Rick Boucher, the Democrat who represented much of Southwestern Virginia in Congress for 28 years before losing in a GOP takeover eight years ago, received a standing ovation when he appeared at the “Acres of Democrats” gathering for the party at the Eco-Village in Floyd Sunday.

Boucher represented the Ninth District of Virginia from 1983 to 2011.  He came to Congress during my time as a Congressional chief of staff on Capitol Hill and I watched much of his time there until Amy and I left Washington in 2004.

The 1980s and part of the 90s were a time of bi-partisanship in Congress and a lot of accomplishment by our legislative branch of government, something that is missing today in the rabid partisan hyperbole that exists in the Nation’s capital.  Boucher served his district and served it well.

Derek Kitts, a retired Army officer and Southwestern Virginia native, says true representation of Southwestern Virginia is missing since Boucher left Congress.

“Southwest Virginia is a national treasure that has been neglected by our leaders,” he says.

Kitts fired up the crowd at the Democratic gathering in Floyd with a passionate speech about a need to return representative government to the people.

Southwestern Virginia now votes pretty-much Republican and may be the odd man out in The Old Dominion, which is turning more and more Democratic.  Hillary Clinton holds a double-digit lead in polls over Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump and her running mate, popular Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, helps make her the odds-on favorite to carry the state.

In Richmond, the Times-Dispatch newspaper, owned by billionaire Warren Buffet, a supporter of Clinton, endorsed Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson Sunday — the first time in 36 years the conservative paper has not endorsed a Republican for President.  Buffett also owns The Roanoke Times, the Floyd Press and many other Virginia newspapers.

More photos and a story in the next edition of The Floyd Press.