You couldn't ask for a worse time of year to hold an election. Yet there's a silver lining.

All three candidates for the 1st House are relatively young, and the winner could wind up serving for decades, so this is no small choice.

The two party nominees are conservative but not ideological, young but mature, and have carrying degrees of public service to commend them.

Rob Wittman, 48, is in only his second term in the House of Delegates representing the Northern Neck, but he counts 22 years of elective service dating back to the Montross Town Council and Westmoreland Board of Supervisors. He is highly regarded as a civic volunteer who actually works the weekend fundraisers instead of just glad-handing.

He hasn't introduced any monumental legislation, but then none has emerged from the region since Tayloe Murphy got the Chesapeake Bay Act passed. He did get two bills through on grants for bio-fuel research and acqualcuture promotion. He is distinguished for having an open mind and for working across the aisle.

Wittman has many ideas on health care, and with a master's in public health he knows what he's talking about. He claims he hasn't taken the Republicans' “no-tax” pledge but was confronted by our Steve Vaughan with his signature on it. “My statement was that i oppose tax increases.” Either way, he's boxed in.

Gerrymandering by the Republicans has given the district roughly a 56% majority of the electorate. The risk is electing someone from a rural region with no ties to the Peninsula. In their misplaced zeal to nominate anyone but Paul Jost, the Republicans may have simply gone too far afield. Whitman's' experience with ships and shipyards is limited to the menhaden docks of Reedville.

By geography alone, Philip Forgit, 40, trumps Wittman. He lives in York County and used to teach in WJC Schools. This puts him squarely in the middle of the district in terms of population. His previous race for the conservative for the conservative 96 th extended his reach deep into York County, where he came close to beating Melanie Rapp.

Therein lies a bigger distinction. For the 96th , Forgit campaigned on the issues in a tough district without much money or other support. He did it on ideas, and he's doing it again on ideas.

Forgit is exploiting his Iraq tour as giving him the edge on the war, military support and veterans' issues, all of which are of vital interest to the 1 st . These comprise his “sense of duty,” a formidable value. As to policy, he would continue to advise and train Iraqis toward a containment strategy, then pull out a “significant number” of troops “within a couple of years.” He reflects the moderation of someone who's been on the ground and sees the promise in democracy.

He has a hardened position on the Transportation Authority, railing against the Republicans for “abdicating responsibility” by opting out for an un-elected bureaucracy....He has his own idea of a gas percentage rate instead of a flat multiple-penny tax. As gas prices rase, the rate of a 5% tax would rise to 6% or so, generating windfall tax revenue. There's a downside, of course.

Forgit's supporters suggest that if you want to punish a politician over the Transpo Bill and the abuser fees, then vote against Wittman for approving the package. (He now thinks the bill should be revised in the Assembly.)

On immigration, Forgit finds the Republicans hypocritical for complaining now when they couldn't pass a bill during the 14 years of control. He would tighten the borders with more funding for the INS.

On health insurance, Forgit and Wittman are opposed to single-payer and Hillarycare. Forgit asks, “What's working right now?” and would model them for pilot programs. Expanded coverage for kids is one and, oddly enough, Medicare, because both are surprisingly efficient if flawed. He worries that tax credits for medical insurance could backfire fiscally like Gilmore's car tax repeal. Good point.

No tax-and-spend liberal, Forgit ran in the 96 th by opposing any legislation that leads to unfunded mandates, the cancer that is eating away at localities.

pressed on what's the biggest problem facing congress, he said flat out, “Borrowing.” He feels the deficit can be chipped away as we draw down from Iraq, but beware. “We've gone from 600 ships to 279, and one of the signs of a declining country is a declining Navy. China by 2015 will eclipse our Navy, so that's a looming crisis.”

Forgit is just the local candidate, he's up on the issues and has the passion to serve. He has all the conservative credentials to fairly represent the district, and he is well aware the constituent services are Job 1. He observed elections in Iraq where 80% of the electorate turned out despite IEDs, car bombs and other hazards. the least we can do is vote Tuesday to beat the prediction of 10% to 20%.

Try to work voting around your Christmas shopping. If the pundits are right on the low side that only 10% show up, then your vote could count tenfold toward electing our next congressman.

--Bill O'Donovan.