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To the Editor:

This Nov. 7, voters in Isle of Wight County will face a very important choice in the 17th District for the state Senate. 

As the governor pours unprecedented amounts of big money across Virginia in his effort to turn Virginia into an ideological and culture war battleground, the only bulwark against a General Assembly that will submit to the governor’s extremist whims and future political ambitions is Del. Clinton Jenkins and his effort to become the next state senator for Western Tidewater. 

With a Republican controlled majority in both the Senate and the House, we will see an erosion of personal liberty; a transformation into a corporate welfare state; a degradation of the rights of women; and the enactment of a cultural war agenda completely out of step with the realities of 21st century life. 

The only answer the Republican Party has to the question of Delegate Jenkins’ many qualifications for office is to destroy his personal reputation and spread vicious and despicable lies about his life. If their only path to victory is to tear down their opponents, then what does that say about the issues they support? 

Del. Clinton Jenkins seeks to foster a supportive community that is designed for the benefit of all Virginians, including those who do not agree with him. His role would be one of a public servant who is compassionate and empathetic to the needs of the people he serves and not only to the needs of those who fund his campaign. 

If you believe that the government does not deserve the right to tell you how to live your life, then the only choice this Nov. 7 is to vote for Del. Clinton Jenkins.

Dillon Puglisi

Smithfield