Virginia House of Delegates District 47 candidate profile and race preview

CARROLL COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) – Three candidates are vying for the Virginia House of Delegates seat in the newly rezoned District 47.

Wren Williams, Patty Quesenberry and Jacob Frogel are all on the ballot for District 47. The 2021 redistricting now includes parts of Patrick County, Carroll County, Floyd County, western Henry County and Galax City.

Republican Wren Williams has served as the delegate for District Nine and aims to address economic development.

“We’re dealing with a lot of housing issues and infrastructure, like water and sewer,” Williams said. “Because a lot of our towns and cities are smaller, they haven’t done as many updates because they can’t afford it.”

Democrat Patty Quesenberry is drawing on her social work experience to address the substance abuse crisis.

“There aren’t enough counselors or rehab centers for people to go and get the treatment that they need,” Quesenberry said. “We’re trying very hard to look into what kind of legislatures could be written and funded.”

Independent Jacob Frogel is recovering from surgery and was unavailable for an interview. He responded to WDBJ7′s profile questions in an emailed statement.

“I consider myself a staunch anti-corporation candidate,” Frogel said. I would use my experience as a layman, and a member of the working class, to ensure that the government of the people is working for the people, not the rich.”

Each candidate is working to get to know the constituents who used to be in District Six, Seven and Nine.

“I just know this area, I grew up here, I understand their [the constituents] needs and where their heart is,” Williams said. “It’s been easy, but it’s hard to meet everybody.”

“I’ve lived in this area for 40 years now and I have always given back to the community which is why I decided to run,” Quesenberry said.

“I feel it’s critically important to stay in tune with what is occurring in each county, as well as listening to the people present their issue,” Frogel said.

Voters head to the polls on Tuesday, November 7.

WDBJ7 asked the three candidates the same questions in the same order. Their full responses are listed below.

Q: Please introduce yourself and what you are running for.

Wren Williams, Republican (WW): My name is Wren Williams and I am running for the delegate for the 47th district.

Patty Quesenberry, Democrat (PQ): My name is Patty Quesenberry, and I’m running for the newly redistricted House of Delegates district 47.

Jacob Frogel, Independent (JF): I’m Jacob Frogel, an Independent candidate for district 47. I was motivated to run by my disgust and outrage at how the two Republican nominees ran their campaign for the Republican Primary, and decided to use my right to run for office to further express my extreme dislike for how dirty both politicians campaigned in the primary.

Q: Tell me about your campaign platform.

WW: I’ve been in the house since 2021, and I’m excited to be back running again for the new district. My campaign platform really stems on economic development healthcare options in our district. For a long time, we’ve been hurting for jobs, we’ve been hurting for opportunity. But, I’ve seen a real resurgence following COVID. And with some of the work that’s been happening in Southside and Southwest Virginia, there’s been a real interest in growth and opportunity here. And you’ve seen an influx of people moving in the area, so now we’re dealing with a lot of housing issues, and also infrastructure, like water and sewer, because a lot of our towns and cities are smaller, haven’t done as many updates because they just can’t afford it. So those are some of the things I’ve been working on and I will continue to work on, if I’m reelected in November.

PQ: I am extremely interested in a couple of really key issues that I feel impact our region and when I’ve been speaking to people in this region, the voters, they’ve been telling me what their concerns are, too. I’ve heard people that are concerned, in particular, with substance abuse disorder, and the impact that it has on their families, and that there aren’t enough counselors or rehab centers for them to go and get the treatment that they need. And so we’re trying very hard to look into what kind of legislature could be written or funding to try and increase places where they could get the treatment that they’re seeking. Because it impacts so many families, I can’t think of any family, I haven’t spoken to that it hasn’t impacted. The other thing I’m very concerned about are women’s rights. I’m very concerned that women don’t have the reproductive freedoms in so many of the states, and I would like for the Commonwealth of Virginia to maintain the freedom that women have here. We’re the furthest southern state right now that does still allow reproductive freedom for females, and I can’t think of any laws or regulations that impact men the same way it would impact females. Men are never told when and where they should start a family, and I think women should have that freedom to decide those as well. I also, because I’m a small farmer, I have raised goats and sell chicken eggs. I’m very concerned about climate crisis and the impact that it’s had on our environment, and I’m very worried about it being too dry or too wet. And I know a lot of people think that climate change is probably not really occurring, but all you have to do is watch weather every day and people are starting to understand the impact. And being a farmer, people have to realize that we get our food from farmers. If we can’t get our food, if the weather is impacting the food that we’re trying to provide for people.

JF: I consider myself a staunch anti-corporation candidate. As someone who ekes out a living via stock day trading, I have seen many, many quarterly reports that all infer the same thing, corporations are robbing the American populace blind, and are bringing down this great nation to feed their endless greed. An example that recently impacted District 47 was the loss of the Parkdale Magnolia plant in Hillsville, which was due to AEP wanting to charge Parkdale far more for a service then it was worth.* Their greed was also fully displayed in January of this year, and I have every reason to believe they will continue to suck the wealth out of the entire region until their near-illegal monopoly on the region is shattered. Overall, I look up to past president Theodore Roosevelt as having a near perfect political platform.

Q: What issue in District 47 are you most passionate about?

WW: I’ve been working very hard to get enough finances from the state and the health department to be able to deal with a lot of the failing water and sewer systems in Floyd, and Caroll and Hillsville and Patrick, and we’ve been successful with that. But it’s expensive, and you know, there’s a lot in the state that needs to be paid for, and I’m a sophomore, if you will. So I’ve been pretty adamant and on them about making sure that we can get that funding to be able to fix a lot of the things that we need to fix in this area to make sure people have clean water and are able to get rid of their wastes sanitary.

PQ: Really all the ones that I just spoke to, you know, I think every single one of them. The other thing that I’m very passionate about is housing. I was a comprehensive certified housing counselor, and a social worker for a number of years. And I saw that it only takes one crisis, people have a certain amount of money in savings, but it only takes one crisis to find out that you’re homeless, you’re living on your friend’s couch, you’ve lost your house in foreclosure, your credit’s gone, and a lot of times, it’s from no fault of your own. You have medical crisis or an accident that occurs. And so I feel like there needs to be more funding available for that, as well as we don’t have enough housing vouchers so that people that are low income can get into safe and affordable housing. Because people can rent in like trailer parks and things like that, but it doesn’t mean it’s a safe area. It just means that you can afford it.

JF: [One] of the more important issues currently impact primarily district 47 and the surrounding districts, rather then America and [Virginia] as a whole, is the Wildwood Commerce Park developed right off exit 19 on I-77. AEP is attempting to further develop infrastructure in this area and pass the bill onto the residents of District 47.* Given that multiple millions of taxpayer money has already been poured into this project, with nothing to show for it, allowing large corporations to enrich themselves at the expense of District 47 citizens, without anything to show for it, cannot be allowed. Thus this is one of the more important issues directly affecting District 47, and one I am quite passionate about.

Q: What issue in District 47 do you think needs to be addressed first?

WW: One of the big issues is really rolling out the broadband that is going out throughout the different counties. Senator [Mark] Warner has mentioned about broadband and its expansion from the infrastructure bill. I’ve seen different internet service providers rolling out plans and making promises and things about getting that broadband to houses throughout different communities, but I’m not seeing it yet. So it’s important that I stay on that and make sure that they’re following through with their commitments with the money that they’ve received from our government.

PQ: That’s very good question, I think everything needs to be addressed first. But, the ones that I hear the most frequently are the housing. It’s definitely one that I hear because there is not enough rental properties or enough vouchers. And the other one that I definitely hear the most passionately about is the substance abuse disorder. And the third thing is, not so much in Floyd County, but in the neighboring counties that I would be serving, Patrick County and Carroll County, they don’t have very good broadband, and so they’re very concerned about infrastructure. Because they realize that they cannot educate their students if they don’t have appropriate, you know, broadband services and internet that’s reliable, and they can’t get people that would like to, to live in the community to come live and work there if they also don’t have appropriate things like good broadband and internet.

JF: Did not provide an answer to this question.

Q: How do you think the new redistricting will impact this upcoming election?

WW: It has changed my district, the ninth district, dramatically. So my frustration is I still have projects going on over there. You know, Franklin County, Southside of Smith Mountain Lake, we’ve been working on a water tower, getting that Union Hall area project up and running and doing well there. So I’m saddened to lose that official representation. I will continue to work on those projects. But, I think just getting over into the new district, west, I have to introduce myself to those folks. I have to let them know who I am and the work that I’ve been doing, and, you know, it needs to correlate. So you know, what do they care about Smith Mountain Lake, they don’t have a lake, and they’re not in Claytor, because that’s in Pulaski. So all of those things combined requires me to kind of start over. But I feel like I’ve been able to prove, you know, who I am and there’s a lot of network of families that’s stretched throughout Patrick, and Carroll and Floyd. So there’s a lot of synergy, which is nice, but it is new faces and I’m a new face to them, too.

PQ: I know when it got redistricted it cut out part of Montgomery County, which does tend to have a higher population that might, you know, vote more for Democratic candidates. And by redistricting and making it Floyd, Carroll, part of Henry, and the city of Galax and Patrick County, it definitely made it more so that there was a higher percentage, I believe, of Republican voters than Democratic voters. But what I am trying to run on is the fact that it doesn’t really matter if you have an ‘R’ or a ‘D’ right beside your name, I feel like what’s most important is voting for the person that cares most passionately about our region and what we feel needs to be done to improve the lives of the people in our district.

JF: The redistricting has opened up over 30% of the seats for Virginia’s General Assembly, with a large number of previous incumbents on both sides of the political field losing in their respective primaries, so Virginia as a whole is going to have a significant number of new faces in the assembly. With that said, for District 47, the largest change will be for Floyd County as well as Carroll County. Floyd County lost their incumbent during the primary, and Carroll County’s incumbent retired as a delegate, though he would have been an incumbent for district 46 if he had decided to continue running to my understanding. Galax will likely feel the impact the most, as it will now have a delegate for both the Carroll and Grayson sides of it. Overall though, I feel the redistricting will have very little effect on District 47 in terms of incumbency, as all previous incumbents voted primarily along party lines.

Q: How are you prepared to represent new constituents in the new district boundaries?

WW: The nice thing is we are all from the same region, we all have the same values and background and things like that, so it has not been difficult to connect with new members of the district, new constituents. That’s been a breeze. In fact, almost once a day, when I’m in that area, I will find somebody who’s related to me or my family. And that’s been really, pretty fun actually, to get to learn more and more about that district. But being from here, my family has been here for five generations, you know, I just know this area, I grew up here, I understand their needs and where their heart is and so it’s been easy, but it’s hard to meet everybody, right? So that’s the biggest issue, is just trying to get out there and introduce myself. And it’s a big district, you know, I’ve got four counties. So there’s a lot to take in, but I’m excited to do it.

PQ: These are people that I have known personally, and you know, my neighbors, my friends, my family here. I’ve lived in this area for 40 years now. And to me, when I talk to people, the first thing I don’t ask them is, how do you vote? You know, or anything like that, you know, it’s more like how’s your family? How are your neighbors? How are things going on? I love the people in this region, they are the most giving, caring people in the world, and they do things to help their neighbors, they really do. And so I have always given back to the community, which is why I decided to run initially. I was a volunteer on the local rescue squad and a life member for 25 years, I volunteered with the Art Center and the Humane Society, everything. And when I see the people here, politics, you know, whether you’re Republican or Democrat, doesn’t matter. What really matters is how do we get our needs met here in this region.

JF: I feel it’s critically important to stay in tune with what is occurring in each county, via staying updated on various board meetings, as well as listening to the people of each county present their issue. All districts have excellent resources available for staying in touch with what is happening at the county level, and I have been utilizing these resources.

Q: How does your experience and career make you a good candidate for the House of Delegates?

WW: When I got into the house a couple years ago, they always say, drinking water from a fire hose. And so I am a quick learner, quick study, I got on my feet very quickly. And I passed the most bills out of any freshman that year, I was very successful, same thing next year. I got awarded for like legislator of the year from the American Planning Association. So there’s all these things that I’ve been attuned to as a lawyer, reading law, and now making law. And so I’m quick on running through that information, knowing this is not a good thing, we got to cut this, kill this bill, etc, so going back, you know, I’m already gearing up. I’ve already been talking to legislator services to get my bills worked on and drafted and in, I’ve been talking to other delegates regarding who’s going to carry co patron bills, Senate members as well. So really, we’re just waiting to see what happens in November, because that’s gonna shake up everything. Do we have the majority in the House? Do we have a majority in the Senate? Or do we have no majority, and there’s only a governor, Republican governor and democratic General Assembly. So lots in the air, and that really determines what kind of legislation I bring.

PQ: I feel like I’m a good candidate for the House of Delegates because I got my degree from Radford University, my BGS in 1997, and got into the field of social work, and worked, as I mentioned earlier, as a certified housing counselor, with the homeless population, or soon to be homeless, if things weren’t done to help intervene. I’ve done emergency services so I understand the importance and the impact of having food insecurity in our region. And I still volunteer at a food bank every week, because it really means that much to me to make sure that families have, and children in particular, have the food they need. I also have worked as a foster care worker at the Department of Social Services. And that’s where I really learned the impact of substance abuse disorder, and how it impacts families, how families become separated from their children, because they often can’t get the services they need, end up in court or end up in prison because of it. And so that really, really touched my heart and makes me feel passionately about trying to work on that. And my last job is working as a mental health counselor. And that was also a really good learning experience. Because you realize how if people have the support that they need, they can be independent, and not dependent on some resources, but if they need the help and support from case managers in order to maintain their their independence, I feel like all those things have worked to make me a good person to understand the local problems of our region.

JF: I actually have no experience in politics, and my career has been primarily that of manual labor. Thus, I quite understand what it’s like to struggle constantly with bills, and I can easily see the effects that surprise bills, including the one that all denizens received in January of this year, has on people. Thus, I would use my experience as a layman, and a member of the working class, to ensure that the government of the people is working for the people, not the rich.

Q: What will be your biggest challenge in the November election?

WW: My biggest challenge heading into November would really be helping contribute to those tight races in the eastern side of the Commonwealth. You know, last year, I don’t remember the exact number, but it was only like six to 700 votes, that split power in the House of Delegates. And that is crazy, if you really think about it. But if I can help them in any way, that benefits my area, because we would then have, hopefully, the majority, and I can get things done for my constituents. Without the majority, I have to play a different strategy. And it’s harder to get wins for our district, because of politics. So I would prefer to be in the majority, obviously.

PQ: The biggest challenge always, I think, for anybody, it’s kind of an off year. You can get a lot of voters out during presidential elections. But sometimes people just feel like oh, Oh, you know, it’s raining that day, I’m not going to go out and vote. So trying to get the voters out and get them to understand the importance of this election, I don’t think they realize how many things are on the ballot and how they feel like they have one vote, but that one vote can really make an impact on future legislation that gets written that will impact them negatively or positively.

JF: My biggest challenge has been one I’ve been facing the entirety of my life, lack of financial resources. I have bills to pay, and can’t afford to spend money on campaign promotions, signs, or anything political. I do not have a half-million dollars to dump into a three month campaign to ensure victory, the amount I had to spare was a hundred dollars and some change, and even then I’m feeling the pinch and a pang of regret. I did the calculations early on for what I initially envisioned, and the bill was looking at $20,000 just for signage and flyers, not even mentioning things like fundraising and campaign events, consultation, and so on.

Q: What should the people of District 47 know about you?

WW: I’d tell them to make sure they vote, make sure they check out my website, if they have any questions or would like to donate, they can reach out to my legislative aide, my office, all that information is on my website. We work with a number of people, it doesn’t necessarily have to be just in district, we work with people that are out of district that might not know who to call. So even if they just want to touch base with us and say, What do I do about this? We can try to connect them. I want to tell constituents, if you don’t call me, I don’t know, right? I can’t help you. So it’s much easier when you reach out to us earlier so that we can get that ball rolling faster, sooner.

PQ: The people that know me personally know that I am trustworthy and dependable. They know that I’m very family oriented, and community oriented. They know that I really am passionate and believe very strongly in all the same things that they really do, too. And I feel like they give me so much. And I just want to give back. And you know, it’s kind of interesting, because for the people that know me very intimately and have known me for years and years, they may be, you know, very committed to the Republican Party, but they’ve told me, they’re gonna vote for me, because they know me, and they do trust me, and they know that I’ll do a good job.

JF: Rather than something about myself, I have a piece of advice for any listeners. There are at least seven politicians that every voter should spend several hours each year researching, both federal Senators of each state, the federal congressman for the district you live in, the state delegate, senator, and governor, and finally your local representatives, however many there are. Catching up can take quite a bit of time, but staying abreast of their voting history only takes a few hours per candidate per year, and should be done as a civic duty.

Q: Anything else you would like to add?

WW: I do appreciate the constituents in the area accepting me and supporting me in the primary. I’m hoping they will turn out again in November to elect me in the general election, but if anybody outside of my district sees this, especially districts in, you know, the Lynchburg area and things like that, I really wanted to strongly encourage them to vote, because all 140 seats in the General Assembly are up for reelection right now. So the entire control of the government is relying on November. So, you know, there’s a lot of stakes here. And I encourage them to make sure that they vote and get their voice heard.

PQ: I feel like, you know, people who are just average people like me, that are running for office, that don’t have a lot of funds, that don’t get a lot of donations, but are still willing to get out there, and have the courage to say, I’m gonna run in an area where I may not win, but I’m going to have the courage to do it. And I’m going to run anyway. I really think that if Abraham Lincoln were running today, I don’t think he’d get elected, because he probably wouldn’t be getting enough funds. There’s no real cap on like campaign funds, and so people, it just seems like they can get enough funding and even from all over the country, and get themselves into office, and I want to prove that you can be just a local person that is willing to get out there and really help the folks. And honestly, that you don’t just have to be you know, somebody with a lot of funds, you know. And so I really do want and hope that people see my true meaning for running for this race, and what I plan to do to help the people in our region.

JF: I plan to run again in the future, regardless of the lack of funds on my own behalf, each time that any politician runs unopposed. Civic duty does not end at just voting. If you don’t like what the candidates are doing, run yourself!

* WDBJ7 reached out to Appalachian Power in regards to Frogel’s statement and comments regarding the Wildwood Commerce Park Development. Here is the response:

“Appalachian Power is a regulated utility governed by the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC). Any requests to modify utility rates must be submitted to the SCC for review and approval,” APCO spokesperson Teresa Hamilton Hall said. ”The utility investments made at Wildwood Commerce Park were initiated under legislation approved by the Virginia General Assembly. This law allows a public utility to recover costs associated with infrastructure development into and within industrial sites. Wildwood Commerce Park is among the sites identified by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership for utility investment. Construction-ready industrial sites with adequate electrical infrastructure give Virginia’s economic developers an edge when competing against other states for business and industry. While these investments are permitted under Virginia law, cost recovery must also be approved by the SCC.”

Copyright 2023 WDBJ. All rights reserved.