Lopez, Torian battle it out in 52nd House District

The race for the House of Delegates’ 52nd District has been one of the quieter ones in the Prince William area this year, but that doesn’t mean its participants are coasting toward Election Day.

The district takes in Dumfries, Triangle, Quantico, Montclair, Southbridge, and parts of Woodbridge and the Manassas area.

It’s represented now by Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick, who didn’t seek re-election.

Frederick said he wouldn’t run again if elected chairman of the state Republican Party. And he was — but then he was ousted from that position in April.

Then it seemed as if his wife, Amy, would field a campaign — but she decided against it, too.

That gave the GOP nomination to Rafael Lopez, a former Dumfries town councilman.

Meanwhile, Democrat Luke Torian, pastor of First Mount Zion Baptist Church near Montclair, had to win a primary to get his party’s nod.

After all that commotion, though, the race seemed to settle down over the past few months.

That is, until recently.

In June, Lopez challenged Torian to 10 debates.

The Democrat didn’t agree, but the rivals have faced off in recent weeks at debates held by the nonpartisan Prince William Committee of 100, the Prince William County Bar Association and the government classes at Forest Park High School.

They were also set to debate Oct. 8 at a forum in Triangle set up by the NAACP’s Prince William County branch.

But Torian didn’t agree to the format of that debate — apparently because he didn’t like that his primary opponent, Mike Hodge, was on the panel asking questions — and didn’t show.

So Lopez had the evening to himself.

The NAACP, and Torian, who’s black, settled their beef last week. But Lopez continues to talk about Torian’s absence, and about how the Dem didn’t agree to his proposed 10 debates.

Because neither man has served in Richmond, experience has also been a point of contention.

While Lopez touts that he has been elected before — and has served in local government before that, as Dumfries’ zoning administrator — Torian talks about the community service that has come with pastoring a large church for more than a decade.

For example, Torian said Wednesday that his record of service was more extensive than his opponent’s.

But Lopez shot back, as if he was referring to the famous debate line by President Ronald Reagan that Democrat Walter Mondale’s “youth and inexperience” shouldn’t be an issue in the 1984 presidential campaign.

“Mr. Torian,” Lopez said, “I will not let you make age an issue.”

Despite these differences, the candidates have a lot of similar views. Both claim to want to be guardians of education and to encourage economic development.

Also, in a must for this area, they both say they want to address Northern Virginia road gridlock.

The highlight of Torian’s plan seems to be extending Metrorail south to Woodbridge, which has also been a major plank of his party mate Del. Paul F. Nichols in the neighboring 51st District.

While Lopez agrees with this concept, he says it’s a long-term solution while fixes such as cutting waste in the state highway department, and changing Virginia’s road funding formula, could be accomplished sooner.

In terms of funding the campaigns, Torian has by far won the money race. He has raised $298,190 as of Oct. 15, according to the State Board of Elections, and spent $237,595.

Lopez, meanwhile, had raised $34,954 in his run and spent $22,182.

Regardless of money, both men will plug along in the coming days. The voters will speak Nov. 3.

Torian sees his quest as simply trying to attain a new platform. He’s already served the public.

“And that is what I want to continue to do,” he told the crowd at Forest Park.

For his part, Lopez wants to continue the life he began in America at age 9 after his family immigrated from Bolivia.

“I’m really living the American Dream,” he said.

Staff writer Jonathan Hunley can be reached at 703-369-5738.