Winners
*Judy Feder for her strong victory (62%-38%); now, on to beating Frank Wolf this November.
*Mike Turner for his impressive showing in the 10th. I think this guy has a political future ahead of him, particularly in Loudoun County.
*Gerry Connolly, who won by a landslide yesterday, 25 points over Leslie Byrne. That's impressive, even though I had strongly hoped for a different outcome yesterday, and even though Connolly was my third choice after Leslie Byrne and Doug Denneny.
*James Walkinshaw, who notched is biggest victory to date as campaign manager for Gerry Connolly. Congratulations to James.
*The Washington Post editorial board, which certainly got what it wanted yesterday in the 11th CD.
*Tim Kaine, who endorsed the eventual winner -- and almost certain future congressman -- in the 11th CD. I'm not sure what the impact of Kaine's endorsement was, but it certainly didn't seem to hurt Gerry Connolly!
*Frank Wolf, who absolutely crushed his Republican opponent with 91% of the vote. Also, Wolf received 16.723 votes last night, more than any other candidate in any of the primaries. That's impressive and will be tough - but certainly not impossible - to beat this November.
*Mark Ellmore, who fought off a strong challenge by Amit Singh in the 8th CD Republican primary. Ellmore will now go on to be crushed by Jim Moran in November, but for the moment, he's a winner! :)
*Volunteers: Anyone who volunteered for their favorite candidate(s) - Republican or Democratic - deserves a round of applause for getting involved in our Democracy.
Losers
*After a string of victories -- Tim Kaine, Jim Webb, Chap Petersen, Donald McEachin, 8 Democratic pickups last year, Barack Obama this year -- RK's winning streak came to a screeching halt last night in the 11th CD. Yes, our other two endorsed candidates (Judy Feder and Jim Moran) won easily, but the 11th was a big defeat for Leslie Byrne and for this blog, no doubt about it. For those who criticize us for strongly expressing our views, I'd just point out that this is what Democracy is all about. If you don't like our views, you can come on here and express another one (as long as what you write follows our guidelines), and you can always start your own blog to express a different one. That's the beauty of the First Amendment and also of the internet.
*Leslie Byrne, whose political career almost certainly came to an end last night. For those who call Leslie a "loser," I'd point out that she took on tough races like her 2005 run statewide as an unabashed liberal, and she never backed down from a fight. If you do that, you're going to lose your share of races. Anyway, I wish Leslie the best of luck in the future with her "grandbabies" and with whatever else she decides to do.
*Vern McKinley, who proved that running as a right-wing ideologue can work, but not if you have no money and run a lackluster campaign against a surprisingly conservative (and also highly popular) Republican.
*Democracy. Turnout yesterday was absolutely pathetic across the region; 3% in the 8th CD Democratic race (and 1% in the 8th CD Republican contest), under 2% in the 10th CD Democratic race (under 4% on the Republican side), 5% in the 11th CD (Democratic only, no Republican primary). That's really sad, given that these races selected the parties' nominees for US Congress, and in two cases (the 8th and 11th), the almost certain winners in November. I have some theories about why people don't vote in these June primaries - and they don't; check out the 2005 and 2006 turnout numbers! - but whatever the reason, it seems like some changes may be in order. I mean, turnout was huge for the Democratic primary on February 12 despite nasty weather, so what happened yesterday?
*The polls and prognosticators. Despite certain people who believe that we were being "dishonest" or whatever, we honestly thought the Byrne-Connolly race was neck and neck. This conclusion came from talking to a lot of people, looking at the polls, and listening to what people we respect were saying. The general consensus was that either Leslie Byrne or Gerry Connolly would win the primary by a few points. I don't know anyone who was predicting a landslide victory for either candidate, but maybe there was somebody out there who was.
Any other winners? Losers? I can think of several other candidates in both categories. What about you?
If it's true he honestly didn't expect to win yesterday his showing was impressive. I hear he ran a very good campaign, practically by himself, and who would have thought the 8th Republican would have been the closest contest yesterday?
I've never looked favorably upon Mark Ellmore and I look forward to his crushing defeat this November.
As one of those workers, in Loudoun, I would like to thank the voters who came out in the intense heat to cast their ballots. They were, sadly, small in number. Several voters asked why the powers-that-be can't consolate these primaries to reduce the effort and the cost.
Just a thought.
Enjoy your (well-deserved) holiday at the beach!
EL is a great organization, very powerful, and USUALLY very effective at helping female candidates gain credibility and get elected. This is a crucial organization and the only one like it, that I am aware of, performing such a role.
I think Eric has this one right---don't throw out the baby with the bathwater!
"female candidates in Virginia will reject help from Emily's List"
WHOAH!
1/3 of Margi Vanderhye's campaign staff was provided by EMILY's list. Same goes for Chuck Caputo. I don't think they'd call it "nothing more than needlessly divisive." I think they'd call it a good friend, helpful ally, and necessary part of their (sadly) small but vital margins of victory.
Here is what I like about Gerry:
1) He has his own set of moral principles and abides by them. As a result, he avoids extreme positions.
2) He actually listens to all constituents.
3) He has the honesty to tell constituents when he thinks they are wrong. [Note: This has turned some people off but, to me, it demonstrates his intellectual integrity.]
4) He looks and works for solutions. Too many politicians would rather keep "political issues" alive to win elections.
5) His door is always open. This will be a more difficult task when he is our congressman.
6) He ran an objective campaign. [I realize many RK people will disagree with this but I read all the campaign literature and I think that some of the negative ads turned people off.]
7) He has been an incredibly effective leader in Fairfax County.
8) As a personal aside, I like his personality and humor. Always good attributes for a politician. Also, it absolutely amazes me how he can call everyone by name. As a person who is "name-challenged," I just don't know how he does it.
In my opinion, these are the reasons why Gerry has never lost an election.
But in Arlington, for example, voters are being asked to go to the polls four times this year. Why couldn't we have the presidential, Congressional, and school board early contests all on the same day? That would've ensured high turnout in all races.
I like the idea, but February is too early. April is the best month, in my mind, but it won't make Virginia an "early state" in the Presidential primary process....
I'm glad that we in DC kept our normal September primary, especially since that's effectively the real election for most of our offices (for which the Democrat always wins).
I hope Doug, rather than getting discouraged, uses this as an opportunity to get more active in Democratic politics, moving towards what I expect will be a bright future.
I'm with you Kindler - I hope we do see more of Doug in the future.