Republican State Senator Frank Ruff officially announced his
re-election campaign for the 15th district in the Virginia State Senate
this week.
ìWhile we have made a lot of progress with lowering taxes and creating
jobs, there is still much to be done.  I want to continue to be our
commonsense conservative voice in Richmond,î stated Ruff.
Ruff, who has served in the Senate since 2000, is facing a challenge
this year from Democratic nominee Robert ìBobî Wilkerson, mayor of
Clarksville.
In a statement released by his campaign, Ruff said that during his
tenure in the Virginia Senate there have been 3,300 new jobs created
and $750 million in new business investment in the 15th district.
Ruff stated he is running for re-election because he wants to continue
efforts to bring good jobs to the region while maintaining a good
quality of life for people. Ruff said in his statement that his
priorities include ìcontinuing the efforts to make workforce†training
and re-training relevant to today's jobs and protecting the earnings of
hardworking Virginians from needless government spending†while
providing the basic services expected of†government as priorities in a
new term.î
First elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1993, Ruff was
elected to the State Senate in a special election in 2000 and
re-elected without opposition in 2003.
Listing his accomplishments, Ruff said he
sponsored the bill during his session in the House to end the tax on
Social Security.  He also worked with then-Governor George Allen to
institute the ìthree strikes and your outî bill that sharply curtailed
parole in Virginia.
served on the state commission to reduce government waste and make it
more efficient. He also worked to increase the personal exemption
allowance and the standard deduction under the state income tax.  He
supported elimination of the ìmarriage penaltyî and the Virginia estate
tax. Ruff also supported former Gov. Jim Gilmoreís efforts to eliminate
$950 million of local car taxes.
* voted to reduce the tax on groceries, cutting it by 70 percent.  He
also voted to eliminate the sales tax for prescription and
non-prescription medication.
ìWhile in the House of Delegates Ruff was a leader in the effort to
reform welfare in Virginia.  The aim was to provide people on welfare
the job training, transportation, and help with child care to become
productive members of society.  Thanks to these reforms Virginia now
has the third lowest percentage of its citizens on welfare in the
country,î the campaign statement said.
ìDuring his tenure in the General Assembly the Senator has worked to
commit 100 percent of the lottery proceeds back to localities for use
in education.  Today Virginiaís schools have some of the smallest class
sizes in the country.
ìRuff is also a believer that we need more accountability and increased
standards in education.  Reforms to achieve those goals have improved
education in Virginia and have led to having the state noted as one of
the top ten states in the country for public education,î the statement
continued.
Ruff also worked with then-State Senator Virgil Goode to write the law
to allow Virginians to carry concealed firearms in the Commonwealth.
Ruff co-sponsored the legislation that provided for parental consent
when a minor is seeking an abortion.  He also worked to pass a ban on
partial birth abortion.
Together with his wife Jessie, Ruff has four children and lives in
Clarksville.
ìThis is going to be an exciting election and I am thrilled to be
running again to continue our work in Richmond,î said Ruff.
The 15th Senate District stretches from Halifax, Mecklenburg, and
Brunswick Counties in the south to Fluvanna County in the north and
includes all or part of Prince Edward County, Buckingham County,
Charlotte County, Cumberland County, Amherst County, Appomattox County,
and Lunenburg County.