Political Newcomer Hopes to Unseat Moran in Democratic Primary
Arlington resident Bruce Shuttleworth is a former Navy fighter pilot.
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Bruce Shuttleworth knows it takes hard work and tenacity for a political newcomer to edge out a 22-year incumbent congressman. Despite long odds and a funding gap that favors Democratic primary opponent Rep. Jim Moran, Shuttleworth thinks he’s got what it takes to win.
“In 12 years of living here, I did not meet many people who enjoyed voting for my competitor, and without any prompting, quite a few people said they wanted a fresh perspective,” Shuttleworth told Patch. “And so I’m going to test that, and we’ll see how that works out.
"Clearly, he has the experiential advantage over me, but I think I bring the power of a fresh perspective, and energy and commitment, to these issues that clearly are life and death to me,” he said.
Shuttleworth, a North Arlington resident with no prior political experience, is challenging Moran in the state’s 8th Congressional District, which includes Arlington County, the city of Alexandria and parts of Fairfax County. According to the latest data from the Center for Responsive Politics, Shuttleworth has raised slightly more than $76,000 to date, while Moran has amassed more than $585,000.
What he lacks in funds, Shuttleworth said, he attempts to make up for in shoe leather and phone calls.
Local residents may see him at the Metro station in the morning, at farmers’ markets or other community events. His campaign is also blanketing the area with robocalls. Many people call back to speak with him personally, he said. His campaign is also using social media to get his message out.
“The way that an upstart campaign works is, hopefully, you leave a favorable impression with the folks that you are able to talk to, and then, sort of like the Prell shampoo ad a few years back, they tell two friends, and they tell two friends, kind of thing,” he said. “And if that goes in the upward direction, then I have a chance of winning, and if it goes in the downward direction, then I won’t.”
Melanie Corrigan, also a North Arlington resident, has thrown her support behind Shuttleworth, who coached basketball and soccer for her sons. Corrigan helped collect signatures for petitions to get Shuttleworth on the primary ballot and has attended a fundraiser. Still, she said, Shuttleworth faces a challenge in attempting to unseat Moran.
“l think the incumbent’s certainly got the name recognition,” she said. “It’s not all positive, but there’s obviously a longevity bias. That said, while Bruce has an excellent record of service, he doesn’t have a record of political service, and that’s a question people have been posing to him.”
From Jet Pilot to Businessman
Shuttleworth, 47, is a native of upstate New York who moved to Maryland in 1973. Upon graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy, he entered the Navy, where he served as a flight instructor and later as a jet pilot for nearly eight years.
After leaving the military, he attended Harvard Business School, where he graduated with an MBA in 1997. He launched a career in business, first as a strategy management consultant and later working as a director of marketing operations, a chief marketing officer, a technology firm founder and a senior director of marketing communications with various companies. Currently, he’s taking a break from the business world in order to campaign full-time.
Three-Pronged Platform
Shuttleworth’s platform focuses on three core issues: universal health care, energy reform and “prudent” defense cuts.
His parents, non-smokers, both died from lung cancer. His mother was diagnosed first, in 2002. Shuttleworth recalled he was impressed with the free treatment she received during an emergency, early in her disease, during a vacation to Sicily. That sparked his support for universal health care in the United States.
“I think Obamacare went in the right direction,” he said. “We need to move all the way.”
His parents’ deaths also led him to embrace environmental issues, primarily clean energy. He wants action on climate change and he supports a carbon tax with revenues going toward investment in a national electricity supergrid. He also supports the electrification of transportation and an increased, but fluctuating, gas tax, which would increase when gas prices drop and decrease when they rise, to encourage people to buy electric or hybrid-electric cars.
“We should treat clean energy like we treated the Apollo mission in the '60s,” he said. “If we can have the determination and grit, as a nation, to put a man on the moon and return him safely, in the '60s, there’s no reason why we can’t use existing technology and create a national supergrid across the country that can finally efficiently utilize existing technology to leverage scaled economies of solar power in the deserts, wind power on the oceans, nuclear power as necessary, and certainly we’ll use carbon-based fuels to fill in the gaps.
“But this is the kind of thing we have to start going on now. And if we want to do something good for our kids, do this.”
Additionally, by his reckoning, the United States spends at least $100 billion per year to safeguard foreign sources of oil, plus the costs of wars. That leads to the third prong of his platform, reduced defense spending. A “bloated defense budget,” he said, doesn’t make the country any safer.
Shuttleworth proposes investing more in special forces and cybersecurity, and less in the nation’s submarine fleet, some standing forces and some capital ships. “I think America has too much of a ‘cowboy’ mentality,” he said. “And when the mentality is that our primary tool is a hammer, a lot of issues start to look like nails.”
Shuttleworth favors smart diplomacy and increased funding for the U.S. Peace Corps and other mediating organizations. He wants to see a quicker departure of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, leaving behind a smaller, rapid-reaction force.
Avid Supporters
Shuttleworth has his fans, who extol his virtues. Corrigan, whose sons he coached, said Shuttleworth always offered encouraging yet challenging feedback to the boys.
“I think Bruce is extremely smart,” she said. “I think he’s community-oriented. I think he really cares about where he lives and the community, and I think he’s really honest. He doesn’t sugarcoat things. He’s very direct.”
John Tougas, one of Shuttleworth’s trainees in flight school and now a retired Navy commander who now works for a major aerospace corporation as a defense contractor, is a registered Republican in Maryland but supports Shuttleworth’s campaign and appeared in a campaign video on Shuttleworth’s website. Both men agree on targeted cuts in military spending, and Shuttleworth asked his advice in crafting his defense platform, Tougas said.
Tougas described Shuttleworth as a classic perfectionist.
“He’s your classic, type A, fighter pilot, “gotta win, gotta win big on the first time” type personality,” he said.
While Shuttleworth said he agreed with Moran’s stance on many social values, he believes it’s time for a fresh perspective in Congress.
“I think too many congressmen are too enamored with the status quo in Congress, and reforming Congress is certainly something that I’m eager to do, as well,” he said. “I don’t think they’re doing a good enough job in keeping conflicts of interest at bay, and I think they need to focus on these life-and-death issues.”
Shuttleworth lives with his wife and their twin sons, age 10. Read more about him and his campaign on his website.
Peggy Cousins
8:35 am on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
No legislator, absolutely not a single one, has done so much and is still doing for his constituency as Jim Moran. Years of unstinting self-sacrifice and hard work! I wouldn't dream of voting for anyone else to represent me in Congress. PTC
Isaac Smith
3:26 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Jim Moran has also done a lot of harm to his constituents. For starters he's voted for every free-trade law, including NAFTA, which has contributed to thousands of good jobs being exported. Secondly, his greedy banker friends have created a financial mess that may never be cleaned up. Although he loves the lime-light, most of us merely tolerate him, and by no means are proud to have him in Congress. He is a classic example of someone who needs the position to earn a living, and hence becomes entrenched in all that is wrong with the system.
Gail G
9:28 am on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
While I'm generally happy to see new Dems step up, I've seen Republicans in the 8th talking about how they're going to vote for Shuttleworth in the primary to try and unset Jim Moran, and then vote for Patrick Murray in the general election. I echo Peggy's sentiments that Jim Moran has done a lot for his constituents. I respect Bruce's service to our country and his ambition, but I don't think this is his year. When Jim decides to retire, I'll get behind the next Dem, but until then, Jim has my vote.
barbin
10:08 am on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Jim Moran's got my vote--he's done so much for his/my district. He's great on constituent service, too. There's time enough for a successor when Jim retires.
Gabriel Della-Piana
12:01 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
What is his stance on education?
Rachel Leonard
12:42 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Gabriel, we didn't address education as part of his major platform. However, you can contact his campaign through his website at http://shuttleworthforcongress.org/contact/ for more info!
C.D.
12:42 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
All Members of Congress do constituent service. We need a Congressman who will work for us, not a handful of special interests. Jim Moran had his chance when Democrats controlled the House of Representatives. He blew a big opportunity by getting into an ethics mess involving his pet contributors. Now he's sitting on a back bench again and his claim to fame is that he's good at getting his constituents' problems with the federal bureaucracy resolved. Enough of this guy in Congress.
Greg Crider
1:40 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Well said, C.D. I'm with you on Jim Moran.
julie
1:43 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
After 21 years Jim Moran should be able to point to something besides untangling his constituents' problems with the federal bureaucracy. Only thing I see that he was able to do effectively is help get his big bucks campaign contributors big bucks defense contracts. Many of these guys weren't even located in the 8th CD.
John Arbuckle
1:47 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Bruce has my vote. Jim Moran has done a great deal for the 8th District, there is no doubt of that. However he at times does an equal amount to embarrass us. I'm ready for a change.
Kim Moore
6:51 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
A democrat should not refer to the Affordable Care Act as "Obamacare." Shuttleworth is quoted as using that term. It is health care reform. "Obamacare" is a term used by opposers of the reforms.
T Ailshire
7:35 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
And "health care reform" is a term used by sycophants who don't want to admit it does nothing to reform health care; it simply tries to dictate who pays for what.
T Ailshire
1:53 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
I literally cannot understand how Congress can be sitting with a 10% approval rating and yet people will blindly vote for incumbents.
Congress needs about a 93% turnover to get this country where it should be.
CSG
2:21 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Let me tell you something Jim Moran (and his pals like the late John Murtha) did TO Moran's constituents who work for Congress. Thanks to their antics a decade ago we all have to fill out a detailed financial interest statement every year. I can't begin to tell you what a pain this is for Congressional employees who own even a few stocks, bonds, and mutual fund shares.
FFX County Resident
2:32 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
CSG, valid point but necessary. This is to control the unfair advantage of folks who can influence the stock market as well as contribute to the politcal powers in Washington. We all know that there is insider trading on the Hill. Politics works well when subjected to hand outs. I'm sorry for those who honestly play the market right, but one bad apple spolis the bunch and Washington needs to show the transparency no matter who works on the Hill, to include the contractual service folks who keep those offices clean. Remember, they (Congress) works for us!
julie
3:14 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Wrong! These are people who shelve books at the Library of Congress and are investing a few thousand in mutual funds and municipal bonds. The bad apples were and are Moran and his cronies. And Moran was one of the worst, if not THE worst, of the insider traders among House Members.
Janet
5:29 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Agree with Julie. If it weren't for Sleazocrats like Moran and Murtha and Sleazepublicans like Tom DeLay and Randy Cunningham congressional employees wouldn't have to spend hours every year filling out forms to disclose their nickel and dime mutual fund investments.
Dolores Moseke
6:47 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Before Al died, he and I were the precinct captains for the Democratic party on Mason Neck. I have started going to Democratic events and Bruce Shuttleworth has not been to one although we have heard that he does show up at the Republican events. He called me from his NY phone number to tell me that 65% of the Democrats were undecided about Jim Moran when, in fact, our own polling showed exactly the opposite. None of us know who this guy is. Remember that there is a Republican primary on June 12 and cross-over voting can go both ways. I have known Jim Moran since he was a budget analyst, Mayor of Alexandria and Congressman from the Eighth. He fought to close the prison and to give us open space on the Neck. Read what Tom Davis said about the help he got from Jim Moran.
Gail G
7:28 am on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
I'm surprised anyone would seriously suggest that Congressional employees should not be required to complete financial disclosure forms. That raises a red flag. If a low level employee has only a 401(k) and modest investments, it shouldn't take long to complete the form. That's a red herring for sure. With all the influence senior staffers have and all the potential for procurement shenanigans from even the lowest level employees, it's absurd to suggest there should not be some disclosure. In addition, most private employers, including my own, also require disclosure to prevent conflicts of interest. Be grateful that you have a job in this economy and stop whining about some paperwork.
Scott B
8:44 am on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Yes, if you support Anti-semitism, Crony capitalism and enrichingy your friends from your seat in Congress by all means vote Moran. He is an utter embarressment and a complete nitwit and A hole to boot. ......ANYONE, literally ANYONE is better.
Ever wonder why this baffooon could not help get funding for Route 1 widening for so long when BRAC was 10 years ago and we saw it coming?? I have. And I was told by a senior Defense person, it was b/c Moran and his staff put funds in the wrong account and noone knew, so the money lapsed years back. And it took till now to do again. sad.
Scott B
8:46 am on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Anti-Semites & the ethically challenged for Moran!!....is the new campaign ad.
Gail G
9:14 am on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Jim Moran is not anti-semitic. That charge was leveled by pollster Alan Secrest, whom Jim fired prior to Secrest's attack. Do your research on Secrest and then consider the source. You can start at the courthouse. Jim has expressed legitimate concerns over Israel's influence over the war in Iraq. He has also just as vociferously expressed concerns about other middle eastern nations unduly influencing our foreign policy. That's a legitimate concern, and it's not anti-semitic to crticize the Israeli government. Israel has a record of human rights abuses, just like the USA and other nations. I'm neither Jewish nor Palestinian, so I can be neutral on this one. Neither side is without fault. Jim may step in it sometimes with his statements, but I actually like that he says what he thinks, even if it's not always artfully stated. What I dislike is wishy washy namby pambys like Romney.
Scott B
12:32 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
hey Gail -- Maybe you missed all the democrats who sent letters saying as much to him -- and said he should be ashamed when he made all those statements in 04, 07 and othjer times about those "jews" causing all the problems b/c of their power in media and banks....Go back to your liberal la la land and tie yourself to a tree somewhere!
Scott B
9:26 am on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
I had no idea Romney was running for th Hosue in the 8th in Virginia! Wow - thats a shocker......and if you are so gung ho for Moran on every article about this race you either A. work for him, B. are related to him or C. recieve kickbacks from his largesse. the general population of actual voters who hold jobs see he is terrible and unethical --- if not criminal! (At least those who have jobs and are not permanently on the gov't dole, or cant speak or read English except D)
Jarred Gibbons
10:45 am on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Its sad when people read accusations leveled against someone who has committed their life to public service and buy into them wholeheartedly. It seemingly reflects nothing more than a combination of ignorance and resentment. Moran's single mission throughout his career has been to deliver to his constituents: services that help them pursue whatever their cause may be, funding for projects that improve our quality of life, and a source of information on issues which he has seen first hand through his experiences as a congressman. No one in the 8th CD should be embarrassed of him, rather they should be grateful of the years of service he has put in despite the personal sacrifices and the constant barrage of hurtful and untrue accusations thrown at him. I would only ask that people check their facts from sources produced by people other than those who have overtly declared him as an enemy or have a history have releasing negative information about him before they level any more attacks. In more cases then naught you will find personal motivation behind their actions.
Gail G
11:17 am on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Scott B, I do not work for Jim Moran and never have, I am not related to him in any way, and I have never received any "kickbacks or largesse" from him. And I referenced Romney by way of general example...after all, he is running in the 8th, and everywhere else in the country.
Jeff P
12:06 pm on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
I'm embarrassed to say that Moran is my representative, but every year I hold my nose and vote for him anyway. I consider him to be the lesser of two evils when comparing his ideology to that of most Republicans, plus any newly elected person will be starting at the bottom in terms of seniority and clout. But I wish there was an alternative which is why I'll be happy to vote for Shuttleworth in the primary.
Scott B
1:48 pm on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
I think you speak for mnay people out there. They may not vote for Republicans, but if any option is available they want Rep. Moron out of their for his lack of actual achievements except as the woman above noted "Moran's single mission throughout his career has been to deliver to his benefactors". Sickening.
Barry
4:52 pm on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
The financial disclosure forms for congressional employees are an ordeal. You also have to include family members' incomes. If grandparents have set up a college tuition fund for your kids you have to include that. If your parents have set up a family trust (instead of leaving you their assets directly in their wills) you have to include that. This requirement for congressional employees is directly the result of bad behavior by Members of Congress like Moran.
Kim Moore
6:42 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
Financial disclosures are becoming commonplace in any arena related to politics or finance. My association requires that all employees complete one. The AMA will not allow individuals to present at its physician payment-related committees unless they have completed disclosures and passed vetting.
Quarterly lobbying disclosure forms (which thankfully I no longer have to complete) are a pain too, so the inconvenience is not only on the part of federal employees.
Transparency in government is what people have been asking for, so know everyone with a toe in the governmental waters has to comply.
Janet
8:06 pm on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
If Jim Moran and other Members of Congress were held to the same standard as board members of publicly traded American corporations he would be sharing a dormitory in a federal prison right now with Duke Cunningham for illegal insider trading.
Allie
10:30 pm on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
If the Democratic Party were not totally corrupt it would have run away from Jim Moran, as it recently ran away from Melissa Bondi in Arlington, after he was found to have made massive stock sales based on insider information as a member of the House Appropriations Committee.
Scott B
10:38 pm on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
People can judge on their own --- from Rep. Morons own words if he is unethical, and anti semite, and simply and A hole --- which are all proven by him when he speaks. But many of his 'greatest hits' are in this link
http://retirejimmoran.com/morans-greatest-hits/
But if your own Democratic colleagues send you letters b/c of your offensive, antisemitic rants about the war in Iraq all being from the "Jews" ...I think they may be on to something. Not to mention this quote form big Liberal Dem Congressman Henry Waxman --- "Waxman, who organized the letter, said, “if I lived in his district, I wouldn’t vote for him."
So again unless you are in support of arrogance of power, unethical members of Congress, like to blame that bogeyman of the "jews" for everything....vote with a conscience -- especially when you ACTUALLY have another solid Democrat to vote for.
A.B.
5:14 am on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Time to replace Moran. The massive insider trading stunt he pulled while on the House Appropriations Committee was the last straw for me. The support of the Democrat Party for Moran only proves how corrupt the Democratic Party is.
Don
9:32 am on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Want to know what is going on here? Arlington is governed by a regime, as Egypt was under Mubarak. Now Egypt has its first free elections ever. So who are the candidates for President? A Mubarak clone nominated by Mubarak's old regime and a right winger. Same choice we will have in the 8th CD if Moran wins the primary. Moran is what we get for allowing a regime to govern us for the past 30 years.
William Black
10:45 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
Lemmings all. Here you have a flamingly anti-semitic, indictment escaping, child assaulting, colleague-punching, child cancer exploiting, vote selling, insider trader congressman who relies upon his taxpayer funded salary to live because he would literally be unemployable in the private sector. But hey, he wears the liberal suit, so all is just dandy! Can't you all see this man has played you all for suckers for years? Or do you even care?
Scott B
12:29 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
They are so blind they dont even think any of that is true or even care when it is --- SHEEP. They "say so what he voted for NAFTA -- he really didnt mean too and support the 'common man" "So what he got his friends who donated big money to his campaign, large contracts in a quid pro quo type arrangement --- 'thats part of politics"...."So what he sold hundreds of stocks right after he gained insider information from Treasury Sec. Paulson on the impending finacial crisis -- to avoid losing mioney awhen market collapsed -- "it was not illegal, and everyone does it"...."
Arlington voters should be ashamed and sickened by this mans actions. Not to mention he is a complete arrogant, drunk, A hole -- who tries to bully anyone and everyone. Hopefully when in one of his drunken, yelling rages -- his red face may literally explode helping save our region!
Kim Moore
6:47 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
Replacing Rep Moran with a person who has no political background does not strike me as a smart idea for our district. Moran has seniority level on the Appropriations and other committees. Anyone who unseats him will drop to the low level of the congressional totem pole. I would rather that whoever unseats has the political skill and diplomatic acumen to maximize his/her impact during their first few years.
Mr. Shuttleworth may be extemely talented yet his learning curve may be too big for the needs of a district that is so close to Washington, the Pentagon, and involves numerous military installations.
T Ailshire
4:23 pm on Monday, June 4, 2012
Are you saying seniority should trump honesty and integrity?
Is the Appropriations Committee somehow kicking back something to Virginia? Sure, much of our income comes from federal spending, but that will happen no matter who is on the Committee, since so many of our functions are located within the bullseye that is the beltway.
If people value seniority over integrity, why have elections?
Mark Williams
9:41 pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Shuttleworth is an absolute mystery to everyone in the District. His wife, a litigator against dietary standards anf for the fast food industry, is apparently funding his campaign with her law firm. Shuttleworth has a literal-zero record of community involvement; he apparently has never even held down a non-service-obligation job for even three years at a time. He has not pointed to a single material issue on which he claims he would have voted any differently from Jim Moran. And initially he was backed by a Texas Republican PAC, and his only noteworthy campaign appearance was at the Falls Church Republican committee. Shuttleworth is a Republican troll.
John Arbuckle
10:10 pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Are you really hitting him for serving in the Military? Sheesh...
T Ailshire
10:08 pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Sounds like some people are more concerned with having a D or an R after a name than they are with an individual's stance on issues.
Look where that's gotten us so far.
Linda Kelly
11:25 pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Mark-that is quite a leap--from mystery to Republican troll. I am a friend of and contributor to Bruce. I assure you he is a bona fide Democrat. He is not an experienced politician, but I feel comfortable that his background as a fighter pilot, Harvard MBA and management consultant provide him with qualifications that far exceed most current members of Congress. He HAS been involved in his Arlington community, just not as an elected official. He is a man of exceedingly high integrity who put his ambitions temporarily on ice to care for his family full time. If you don't want to support him, that is fine, but there is no reason to cast aspersions on him or his wife, whose law practice you have described inaccurately.
Scott B
5:45 pm on Sunday, June 10, 2012
Thats what these Moran people do LInda. it should not be a shock. They'd say anything to keep the gravy train running and their ethically challenged master in power.
E Pluribus
8:38 am on Sunday, June 10, 2012
If it is time for Moran to be replaced, please come up with a Democratic candidate worthy of replacing him. Someone we want to vote for, not a campaign about voting AGAINST somebody. Not someone who relies on Republicans and the anti-Moran crowd to get elected.
Scott B
5:43 pm on Sunday, June 10, 2012
Yes. How can you replace such a crook like Moran with someone who is NOT a full on, insider, ethically challenged hack. Oh wait -- thats the POINT!! Good bye Moran. If we are lucky at all, you'll end up sharing a cell soon with some of your buddies!