"As a candidate for city council, I would like to announce publicly my policy towards endorsements and candidate interviews, a policy that expresses my commitment to open government and public involvement. That policy is that I will not participate in any forum or interview that has not invited all four candidates to participate within a time period that allows for equal competition.

I did not think that this issue would come up on a local level, since in the past all the public and private forums I have attended had invited all city council candidates to participate. But recently a real estate association invited me for an interview that excluded Mr. Salidas, and an environmental group invited me to an interview that excluded Mayor Caravati and Mr. Schilling. I told both groups that my participation was contingent on each candidate receiving an invitation. I understand the groups' possible objections that their time is limited and that they have already narrowed down their fields. However, I feel that the concept of dissenting voices is important, and that if we begin to exclude voices in one arena that tendency will continue in others.

The Charlottesville Police Officers Association has already announced that they support Mr. Schilling, and now I understand that they may have made room for one Democratic endorsement, and that they might possibly be inviting both Mr. Caravati and myself to interview for that one endorsement. If two endorsements were still available I would be enthusiastic to participate in interviews with the Association that included all the candidates. Unfortunately, the current situation would pit me against my running mate, and I cannot accept an invitation. I regret that I was not interviewed for the original endorsement, because I spent many years working on victims' rights issues, which included a successful reform of Victims' Compensation in Virginia statewide, and I believe that I have a much needed perspective that perhaps would have won one of their endorsements.

Finally, I hope through this policy to encourage an openness that is healthy for our community and for public involvement in politics. There is nothing to fear from hearing all sides" (Press Release, Alexandria Searls, April 4, 2002).

Editor's Note: The Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS were considering only interviewing the three main candidates [Caravati, Searles and Schilling] due to time constraints but, after discussing this with Ms. Searls, decided it was appropriate to interview all candidates.

For more about the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS, see CAAR's Policies with Regard to Endorsements and Contributions, Meadowcreek Parkway and Other Campaign Issues.

For more about Charlottesville Police Officers Association's political endorsements, see Douglas G. Brooks, Sr.'s explanation of CPOA's Endorsement Policy and Procedure and the International Union of Police Associations' Endorsement Policy.