On Wednesday night, two candidates for the Virginia House of Delegates 25th District seat had a chance to go head to head about issues facing the Valley.

Incumbent Del. Steve Landes and Democratic challenger Greg Marrow debated on health care, transportation, energy and job creation.

Marrow says he does support a public option in health care. He explains that as an optometrist, he works with patients trying to afford health care everyday.

"It makes health insurance agencies honest," says Marrow. "The scare tactics that everyone will go to this nationalized health care is silly."

Landes responds, "I don't support a public option, the people I represent don't support it."

The two candidates agree on some ways of fixing transportation issues. Both candidates would like to see the rest areas reopen and admit the Virginia Department of Transportation needs some reorganizing.

Landes comments, "The federal government needs to approve opening the rest areas. It is not entirely our decision."

"There is a lot of waste in the transportation department," says Marrow. "I would love to see bureaucracies that are run like businesses. We never should have gotten to this point."

Landes says a gas tax is not the solution to the transportation issue.

"The last thing we want to do is tax people during this economic time," adds Landes.

Marrow replies, "People need to be willing to talk about the 'T word.'"

Both candidates agree that moving away from fossil fuels is a process and that it will have to happen over time.

However, Landes says, "One of the things my opponent and I disagree on is the resources off the coast of Virginia."

Landes is pushing for responsible offshore drilling for oil.

"You just can't do it alone on conservation. We have too many people, and all of our little electronic things that we love," adds Landes.

Marrow thinks drilling off the coast is a bad idea.

"We need to get off fossil fuel period. If we drill for oil it might take as long as ten years for it to get to our gas pumps," says Marrow.

He added that Virginia should lead the country with new energy technologies. Marrow says that fossil fuels are on the back end and it is time to look forward. He says we should be doing that here.

After a question about unemployment and new job creation, Marrow says Landes has not done enough to bring jobs, specifically green ones, to the Valley.

Marrow says, "In 2007, about nine million jobs were created in the green collar sector to the tune of about a billion dollars worth of revenue, but not $1, not one job, came to Virginia. They're going to these other states."

"My opponent's just not correct. There have been over 5,000 jobs in the industry sector that have been created," responds Landes.

Landes added, since he became delegate in 1996, jobs have been created and while some were lost, many jobs have just changed from large manufacturing to small business.