Freshman Delegates

We spent most of the last year following the campaigns around Virginia.  Once the dust settled we ended up 18 freshman Delegates, thirteen from open seats, and five seats where incumbents were defeated (Reese, Miles, Keister, Black, Marrs).

While no 2003 freshman lost re-election in 2005, typically first term legislators are considered the most vulnerable for re-election.

The best way to win re-election is with solid constituent service.  We took a look at every freshman's constituent service over the internet. 

Here are the rankings for the 2005 freshman websites:

Dan Bowling- C
David Bulova- A
Chuck Caputo- B
Anne Crockett-Stark- C
David Englin- A
Todd Gilbert- F
Sal Iaquinto- A
Matt Lohr- B
Dave Marsden- C
Jennifer McClellan- B
Don McEachin- B
Chris Peace- D
David Poisson- B
David Toscano- B
Roslyn Tyler- F
Shannon Valentine- D
Katherine Waddell- D
Rob Wittman- F

Overall, the scores were
3 A's
6 B's
3 C's
3 D's
3 F's

By Party:
1 GOP- A (Iaquinto)
1 GOP- B (Lohr)
1 GOP- C (Crockett-Stark)
1 GOP- D (Peace)
2 GOP- F's (Gilbert, Wittman)

2 DEM- A's (Bulova, Englin)
5 DEM- B's (Caputo, McClellan, McEachin, Poisson, Toscano)
2 DEM- C's (Bowling, Marsden)
1 DEM- D (Valentine)
1 DEM- F (Tyler)

1 IND- D (Waddell)

UPDATE:  While linking the sites, I noticed some of them have been updated since I started writing this two weeks ago.  Some rankings have changed, for example Jennifer McClellan's site which sucked two weeks ago and was rated a "D" is much improved now, and is rated a "B".

UPDATE #2- By Region:

Northern Virginia
A's:  Bulova, Englin
B's:  Caputo, Poisson
C's:  Marsden

Metro Richmond
B's:  McClellan, McEachin
D's:  Peace, Waddell

Western Virginia
B's:  Lohr, Toscano
C's:  Bowling, Crockett-Stark
D:  Valentine
F:  Gilbert

Eastern Virginia
A:  Iaquinto
F's:  Tyler, Wittman

Comments

Perhaps you could link us to these websites so that we might easily see for ourselves? I agree with you that Del. Iaquinto has a great site, but I'm afraid that I don't what many of the others' website addresses are. Thanks.

[republitarian's wife]

Were you grading their web sites? Or did I miss something?

[republitarian's wife]

I agree. Links please. I know I could google their names and find them but isn't that what we have you for?

[Not Larry Sabato]

Sure, I will add them now, give me about 15 minutes.

could you explain why those who got Ds and Fs...recieved those grades?

[Not Larry Sabato]

Sure, the F's went to legislators without a website OR ones elected in November that have not updated anything since the election.

The D's made only the most minimal efforts, or if they were elected in special elections have made no updates since then.

[republitarian's wife]

Thanks. I guess you would have to receive an A+ for customer service.

but mceachin has a web site www.donaldmceachin.com...and its updated

[Not Larry Sabato]

Thanks, I will update his ranking.

[ZB]

Is it really fair to grade Bowling, Valentine, and Peace? They were elected just before or mid-term and the fact that they were able to get caught up on legislation and learn what they were doing without orientation or preparation time is pretty remarkable.

[GOPHokie]

So we are totally basing their constituent service on their website?
Don't you think there is probably a bit more to it than that?

[Not Larry Sabato]

Of course there is more to it, but nothing else that can be easy to compare like websites.

[Too Conservative]

This is the most credible blog in the history of America.

[Not Jack Herrity]

Vince, THAT was Too Funny.

:)

NJH

[Interested Observer]

Ben- I'm at a loss here - you are giving these guys a constituent service rating based upon their use of the Internet to (apparently) provide information about what they are doing in Richmond? OK, so this is the blogosphere and we all live and breath the Internet, but let's be realistic - what fraction of 1% of voters go to local candidate's web pages for constituent service? Most of the reports here are clearly the same letters that the delegates are writing from Richmond to their local papers.

As a data point, this is pretty weak. It's nice that they might answer their e-mail, but all politics is local and their ground campaigns back in the district is what matters.

I also note that you dinged Marsden as well. I like Caputo, but his web page is no better than Marsdens in my opinion (although Marsden's does look a little too flashy and smiley whereas Caputo's is all business).

Why don't you just call this a ranking of freshman web pages instead of trying to put a re-election/constituent services spin on it?

[Not Larry Sabato]

Interested,

First I did not ding Marsden. His site is almost totally unupdated since his election. I actually put him down as a "D", but moved him up to a "C" to bend over backwords being fair.

I have never met a politician that does some parts of constituent service better than others. Usually they are either obsessed with it, or could care less about it. I think the sites are a good reflection on how much they want to interact.

If I remember correctly from something Chap told me a couple years ago... he got more web based contacts then phone based.

[Del. David Englin]

Ben,

So far, I seem to get more emails than phone calls from constituents expressing opinions about issues and legislation. However, most of my traditional constituent service requests have come over the phone. We've helped with drivers license renewals (mostly helping people deal with unforseen consequences of the Patriot Act), tax refunds, unemployment benefits, and that sort of thing. If any of your readers are 45th District constituents, I hope they'll feel free to get in touch at any time if my staff and I can be of service. Just call 703-549-3203 (it forwards to Richmond during session) or email DelDEnglin@house.state.va.us.

Best,

David

PS - Thanks for the A grade on our website!

[Too Conservative]

Why did Gilbert get an F?

[Liberal_Pi]

A better question is, how did Crockett-Stark's site manage a C?

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

Web sites != Consituent service.

Enough said.

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

For the non-programmer types out there,

"!="

is equivalent to "Not Equal" in many coding languages.