In politics, the conventional wisdom is to seek out wedge issues to gain momentum or bring recognition to a new campaign. However, when you desire to run a campaign on what you stand for and avoid revisiting toxic issues for political gain and self interest, you navigate to avoid those no longer relevant or less important issues from dividing the population.
This is why I find it unfortunate that it seems the Free Lance Star felt the need to bring the story of a baseball stadium back to the front pages of the local newspaper where little momentum seemed to exist for the team to move to the Fredericksburg area. This article, linked below, about the Potomac Nationals minor league team moving to the area seems to attempt to rekindle the debate. As some voters will certainly have an opinion on this subject, I feel it appropriate and necessary to address it now.
On principle, without knowing the details, I would be hesitant to commit for or against any issue. I can say that generally speaking sports stadiums are not economically viable or sound investments for communities. I was opposed to the deal proposed by the Hagerstown Suns in 2015, specifically because it placed an unacceptable and disproportionate risk to the county.
As a former high school baseball player and fan of the game I would find enjoyment from having a stadium nearby to attend games and events. However, as an elected official one needs to place the county's interests above their personal desires. Therefore, I would be unlikely to support any deal that did not ensure that Spotsylvania County's investment was returned and the long-term financial interest of the County protected.
Click here for the full Free Lance Star article.