The party's district committee nominated Day in early August, leaving the Warrenton-area man just three months to assemble a campaign to unseat Republican incumbent Rob Wittman of Westmoreland County.

The original Democratic nominee, Keith Hammell, withdrew from the race in July.

With his compressed campaign schedule, Day, 56, acknowledges it will be tough to beat Wittman.

Still, he said, "I think with the state [party] organization and Obama's organization, as well as the organization I'm building, I've got a real good chance" against Wittman.

Wittman won the seat in December's special election, filling the unexpired term of Republican Jo Ann Davis, who died of cancer.

Like the Democratic Party's presumptive presidential nominee Barack Obama, Day stresses the need for "change."

In his campaign literature, the retired mental health counselor and contractor calls himself a "a strong voice for change in Washington."

Elsewhere, he states, "I am running because I think it is time for change."

During the campaign he will focus on economic revitalization, energy independence and military troop support, Day said.

In polls, most Americans identify high gas prices, unemployment and the home mortgage crisis among their top concerns, said the Dallas, Texas native.

The country's record deficit and record debt also hamper economic growth, said Day, who lost his bid last November to replace state Delegate Scott Lingamfelter (R-31st District).

He believes the national debt would be significantly eased through troop reductions in Iraq.

To help turn the economy around, Day said he would support elimination of "the Bush tax give-aways for the wealthy. And I don't say that lightly, because I'm in the category that benefits by those tax give-aways."

He put his personal wealth at $2 million to $3 million.

Day, who has oil interests, also would scrap "tax give-aways to the gas and oil industry. We don't need those tax incentives for natural gas and oil."

Instead, such incentives should be given to companies to develop alternative energy sources, he said.

Developing alternative energy sources would produce "American jobs on American soil," said Day, who moved to the area 23 years ago.

He considers energy independence a "national security issue, an economic issue and an environmental issue."

The development of alternative energy sources would expand the economy, Day said And alternative energy sources would mean cleaner air, he said.

Day believes the government has treated its Iraq War troops and veterans shabbily.

They lack adequate equipment in the field and appropriate medical care when they return, he said.

If elected, he would push to celebrate, not "hide," the return of Iraq soldiers and seek a study of the military's medical care system.

He has budgeted $500,000 for the campaign and will need every penny of it.

The vast 1st District includes about half of Fauquier and 26 other jurisdictions as far south as York County.

E-mail the reporter: ddelrosso@timespapers.com