Edwards for AG?

A week after Roanoke attorney John P. Fiscwick Jr. dropped out of the race for attorney general, another Democrat may be considering a run.

Sen. John S. Edwards (D-Roanoke), who unsuccessfully ran for Democratic nominee for attorney general in 2001 and considered a run in 2005, may be considering running again.

Edwards refuses to say whether he will jump into a nomination fight with Del. Stephen C. Shannon (D-Fairfax).

He was seen last night at a Richmond restaurant with political consultant Craig Bieber; Rich Savage, a Democratic political advisor who is running for lieutenant governor; and Eric Payne, chairman of the Richmond City Democratic Committee.

When asked at the restaurant by a reporter if he was running, Edwards would not say,

Edwards could face an uphill climb to the nomination. He is well-known in the Roanoke Valley but he would have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to broaden his appeal in vote-rich Northern Virginia, where Shannon resides, and in Hampton Roads.

Fishwick, who entered the race two months ago, said in a statement recently he had raised over $160,000 for his campaign but has decided he wants to remain in the private sector.

Three Republicans are already in the race. State Sen. Ken Cuccinelli II (R-Fairfax), John Brownlee, the former top prosecutor for Virginia's western district, and David M. Foster, former chairman of the Arlington County School Board.