There’s one candidate for Virginia’s lieutenant governor that’s a familiar and most welcome face.

For voters in this area, especially those that have been represented by him since he was first elected in 2007 to Virginia’s 6th Senate District (which includes Mathews County), there’s little we can say about Ralph Northam that most people here don’t already know.

The pediatric neurosurgeon and former Army officer is well known to those in the area, with his frequent visits to Mathews. Having grown up on the Eastern Shore, Ralph understands the needs and challenges unique to a rural community like those on the Middle Peninsula.

Ralph doesn’t speak in sound bites; he’s not interested in scoring political points. In the General Assembly, he has championed making our young athletes safer by protecting them from concussions. Ralph has also made sure we can all breathe a little easier by working to prohibit smoking in restaurants.

He ha...