By Taylor Boyd
Democratic candidates seeking their party’s nomination for Virginia’s 9th Congressional District discussed economic development, housing, student loan debt, and data centers during a candidate forum Saturday in Stuart.
The forum, hosted by the Patrick County Democratic Committee, featured candidates Adam Murphy of Roanoke County, Joy Powers of Bedford, and Douglas Crockett of Williamsburg. The winner of the August primary will face incumbent U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, in November.
Griffith did not attend the event.
At various points, the forum drew an estimated 60 attendees.
Candidates responded to questions on a range of issues, including the impact of data centers on rural communities.
Crockett, a retired attorney and United Methodist pastor who currently lives in Williamsburg but plans to return to his native Wythe County, said he supports federal oversight and referenced congressional proposals addressing emissions and water usage tied to data centers.
“I would support that. Also, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have introduced a moratorium on new AI data centers. I would support that as well,” he said.
Crockett said no new data centers should be built until more is known about their impact on water usage, environmental pollution, and the power grid.
“Because we can build data centers much faster than we can build power stations. I think there should be broadband everywhere before we have more data centers anywhere,” he said.
Powers said the ongoing debate over data centers, particularly in rural communities, stems from a lack of federal oversight.
“In other countries like Sweden and Finland, they’ve actually been able to build data centers in a lot more environmentally friendly ways,” she said. She noted that both the Finland facility and the Botetourt County facility are Google data centers.
Powers, a fourth-generation cattle farmer and small business owner, said the reason the data center in Finland is cleaner for the environment than the one in Botetourt is due to regulations.
“We do need a blanket moratorium on data centers as they are being built right now, but we also have to have a realistic outlook by saying, ‘there is actually a cleaner way to do this.’”
Murphy, a software developer and engineer, said Southwest Virginia has become attractive to data center developers because many localities are struggling financially.
“They need the money, they need the revenue,” he said. “They come to Southwest Virginia because it’s cheap, there’s good water, and they can get it relatively quickly here.”
Murphy said federal guidelines should address water usage, power consumption, and sound.
“It has to be designed in such a way that we do force them into higher standards,” he said. “They’re going to realize it’s going to cost them way too much to have to meet all these regulations.”
Candidates also discussed ways to encourage younger residents to remain in Southwest Virginia.
Crockett said the region needs more jobs and fewer social divisions.
“We need to stop acting like someone’s an outsider, no matter where they come from,” he said.
He added that his goal, if elected, would be to increase the district’s median household income.
Powers said student loan debt and affordable housing remain major obstacles for young people.
“Student loan debt is crippling everyone. We have to have a solution,” she said.
Powers also called for expanded housing rehabilitation programs to help families refurbish existing homes.
Murphy said economic opportunity is key to retaining residents in the region.
“We need reasons for people to stay,” he said. “They need a high-paying job that will give them a dignified life.”
Murphy also said the federal government should partner with regional organizations to expand affordable housing opportunities.
In his closing remarks, Crockett said he believed he was the most qualified candidate. He suggested that Powers and Murphy should drop out of the race.
After the forum concluded and in an interview with rbs news now, Crockett said he told Powers to “shut up,” and attributed it to a discussion about race. Crockett is black. Powers is white.
The comment was made before the forum began, according to a social media comment by Patrick County Democratic Committee Chairman Yvonne Rorrer.
She clarified the incident after she was approached by a reporter, “with concern prior to the forum saying that Mr. Crockett was the aggressor in this exchange and this was confirmed by several in attendance as well. He told her (Powers) to ‘Shut her mouth.’”
Rorrer wrote that Crockett “then refused to give her (Powers) back her own notes during introductions, and then called both other candidates unqualified and part of the problem if they didn’t drop out of the race.
“The number of people who were appalled by his attitude was very obvious by the responses I received afterwards. His behavior was disrespectful and uncalled for,” Rorrer wrote.
In a statement on the committee’s social media page, she emphasized that the committee remains neutral in the primary.
“While recent news coverage has focused on some of the tension between candidates, I want to be entirely clear: a political primary is a competitive process, but a candidate’s personal conduct belongs entirely to that candidate,” Rorrer wrote.
Rorrer said the committee maintains standards of “basic courtesy and mutual respect” and that conduct falling short of those standards does not reflect the committee or its members.
She added that the committee’s focus is on supporting voters ahead of early voting, which begins June 19, and the Aug. 4 primary election.
