Seventh GOP candidate launches campaign

A seventh Republican hoping to unseat Rep. Tom Perriello, D-5th District, has joined the race for the party nomination.

Real estate investor Jim McKelvey, who lives in Moneta, launched his campaign Web site this week after announcing his candidacy Nov. 16 on “The Schilling Show,” a Charlottesville-area radio program.

McKelvey, 54, owns six businesses, including a car wash, a public utility water company and land development businesses. He said he has never run for office before, but was inspired to run after attending the state Republican convention in the spring and feeling unsatisfied with the mainstream candidates.

“People who should be getting involved are not getting involved,” McKelvey said. “…Everything is just so political. In a nutshell, I’m scared to death for the country. I’m tired of voting on other people to get the job done.”

McKelvey said the country needed “dramatic action” in Washington and said there were “a couple of other good, strong candidates” also running for the nomination.

“Our platforms are essentially the same,” he said. “…We have to shrink government. It’s got to stop and it’s got to be reversed.”

McKelvey said he would not take a salary or health coverage while in office. According to his Web site, he supports term limits for congressmen, tax reform and tax cuts, clean energy, auditing the Federal Reserve and restricting the powers of the federal government. He acknowledged that if elected, he would be entering congress as a freshman without much clout.

“… I don’t know exactly how it works but if I can’t write bills, I’m gonna go up and down the halls pounding on doors,” McKelvey said. “We don’t need career politicians, we need business people to get in there and get it fixed.”