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A View from the Cheap Seats by Garren Shipley
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Latest commentmeredith wrote:Were you aware that Dave Foster has entered the AG race? He announced after the election and participated in the AG ... Read more |
The inbox here at Cheap Seats HQ was blissfully quiet late last week as Virginia's political establishment took a few days off to sober up (or mourn, depending on party alignment). But that came to a screeching halt last week.
Now that Election 2009 is in full swing, here's an early program to help handicap the contenders as we begin the long, merciless death-march to November.
Governor
Democrats
• Del. Brian Moran, D-Fairfax
Moran has been polishing his legislative credentials for this run for some time now, in addition to traveling around the commonwealth getting to know Democrats in places light years from the D.C. beltway. You know a Northern Virginia Democrat is serious about running for office when he stops in Toms Brook to meet n' greet.
• Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County.
The only non-Northern Virginia candidate in the race this time out, Deeds knows a thing or two about a statewide campaign, having lost by a whisper to Republican Attorney General Bob McDonnell in 2005. That also helps with name recognition. Deeds also rural cred, coming from one of the least-populous localities in the entire state.
• Former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe
The only contender with a national profile, McAuliffe announced this week that he's all but thrown his hat into the ring for 2009. Name recognition isn't likely to be a problem for the former Hillary Clinton adviser, and he's known as a prolific fundraiser. But the two other Democrats in this race who have been running for almost a year won't take kindly to having a third contender in the race. Indeed, Moran's team has already moved to paint McAuliffe as an "outsider from Washington."
Republicans
• Attorney General Bob McDonnell
Republicans hammered out their differences early this year, settling on McDonnell to be the party's standard bearer going into 2009. In addition to statewide name recognition from his current duties and the 2005 campaign, he's from Virginia Beach, the state's most populous locality. That's a handy thing to have.
Lieutenant Governor
Democrats
• Sec. Jody Walker
Former Secretary of Finance Jody Wagner left her post to run for the state's number two job, and has been traveling around the state meeting and greeting the people she'll need to know to win in June and November. Republicans have already made it known they intend to hang Gov. Tim Kaine's bad revenue estimates around her neck come October.
• Russell County Supervisor Jon Bowerbank
The lone entry in next year's field (as of now) from far southwest Virginia, Bowerbank has the advantage of being an outsider and a fresh face who isn't a known quantity on Capitol Square. He also has the disadvantage of being a fresh face who isn't a known quantity on Capitol Square...
Republicans
• Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling
Virginia's one-term limit applies only to the top of the ticket, and as of now, Bolling is on the fast track for the party's nomination. But there are rumors our there that some factions of the state GOP are unhappy with the way Bolling ran the state nominating convention this year that saw former Gov. Jim Gilmore chosen over Del. Bob Marshall, R-Manassas, for the nod to take on now-Sen.-elect Mark Warner. Will that animosity bear fruit in the coming months? Ask me again in May...
Attorney General
Democrats
• Del. Steve Shannon, D-Vienna
The former Fairfax County prosecutor hasn't made it official yet, but he's dropped a lot of solid hints that he wants to be on the ballot.
Republicans
• Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, R-Fairfax
The one area where Republicans haven't settled their ballot promises to be an absolute donnybrook. Cuccinelli is the rarest of birds, a social and fiscal conservative senator from Northern Virginia. That's made Cuccuinelli a marked man in his Senate district. He barely survived a challenge in 2007 -- the margin was 92 votes. His appeal may prove to be broader outside his Senate district, though.
• Former U.S. Attorney John Brownlee
Cuccinelli has competition for the "conservative" space at the convention this time out. U.S. Attorney John Brownlee stepped down earlier this year and has been quietly building his campaign, reaching out to lower-level elected officials. Branding himself "Virginia's conservative prosecutor," Brownlee doesn't have statewide name recognition. However, he was the Western District of Virginia's federal prosecutor, which gives him space to work with an "outsider" theme.
It's going to be an interesting year.
Now that Election 2009 is in full swing, here's an early program to help handicap the contenders as we begin the long, merciless death-march to November.
Governor
Democrats
• Del. Brian Moran, D-Fairfax
Moran has been polishing his legislative credentials for this run for some time now, in addition to traveling around the commonwealth getting to know Democrats in places light years from the D.C. beltway. You know a Northern Virginia Democrat is serious about running for office when he stops in Toms Brook to meet n' greet.
• Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County.
The only non-Northern Virginia candidate in the race this time out, Deeds knows a thing or two about a statewide campaign, having lost by a whisper to Republican Attorney General Bob McDonnell in 2005. That also helps with name recognition. Deeds also rural cred, coming from one of the least-populous localities in the entire state.
• Former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe
The only contender with a national profile, McAuliffe announced this week that he's all but thrown his hat into the ring for 2009. Name recognition isn't likely to be a problem for the former Hillary Clinton adviser, and he's known as a prolific fundraiser. But the two other Democrats in this race who have been running for almost a year won't take kindly to having a third contender in the race. Indeed, Moran's team has already moved to paint McAuliffe as an "outsider from Washington."
Republicans
• Attorney General Bob McDonnell
Republicans hammered out their differences early this year, settling on McDonnell to be the party's standard bearer going into 2009. In addition to statewide name recognition from his current duties and the 2005 campaign, he's from Virginia Beach, the state's most populous locality. That's a handy thing to have.
Lieutenant Governor
Democrats
• Sec. Jody Walker
Former Secretary of Finance Jody Wagner left her post to run for the state's number two job, and has been traveling around the state meeting and greeting the people she'll need to know to win in June and November. Republicans have already made it known they intend to hang Gov. Tim Kaine's bad revenue estimates around her neck come October.
• Russell County Supervisor Jon Bowerbank
The lone entry in next year's field (as of now) from far southwest Virginia, Bowerbank has the advantage of being an outsider and a fresh face who isn't a known quantity on Capitol Square. He also has the disadvantage of being a fresh face who isn't a known quantity on Capitol Square...
Republicans
• Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling
Virginia's one-term limit applies only to the top of the ticket, and as of now, Bolling is on the fast track for the party's nomination. But there are rumors our there that some factions of the state GOP are unhappy with the way Bolling ran the state nominating convention this year that saw former Gov. Jim Gilmore chosen over Del. Bob Marshall, R-Manassas, for the nod to take on now-Sen.-elect Mark Warner. Will that animosity bear fruit in the coming months? Ask me again in May...
Attorney General
Democrats
• Del. Steve Shannon, D-Vienna
The former Fairfax County prosecutor hasn't made it official yet, but he's dropped a lot of solid hints that he wants to be on the ballot.
Republicans
• Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, R-Fairfax
The one area where Republicans haven't settled their ballot promises to be an absolute donnybrook. Cuccinelli is the rarest of birds, a social and fiscal conservative senator from Northern Virginia. That's made Cuccuinelli a marked man in his Senate district. He barely survived a challenge in 2007 -- the margin was 92 votes. His appeal may prove to be broader outside his Senate district, though.
• Former U.S. Attorney John Brownlee
Cuccinelli has competition for the "conservative" space at the convention this time out. U.S. Attorney John Brownlee stepped down earlier this year and has been quietly building his campaign, reaching out to lower-level elected officials. Branding himself "Virginia's conservative prosecutor," Brownlee doesn't have statewide name recognition. However, he was the Western District of Virginia's federal prosecutor, which gives him space to work with an "outsider" theme.
It's going to be an interesting year.
Were you aware that Dave Foster has entered the AG race? He announced after the election and participated in the AG debate at the RPV Advance last weekend. Check out his website: dave@davefoster.com.