Speaker Wants To "Win Back" Loudoun

House Speaker William J. Howell made it clear yesterday that he is looking to Loudoun County to help Republicans keep control of the House of Delegates in the 2009 elections.

"I know this sounds self-serving, the presidential stuff is important, but next year we've got House of Delegates seats, and there's a couple that are representing Loudoun and parts of Loudoun County that I know we can win back," Howell told a meeting of the Loudoun County Republican Committee.

Howell was no doubt talking about Dels. David Poisson and Chuck Caputo. The two eastern Loudoun Democrats hold seats that had been held previously by Republicans. But despite decisive victories by Democrats around the state, the two only won re-election last year with 53 percent of the vote against their Republican challengers.

Howell told the group that he and House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith had been in Loudoun talking to prospective House candidates.