… The commonwealth’s curious nomination rules are in the news this week, thanks to last weekend’s Republican Party of Virginia convention in Richmond, where Republican delegates made the highly risky decision to nominate E.W. Jackson (R) for their party’s nomination for lieutenant governor. We’ll let others describe the noxious comments Jackson [...] Read more »
As Virginia moves to the middle, Republicans face difficult choices
Virginia Republicans will gather in Richmond this weekend at a convention dominated by conservatives, even as fresh evidence shows them increasingly at odds with most voters in the commonwealth when it comes to key issues such as gay marriage, gun rights and immigration policy. A new Washington Post poll shows [...] Read more »
Polls at this point in the Virginia governor’s race tell us very little
Virginia’s 2013 gubernatorial election may not have particularly appealing candidates, but the race has taken on extra meaning because of the state’s swing status in presidential elections. The race pits a so-far unlikable Democrat, Terry McAuliffe (aka T-Mac), against a exceptionally conservative Republican, attorney general Ken Cuccinelli (aka Cuch). [cont.] [...] Read more »
Virginia Is Much More Important Than South Carolina
… There have been times when a special congressional election told us something about the national political environment, but those instances are few and far between. More often, the districts bear little resemblance to the country as a whole, or the circumstances of a race are so extenuating that any [...] Read more »
Bad News for Terry McAuliffe: Virginia’s Only Purple Every Four Years
… In an off year, Virginia is not a blue state: It leans Republican. In Virginia’s 2009 gubernatorial election, non-whites represented 22 percent of the electorate—down 8 points from 2008, while 18- to 29-year-olds represented just 10 percent of voters, down from 21 percent in 2008. Obama comfortably won Virginia [...] Read more »
Virginia governor popular with voters
In the last year of his four-year term, Gov. Robert F. McDonnell remains firmly popular with Virginia voters, getting high marks from independents, Democrats and Republicans on how he is handling his duties as governor and his personal ethics, according to a new Washington Post poll. … The latest poll [...] Read more »
Cuccinelli has early lead over McAuliffe in Virginia governor’s race
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II has an early lead over businessman Terry McAuliffe in their race for governor, a new Washington Post poll shows, even as most voters in the commonwealth have yet to engage in the nationally watched contest. Six months before Election Day, Cuccinelli (R) has a [...] Read more »
Shift in Virginia on same-sex marriage
… A new poll shows Virginians are essentially split on same-sex marriage, less than seven years after they easily passed an amendment to the state constitution that defines marriage as between one man and one woman. While 46 percent of Virginians oppose allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally [...] Read more »
Virginia could go either way
Virginia remains a toss up. That’s the takeaway from a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll out from the battleground released Sunday. Just two days before what is shaping up to be a very tight presidential election, President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney remain in a statistical tie [...] Read more »
Roadtrip Explains Tight Race in Virginia
Of all the toss-up states left in the 2012 campaign, Virginia may be the most difficult to get a read on. Driving across the complex mix of communities, economies and politics is like driving through several different states. … Somewhere in that mix is a formula of support, turnout and [...] Read more »