'Energizer Bunny' Delegate Filler-Corn Kicks Off Campaign

Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn kicked off her campaign this Sunday with a gathering of friends and Democratic elected officials at a private home in Burke.

U.S. Congressman Gerry Connolly referred to Filler-Corn as the Energizer Bunny in his introduction of Filler-Corn, saying he was glad to gain her as his representative in the latest redistricting.

"Talk about a doer," Connolly quipped to the small crowd gathered at the home of Neil and Maria Reiff. "She exhausts you in five minutes with her energy and her devotion. She never stops."

Fittingly outfitted in pink for the occasion, the "Energizer Bunny" herself spoke about her quick decision to run for the 41st district seat last year (she had a week) and her first year in office.

"I felt like I was drinking from a fire hose," Filler-Corn said of the whirlwind 10 days left in the 2010 legislative session when she took office.

In her time in office since, Filler-Corn has focused on issues such as education, transportation and the environment, drafting 13 bills that ranged from full day kindergarten and tax deductions for families with developmentally disabled children to synthetic marijuana and protective orders.

Filler-Corn pointed out in her speech that of the 19 women currently in the House of Delegates, only two are mothers to school-age children. The other mom of school-age children, Paula Miller of the 87th House District in Norfolk, has been redistricted out of her district.

"I live these issues day in and day out as a working mom," Filler-Corn said. "We need a balanced general assembly representing our diverse constituency and unfortunately we don’t have that right now."

Filler-Corn won her seat in a special election last year to fill Senator Dave Marsden’s former spot after he gained Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s former Virginia Senate seat. She won her close race against Republican nominee Kerry Bolognese by only 37 votes, joining the House of Delegates in Richmond only 10 days before the close of the 2010 session.

Filler-Corn plans to work just as hard in this year’s race, though her Legislative Aide Missy Kimmelman said that no one has announced plans to run against the delegate.

"I have 15,000 new voters," Filler-Corn said. "I’m out there knocking on doors every day and I’m meeting as many folks as possible."

Neil Reiff, one of the hosts for the evening, said that his family and Filler-Corn have been friends for years.

"We would do anything for Eileen," Reiff said. "We’ve been blessed. We’ve got tireless and caring elected officials."

President Daniel Duncan of NoVA Labor said that he supports Filler-Corn because of her work in labor issues.

"I support her because of her 100 percent voting record for matters that concern working people here and in the commonwealth of Virginia," Duncan said. "Her record has been very solid for firefighters as well."

Numerous officials turned out for the event, including: FCPS school board member Ilryong Moon, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Sharon Bulova, Delegate Ken Plum, Delegate David Bulova, Delegate Scott Surovell and Senator Chap Petersen. Several candidates for office were present as well, including Chris Wade and Jack Dobbyn.