Doug Johnson supports Feda Kidd Morton for VA 5th District Congressional Seat

Doug Johnson from Fluvanna County is pleased to support Feda Kidd Morton for Congress in Virginia's Fifth District.

"I have know Feda for ten years now and am fully confident in her integrity and ability" Doug said.

Feda Kidd Morton, a career educator and long-time grassroots activist in the Republican Party of Virginia, announced Friday that she is entering the race for the 5th District seat currently held by Democrat Tom Perriello.

“Since Virgil Goode announced that he would not seek the Republican nomination in 2010, I have been overwhelmed with calls and e-mails encouraging me to consider this race,” said Morton. “I have therefore decided that I will be a candidate for the Republican nomination for the 5th District, and I will file the necessary paperwork to begin a campaign for Congress with the Federal Election Commission.”

Morton said her decision to run was based on “my fear that our great nation is dangerously off on the wrong track. Government is growing — and personal liberty is shrinking — at an alarming rate under the Democrats in Washington. We must rein in government power and government spending, or else the great America of our parents’ and grandparents’ day will be gone before our children and grandchildren can inherit it.”

Morton said her campaign for Congress against Democrat Perriello would be “...a respectful campaign that will focus on the honest differences regarding issues, our values and our beliefs.

“I respect the fact that Tom Perriello is willing to stand up for what he believes in,” said Morton, “but his votes simply aren’t in line with the values of the 5th District. The 5th is one of the most conservative districts in the commonwealth, if not the entire country. A true representative of our values simply would not be supporting the Obama/Pelosi agenda as strongly and as often as does Tom Perriello.”

Morton also said she hoped her candidacy might help the Republican Party return to its conservative vision.

“As Republicans, we must return to a message of limited government. We need to be the party of both lower taxes and less spending. We need to be the party of more individual liberty while encouraging more personal responsibility. We need to be the party that proudly proclaims the words of our Virginia Republican Creed: ‘We believe ... that faith in God, as recognized by our founding fathers, is essential to the moral fiber of the nation’.”

Morton said she is excited by the leadership team her campaign is currently building, and she will announce that team at a formal campaign kickoff shortly after Labor Day.

Morton grew up in Buckingham County, where she graduated with honors from Buckingham County High School and was MVP on her high school basketball team. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Longwood College in 1975, graduating cum laude while playing four years of college basketball.

She continued her education at the University of Virginia, earning her master of education degree in motor learning and sports medicine. She recently earned her administrative and supervision endorsement PreK-12.

She is employed by the Fluvanna County School System where she teaches regular biology, honors biology and advanced placement biology.

Morton coached Fluvanna County High School to back-to-back state championships in 1981 and 1982 in girls’ basketball and a state title in track and field in 1981.

Morton has a unique perspective on education and school choice issues. In addition to teaching in public schools for almost 20 years, she taught and coached at Open Door Christian School for eight years and home schooled her children for almost nine years.

In 1989 Morton was the co-founder and partner of a successful construction company. She kept the books and paid the bills.

“I understand fiscal responsibility and understand that budgets have to be balanced at all levels from home to Washington,” said Morton.

In 1991 Morton was appointed to the Fluvanna County School Board and served four years, where she earned a Certificate of Excellence from the Virginia School Boards Association for her active involvement and participation. She later ran for school board in 2002, beating a strong incumbent.

As a member of Virginia School Board Association, she was elected to serve as secretary of the VSBS Central Region. Morton was re-elected in 2005 but resigned in 2006 to return to teaching at Fluvanna County High School.

She has been very active in her community, serving as a member of the Fluvanna County Health Advisory Committee (1992-95), Fluvanna Arts Council Advisory Board (1993-95), Local Health Benefits Advisory Board (appointed by Gov. Gov. George Allen, 1994-97), vice-regent, Daughters of the American Revolution, Point of Fork Chapter (1998-2009), and the Fluvanna County Advisory Board for Parks and Recreation (2001-2005).

Morton has served as chairman of the Fluvanna Republican Committee (1995-2005) and is a past 5th District representative on the Republican Party of Virginia’s State Central Committee. She is known throughout the 5th District as a leader in grassroots conservative activism.

Morton has five children and two grandchildren. Her daughter, Erin Johnson, lives in Louisa County with her husband, Phillip, and sons Wesley and Wyatt.

Her three oldest sons Timothy, Daniel and David Kidd are attending Virginia Tech in the fall as a senior, sophomore and freshman, respectively. All three have Army ROTC scholarships and are members of the Corps of Cadets.

Morton’s youngest son, Joseph Kidd, is a rising sophomore at Fork Union Military Academy.

She is married to Don T. Morton, who is a retired fire chief from the Virginia Department of Forestry and a life member of the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association.