announcement will come once the General Assembly’s session is over.

Underwood also stressed that if he jumps into the race, it will be on the Republican ticket.

“That doesn’t mean that all Republicans and I are the same page with everything,” he said, but he added that he won’t change party affiliations for political gain.

Finally, Underwood also said he isn’t going to allow his exploration of a run for the statehouse to distract him from his present role on the Board of Supervisors.

“I currently do have an obligation on the Board of Supervisors,” he continued. “Next year will be my second year on the board, and I certainly want to do what I can to fulfill that obligation.”

Nate Delesline III can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 110 or .