Virginia Politics Blog - Virginia Political News & Notes - February 17, 2008

Mike Henry to Manage Warner's Campaign

Former governor Mark R. Warner (D) announced today that Mike Henry, who resigned earlier this month as Sen. Hillary Clinton's deputy campaign manager, will oversee his U.S. Senate campaign this year. A graduate of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Henry is a veteran of Virginia politics. After working for Virginia House and Senate Democratic caucuses in the 1990s, Henry led the state Democratic party's coordinated campaign effort when Warner ran for governor in 2001. In 2005, Henry managed Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's (D) campaign for governor. Henry is widely credited with helping to revamp how Virginia Democrats win statewide elections by targeting new groups of suburban voters and perfecting the get out to vote effort....

By Tim Craig | February 22, 2008; 1:23 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Election 2008/U.S. Senate , Mark Warner , Tim Craig
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Hurst Endorses Connolly

Andrew Hurst, the 2006 Democratic Congressional nominee in the 11th District, has endorsed Gerald E. Connolly in the party's June 10 primary....

By Steve Fehr | February 21, 2008; 2:44 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bill Turque , Election 2008/Congress , Gerald E. Connolly , Leslie L. Byrne
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Lobbyist Seeks Seat on Fairfax City Council

A familiar face in Virginia politics has decided to run for office himself. Dan Drummond, a senior vice president at the Powell Tate public affairs company, is running for a seat on the Fairfax City Council. Drummond previously worked as communications director for U.S. Rep. James P. Moran, Jr. ( D-Va.) and as legislative reporter in Richmond for the Washington Times....

By Anita Kumar | February 20, 2008; 12:56 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Anita Kumar , Election 2008/Local
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Virginia Notebook: Are Obama Voters Bad News for GOP?

Sen. Barack Obama didn't just beat Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Virginia Democratic primary Feb..12. He defeated her so handily that Virginia politicians running for Congress or statewide office might want to study the results for clues about their political futures. Obama's 28-point margin of victory was one of the largest percentage-point wins in recent history by a candidate in a supposedly competitive statewide primary or general election....

By Steve Fehr | February 20, 2008; 12:18 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Election 2008/Congress , Election 2008/Local , Election 2008/President , Election 2008/U.S. Senate , Frank R. Wolf , Tim Craig , Virginia Notebook
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Democrats Increase Numbers in House

Democrat Albert C. Pollard Jr. handily defeated Republican Lee Anne Washington in a special election today to fill a vacant House of Delegates seat in the Northern Neck of Virginia. Pollard, who narrowly lost a bid for state Senate last year, previously held the House seat from 2000 to 2005. The 99th District includes all of King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond and Westmoreland counties and part of Caroline County....

By Tim Craig | February 19, 2008; 9:27 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (502)
Categories: Anita Kumar
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Kaine Not Worried About Partisan Budget Vote

Senate Democratic leaders have been fretting all week over the possibility that the chamber's 19 Republicans will vote against the budget Thursday, which senators from both parties say hasn't happened in three decades. If there is a partisan vote on the budget, it could weaken the Senate's hand in negotiations with the Republican-controlled House. Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax) said Monday he hopes to work with GOP senators to try to address some of their concerns so they vote for the budget. But in an interview today, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) wasn't worried about having a partisan vote on the budget. "I think what is important is that the budget is a good budget," Kaine said....

By Tim Craig | February 19, 2008; 7:38 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Tim Craig
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Superdelegate to Re-evaluate Support for Clinton in March

Is Del. Lionell Spruill Sr. (D-Chesapeake), a superdelegate who could help decide the Democratic nominee for president, reconsidering his pledge to support Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton? "I'm going to look at it again after March 4," Spruill said today, referring to the upcoming primaries in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont. "He's doing well." Spruill, an African-American who sits on the Democratic National Committee, was an early and vocal Clinton supporter. But there could be growing pressure on Spruill and other Virginia superdelegates to rethink their support for the New York senator after Sen. Barack Obama's convincing win in last Tuesday's primary. Obama (D-Ill) won Spruill's Tidewater district with 70 percent of the vote. When asked what he meant by "he's doing well," Spruill responded, "no comment" before adding, "March 4."...

By Tim Craig | February 19, 2008; 11:57 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Election 2008/President , Tim Craig
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