GOP three sweep state races

The last pre-election polls had the Republican ticket of Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling and Ken Cuccinelli winning by 11-14 points.

Bad news for Virginia Democrats – it was worse than expected.

McDonnell bested Democrat Creigh Deeds in the marquee race for governor Tuesday, piling up over 1 million votes en route to garnering just shy of 60 percent of the votes cast overall.

Bolling won a second term as lieutenant governor, beating back the challenge of Democrat Jody Wagner by a 57 percent-to-43 percent margin.

Cuccinelli was elected attorney general with 57.9 percent of the vote to Steve Shannon’s 42 percent of the vote.

Cuccinelli and Shannon each, like McDonnell, received more than 1 million votes. Continue reading “GOP three sweep state races” »

PPP: McDonnell up 14

A Public Policy Polling survey of Virginia voters released on Monday has Republican Bob McDonnell with a 56 percent-to-42 percent lead over Democrat Creigh Deeds on the eve of the 2009 Virginia governor’s election.

Downticket, GOP running mates Bill Bolling and Ken Cuccinelli also appear to be on their way to resounding victories at the polls. Bolling leads Democrat Jody Wagner in the lieutenant-governor race 54 percent to 41 percent, and Cuccinelli leads Steve Shannon 55 percent to 39 percent in the race for attorney general.

Republicans also had a 48 percent-to-39 percent advantage in a generic House of Delegates ballot. Continue reading “PPP: McDonnell up 14” »

Chris Graham | Who I’m Voting For

I don’t like – scratch that, I hate – doing endorsements.

I don’t feel qualified to tell you who you should vote for. You know what motivates you better than I do.

OK, so with that out of the way …

I still hear from people who say, Chris, who are you voting for?

I can get comfortable telling you as long as it’s couched in that frame of reference.

So … here goes. Continue reading “Chris Graham | Who I’m Voting For” »

David Cox | The sad state we’re in

On Tuesday Virginians go to the polls for statewide and delegate races, never having heard what a serious mess we’re in.

Admittedly, I didn’t realize how bad things are until attending a conference for local officials last week. The data are grim. Though the information has been out for a long time, certainly for someone running for, say, governor, this clear and present crisis has gotten little or no mention in the present campaign, especially from those running on the level where it most matters–the statewide offices. Continue reading “David Cox | The sad state we’re in” »

PPP: McDonnell by 15

It’s looking like it’s going to be a short Election Night.

“At this point it’s pretty hard to see Creigh Deeds pulling it out,” said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling, which released a Virginia state election poll on Tuesday that has all three Republican statewide candidates up and up big over their Democratic challengers, including having Bob McDonnell ahead of Creigh Deeds at the top of the ticket by a 55 percent-to-40 percent margin. Continue reading “PPP: McDonnell by 15” »

David Reynolds | The undercard

Allow me to let you in on a little secret. No candidate runs just to become the attorney general of the Commonwealth of Virginia, or to be the lieutenant governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. They run to become governor of Virginia. They run to be able to trade in a longer title for a shorter one.

Virginia, what a crazy state! It is the only one where you have to run twice to become governor. And then you are only allowed to serve a single four-year term. That’s a lot of running for very little sitting. No wonder once in office so little is accomplished. The winner is tired. Continue reading “David Reynolds | The undercard” »

AFP InDepth | What about downticket?

Bob McDonnell clearly appears to be pulling away from Creigh Deeds at the top of the ticket in Virginia’s state races. At first glance, Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and GOP attorney-general candidate Ken Cuccinelli would seem to be on their way to victories on Nov. 3 as well.

A poll conducted by Christopher Newport University puts a different look on the downticket races, and suggests that there’s room for Democratic lieutenant-governor candidate Jody Wagner and ticketmate Steve Shannon in the attorney-general race to pull off upsets on Election Day. Continue reading “AFP InDepth | What about downticket?” »

Wagner TV ad hits at Bolling on meeting attendance

The Virginians for Wagner campaign released the second advertisement of the general-election campaign on Tuesday. The 30-second spot, “Work,” will run on broadcast stations in the Charlottesville, Norfolk, and Richmond media markets, as well as on cable in the Northern Virginia markets. Wagner’s first ad, “Experience,” will remain on the air. Continue reading “Wagner TV ad hits at Bolling on meeting attendance” »

Wagner: ‘Best’

Citing her strong record of fiscal management, Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor Jody Wagner today released her first television advertisement of the general election campaign. The 30-second advertisement, “Best,” will run on stations in the Norfolk, Richmond and Roanoke media markets. Continue reading “Wagner: ‘Best’” »

Winners and Losers | Deeds, McDonnell, Bolling, Letterman, Jon, Favre

LOSER: Creigh Deeds is either holding, or …
Throw out the Rasmussen poll that had Bob McDonnell opening up a nine-point lead earlier this week as an outlier. (For now.) Even assuming the governor’s race is still a four- to five-point race, we can say that the thesis bump has run its course, and Creigh Deeds is going to need another push across the finish line.
And it’s going to come from … where, exactly? Continue reading “Winners and Losers | Deeds, McDonnell, Bolling, Letterman, Jon, Favre” »

Wagner releases plan to aid Virginians with disabilities

Today, in coordination with the beginning of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Democratic Nominee for Lieutenant Governor Jody Wagner unveiled her agenda to help Virginians with disabilities. The first statewide candidate to release a comprehensive plan dealing with disabilities, Wagner pledged to protect rights and improve quality of life of Virginians living with disabilities. Continue reading “Wagner releases plan to aid Virginians with disabilities” »

Wagner announces Republicans and Independents for Wagner committee

At an event Tuesday morning in Virginia Beach, Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor Jody Wagner announced the “Republicans and Independents for Wagner” steering committee. The committee, comprised of twenty-one Republicans and Independents from throughout the Commonwealth, is led by Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms, Fredericksburg Mayor Tom Tomzak, Blacksburg Mayor Ron Rordam, former State Sen. John Chichester, former State Sen. H. Russell “Russ” Potts, and former Dels. Robert Bloxom of Accomack, L. Preston Bryant Jr. of Lynchburg and Katherine Waddell of Richmond. Continue reading “Wagner announces Republicans and Independents for Wagner committee” »