David Englin: Got Privileges and Elections plus Health, Welfare and Institutions. These are two relatively unimportant assignments.
David Bulova: Got General Laws plus Science & Technology. Lame-o.
Chuck Caputo: Assigned to the powerful Finance Committee, which is great. However, Caputo's other committee is Health, Welfare and Institutions, which is not an important one.
Dave Poisson: Got placed on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources, plus Militia, Police, and Public Safety. So-so.
Dave Marsden: Definitely the big winner of the day among NOVA freshman Dems, getting two great assignments - Courts of Justice and Transportation.
Overall, then, NOVA Dems got three good assignments and seven mediocre or bad ones. Interestingly, two of the three good assignments went to one member - Dave Marsden. That's pretty amazing; how did Marsden do it? Luck or skill? Could it have to do with the fact that Marsden was a long-time aide to (moderate) Republican Delegate Jim Dillard? Could it be that he's (reportedly) on good terms with House Speaker Bill Howell, who makes these assignments? Or that Marsden has a Republican-friendly history, having been tapped by former Republican Governor Jim Gilmore to run the state's Department of Juvenile Justice in 2001 and having been awarded the Patrick Henry Award for distinguished public service by Gilmore as well?
Anyway, whatever the reason, it appears that most freshman Democrats from NOVA got low-ranking committee assignments. The only exception is Dave Marsden, who kicked butt. It's a fascinating contrast if nothing else.