For Monty Mason, representing the 93rd District in the Virginia House of Delegates was true preparation for a position in the Virginia Senate.
“I’m already doing the job,” Mason said. “I’m representing constituents, I’m working on issues and trying to do things to connect opportunities with state funding to the Virginia Peninsula.”
With three legislative sessions under his belt, Mason is now running to fill the 1st District seat in the Senate, which was formerly held by the late John Miller.
“The state senate is not the place for on-the-job training,” Mason said. “My three years of work in the legislature will be very beneficial.”
Mason, 48, of Williamsburg has represented the 93rd District, which includes the City of Williamsburg, parts of James City and York counties and part of Newport News, since he was elected to the House of Delegates in 2013. He was reelected to a second term in November, after defeating Republican challenger Lara Overy by nearly 10 percentage points.
He is running against Newport News School Board member Shelly Simonds in Tuesday’s primary election. In the November general election, the winner will take on a Republican candidate, who will be nominated during a party caucus this weekend.
The 1st District includes the City of Williamsburg, parts of James City and York counties and parts of Newport News, Hampton and Suffolk.
If elected to the Senate, Mason said he would make sure the third segment of the I-64 widening is funded, help implement a new plan for high school education that was approved by the General Assembly earlier this year and advocate for a high energy electron ion collider to be built at Jefferson Lab in Newport News, which could bring thousands of new, high-paying jobs to the district.
However, Mason, who worked closely with Miller, said he would also promote bills and initiatives Miller once pushed for, such as nonpartisan redistricting.
“We very much believed in the same things and looked at things in a similar manner,” Mason said.
Two primary elections will be held on Tuesday. Check out our election preview to find out if you can vote in the 1st District Senate race.
