Paul Long

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Paul Long
20090610-Long.jpg
Paul Long (I)

District At-Large
Party Independent
Election Nov. 7, 2017
For term to start 2018

District At-Large
Term Start 2010

Biographical Information

Date of birth Sept. 20, 1949
Age 74
Place of birth Philadelphia, PA
Residence Venable neighborhood
Charlottesville
Alma mater Took courses at Chesnut Hill College & Piedmont Virginia Community College[1]
Profession UVa Medical Center
Transportation Dept.

Paul Long has run four times as an independent candidate for Charlottesville City Council, with candidacies in the 2009 election, the 2011 election and the 2017 election. He placed fifth in the 2017 race. [2] In 2019, he placed 5th in a six-way race. [3]


Long filed paperwork to be an independent on the 2017 ballot for the Charlottesville City Council. He is committed to improving the public transportation system [4].

2019 election

Candidates Votes %
Sena Magill (D) 8,420 25.97
Lloyd Snook (D) 8,133 25.08
Michael Payne (D) 7,816 24.10
Bellamy Brown (I) 5,736 17.69
Paul Long (I) 1,253 3.86
John Edward Hall (I) 837 2.58
Write-In 232 0.72
Source: State Board of Elections[5]


Each voter could vote for up to three candidates.

2017 election

Long did not have a formal announcement for his 2017 run. Instead he coordinated a protest of a tax incentive project for the Landmark Hotel on the Downtown Mall. [6]


Candidates Votes %
Nikuyah Walker (I) 7,906 29.13
Heather Hill (D) 7,752 28.57
Amy Laufer (D) 7,697 28.36
Kenneth Jackson (I) 2,186 8.06
Paul Long (I) 804 2.96
John Edward Hall (I) 597 2.20
Write-In 95 na


Voters could cast two votes, one for each of the two seats available, hence the percentages do not total 100%.


2011 election

In July of 2011, Long told C-VILLE Weekly that he was collecting signatures to run as an independent for Charlottesville City Council.[7]

Long and three other independent candidates argued that a July 20 forum for the Democratic candidates in the race should have included them. [8]

Long announced he would withdraw from the race at an announcement in late September. His name still appeared on the ballot. [9] [4].


Biography

He has worked in a number of hospitals and healing care facilities, both in professional and semi-professional jobs. He has also supported himself as a free-lance writer, worked in restaurants, done sales, and worked in customer service for Fortune 500 companies. Long is employed by the University of Virginia's department of transportation. [10]

2009 election for City Council

Candidates Votes %
Dave Norris (D) incumbent 6,300 38.7
Kristin Szakos (D) 5,083 31.2
Bob Fenwick (I) 3,293 20.2
Paul Long (I) 1,214 7.5
Andrew Williams (I, write-in) 237 1.5
Other Write-In 141 0.9
Source: City of Charlottesville[11]

Overall voter turnout for City of Charlottesville in this election was 37.31%. Each voter could vote for up to two candidates.

Candidate Profile Resources
Candidate Paul Long (I) - Challenger
Office Charlottesville City Council
Election year 2009 election
Logo-small25.jpg Candidate interviews by Charlottesville Tomorrow
Candidate interview transcript
Candidate interview audio

<mp3player>http://www.cvillepedia.org/mediawiki/images/20090901-long-interview.mp3</mp3player>
Source website


On June 9, 2009, Venable resident Paul Long joined the Charlottesville City Council race on the eve of the filing deadline for independent candidates. Long has lived in the area for eleven years, having moved to Charlottesville in February 1998 from the Philadelphia area to assist with medical care for a family member. Since relocating to Charlottesville, Long has been an employee of the UVa Medical Center where he works in the Transportation Department assisting with patient transportation in and around the hospital.

In an interview with Charlottesville Tomorrow, Long said he was inspired in part by the City Council candidacy of Andrew Williams (I), a twenty-two year old PVCC student and State Farm employee. "If this young guy can do it, I should do it too," said Long.

Long said there were three issues that would be central to his campaign for Charlottesville City Council: decriminalizing drugs; creating the proposed Regional Transit Authority (RTA) and expanding it to surrounding counties; and providing greater revenues to local non-profits working to support homeless residents.

Decriminalizing drugs will be Long’s top priority if elected. Long said he has eight years experience as an addiction counselor. "Drug use should be treated as a public health issue, as opposed to a matter for the criminal justice system," said Long.

Long also says he will bring significant experience in transportation policy to City Council as a result of his fourteen years of work as a citizen involved with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. In Pennsylvania’s Tinicum Township, Long was appointed by the town as a “citizen watchdog” for the authority’s meetings because of his advocacy for public transportation.

“I am a great believer in the public transportation system,” said Wood. “I think the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is a good idea, but surrounding counties should be invited to join as well.” Long also plans to lobby for increased bus service on Sundays and on holidays. Long has never learned to drive a vehicle and relies on public transit in Charlottesville.

References

  1. Candidate Submissions to Charlottesville Tomorrow
  2. Web. First Independent since 1948 win election to Charlottesville City Council, Sean Tubbs, News Article, Charlottesville Tomorrow, November 7, 2017, retrieved November 8, 2017.
  3. Web. Democrats Magill, Snook, Payne sweep City Council race, Nolan Stout, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, November 5, 2019, retrieved November 5, 2019.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Web. Fenwick, Long announce bids for City Council, Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Tomorrow, March 24, 2017, retrieved March 29, 2017.
  5. Web. 2015 November General, State Board of Elections, November 6, 2011, retrieved November 12, 2019.
  6. Web. Council hopeful leads protest over Landmark tax breaks, Chris Suarez, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, April 24, 2017, retrieved April 25, 2017.
  7. Web. Independent candidate Paul Long declares City Council ambitions, Chiara Canzi, Article, C-Ville Weekly, 22 July 2011, retrieved 25 July 2011.
  8. Web. Independent Council candidates criticize media for Democrat-only forum, August 9, 2011, retrieved August 9, 2011.
  9. Web. Independent Paul Long withdraws from race for City Council, Brian Wheeler, Charlottesville Tomorrow, September 22, 2011, retrieved September 26, 2011.
  10. Web. Long files as independent for City Council, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, July 28, 2011, retrieved August 10, 2011.
  11. Official Results November 3, 2009 General Election. City of Charlottesville, 6 Nov. 2009. Web. 6 Nov. 2009. <http://www.charlottesville.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=14908>.