Tejada Works for Webb

Arlington County Board Member J. Walter Tejada's support for US Senate Candidate Jim Webb was highlighted in the article 'Webb, Allen court Hispanic, white-collar voters in N. Va.' in the Virginia Pilot. Earlier this week, Tejada organized a public event for Webb, emphasizing the need for leadership in the US Senate.

See also 'Tejada Endores Webb' on October 3, 2006 and 'Tejada Supports Webb' on October 24, 2006.

(Full Article from the Virginia Pilot below.)

Webb, Allen court Hispanic, white-collar voters in N. Va.
By Dale Eisman, The Virginian-Pilot © October 25, 2006

Bailey's Crossroads - Democrat Jim Webb made his pitch to a gathering composed largely of Latino carpenters and other blue-collar workers, promising them "a voice where there is no voice today" if he's elected.

Republican incumbent George Allen delivered a business-oriented appeal to a mostly white-collar audience, talking of lower taxes and insurance pools he said would give Hispanic and other minority entrepreneurs a better chance to prosper and expand their businesses.

In vote-rich Northern Virginia, where one in four residents is either Hispanic or Asian in origin, the immigrant vote could prove critical in the tight Allen-Webb race. Each candidate has worked this week to go after it.

On Monday, Webb lunched with about 60 supporters convened by Arlington County Board chairman Walter Tejada, the area's highest-ranking Hispanic official. Webb accepted a $4,000 campaign donation from a group of carpenters and told them it meant far more to him coming from working people than would the same amount donated by a wealthy benefactor.

On Tuesday it was Allen's turn. At a midday gathering at a Latino-owned bakery, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez endorsed his candidacy and Allen emphasized his support for lower taxes and his opposition to gay marriage.

Allen also claimed the endorsement Tuesday of the Latino Coalition, a business-oriented group that has endorsed a broad spectrum of candidates in both major parties, ranging from conservative Republican Allen to liberal Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

While appealing for Latino support, both men trod carefully on the issue that Hispanic leaders say is most important to their voters: immigration. Allen, who has called for construction of real and "virtual" fencing to control the nation's border with Mexico and who insists that illegal immigrants must be prosecuted, did not even mention immigration in his appearance Tuesday.

Webb told his supporters on Monday that he favors "secure" borders and "fairness" in dealing with thousands of immigrants who are in the United States illegally but have gotten jobs and are productive members of their communities.

Reach Dale Eisman at (703)913-9872 or icemandc@msn.com.