Potts files suit to get into debate

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham Russ Potts has filed suit against the University of Virginia Center for Politics seeking a spot in the televised gubernatorial-candidates debate being sponsored by the center and WWBT-NBC12 in Richmond this weekend. A hearing on Potts’ suit has been scheduled for noon today in a federal court in Charlottesville. Potts, an…

Being Russ Potts

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham Russ Potts is running for governor as an independent – to the consternation of Republican Party officials in Richmond and elsewhere in the Old Dominion. The state party asked Potts to resign his Virginia Senate seat – and declared that Potts is no longer a member of the GOP. Potts, for…

Sportsmen for (insert candidate name here)

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham   Either Virginia sportsmen are the key to winning the 2005 Virginia governor’s race – or Tim Kaine and Jerry Kilgore are plumb running out of ideas. “Neither one has been able to get any traction with voters, so they’re grasping at straws. They’re grasping at the sportsmen issue. They’re trying…

15 percent and rising: Is debate inclusion standard fair?

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham If independent Russ Potts had his way, he would be in every candidate debate that his gubernatorial-race opponents Tim Kaine and Jerry Kilgore are in – no questions asked. A guaranteed spot in the Super Bowl of the 2005 Virginia debate season – the Oct. 9 debate in Richmond that will…

On the trail with Leslie Byrne

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham Leslie Byrne was back in the office the morning after her hard-fought victory in the June 14 Democratic Party lieutenant-governor primary. She really had no choice – to hear her tell it. “The first priority was to start talking to folks now that we’re the candidate, to start gathering support, particularly…

Reform? Or increase?

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham   It was tax reform. It was a tax increase. The 2004 Virginia General Assembly session is being played out again in the 2005 Virginia gubernatorial campaign – and still the two sides can’t agree on even the most basic terms of what happened last spring. “My opponent is using all…

Abortion and votes: How will issue affect ’05 governor’s race?

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham Tim Kaine and Jerry Kilgore are still feeling their way around the abortion-rights issue. They both might be well advised to find a path and stick to it – because the pending political battle involving John Roberts’ nomination to the United States Supreme Court promises to keep the issue in the…