An Isle of Wight County farmer has announced his candidacy for the 64th District House of Delegates seat being vacated by Delegate Richard Morris.

Rex Alphin, who is chairman of the Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors and represents the Carrsville District, said he decided to run because he wants to help preserve the rural quality of life.

“I’ve lived in this district my entire life,” he said. “This is where I raised my family and my grandkids. This is my home.”

Alphin is serving his second term on the Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors. It expires at the end of this year.

“It’s been a wonderful experience,” he said. “It’s been challenging at times, but I love representing the people.”

He said his experience on the board has taught him a lot.

“My experience on the local level will help me greatly as far as how government works, how to work with opposing view, how to treat people with grace and how to gauge how a community feels about a particular subject,” he said.

Alphin, whose father was also a farmer, attended Virginia Tech and is an author. He has also served on the Western Tidewater Regional Jail Authority, Hampton Roads Transportation and Accountability Commission and Isle of Wight Planning Commission. He has served the state’s agricultural industry on the Virginia Pork Industry Board and Virginia Crop Improvement Association.

Alphin said the rural nature of much of the 64th District is important to him.

“My driving force behind anything that comes up is what would contribute to or detract from quality of life for people,” he said. “I would certainly fight any laws that would affect the rural nature of Isle of Wight County.”

Alphin said he is running as a Republican and said he will advocate a commonsense, balanced budget and policies that bring jobs so we can “keep people that grow up in the 64th in the 64th.”

“Education is the highest priority,” he said. “It’s the biggest bite out of local budgets and the state budget, also.”

Transportation is also a priority, even in a rural district.

“I’d love to bring more funds for rural roads to keep them in good shape,” he said. “There’s larger and larger and wider and wider equipment going down country roads, and it’s more of a safety concern.”

He also said he will fight to keep taxes to a minimum.

“I think revenue is best used, as much as possible, kept in the citizens’ pocket,” he said. “I think it’s best for people.”