As we are closing in on the Republican primary in the 5th District on June 8, the political mudslinging will surely intensify. With that being said, I'd like to speak up for one of the candidates in the primary - Robert Hurt. Not only do I feel Hurt is the right person to win the nomination of the GOP on June 8, but unquestionably, I feel he is the right choice in November as well.

At a time when people in the 5th District are struggling in this sluggish economy, Hurt is a proven conservative that understands the hardships that people are facing today. I look for candidates who don't just "talk the talk," but "walk the walk" as well. Robert Hurt has done that. He has voted more than two dozen times to cut taxes and, in 2008, received an "A+" from the NFIB, the leading small business advocacy group. Along with this, he has signed a pledge not to vote to raise taxes, once elected to Congress.

Hurt, who has an "A" rating with the NRA, is someone who I got to know when I was a student at Virginia Commonwealth University this past year. I got to see firsthand someone who is genuinely in touch with his constituents and knows how to deliver results. Now that I have graduated college and moved back to the 5th District, that is the type of person I want representing me in Congress. With that in mind, I ask that you join me in supporting Robert Hurt for Congress on June 8!

Lee Vogler

Danville