RICHMOND, Va. — Turnout was light Tuesday as voters chose a Democratic nominee for governor in Virginia’s primary.
RICHMOND, Va. — Turnout was light Tuesday as voters chose a Democratic nominee for governor in Virginia’s primary. The primary marks the first bid for elective office for former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe, who led Hillary Clinton’s 2008 White House run. He faces state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds and former Democratic legislative leader Brian J. Moran. In the fall, the winner will face former attorney general Bob McDonnell, the well-funded nominee for a Republican party desperate to overcome crushing losses in the 2008 election. McDonnell, a conservative with strong ties to religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, faced no opponent for the GOP nomination. Voters will also select a Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, and Democratic nominees in nine House of Delegates races. There are GOP primaries for three House seats. Local election officials, professionals in the three campaigns and political scientists say the turnout is likely to be 5 percent or less of the state’s 5 million registered voters. Officials said turnout was heavier in some parts of the Washington, D.C., suburbs. In Arlington, for instance, about 10 percent of voters cast ballots, drawn by a House of Delegates race. State Board of Elections Secretary Nancy Rodrigues said other turnout ranged from 4 percent in Richmond to 2 percent in the rural southwest. McAuliffe’s political connections from his days working for President Bill Clinton helped him dominate press coverage and amass a hefty amount of cash. He seized on the down economy by promising to bring jobs to Virginia, touring the state with his confidante Bill Clinton. However, that left the venture capitalist open to attacks over his involvement in a telecommunications firm that made him millions before the company went bust, leaving 10,000 people jobless and costing investors $54 billion. Moran, from Alexandria, went further to the left than his rivals in appealing to liberal activists. He pledged to oppose new coal-fired power initiatives and reverse the state’s same-sex marriage ban. Deeds, the only Democrat not from the Washington, D.C., suburbs, hewed toward the middle. He drew fire late from primary rivals for legislative votes supporting Virginia’s broad, pro-gun laws, actions popular in rural areas that don’t play well in cities and affluent suburbs. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the new Democratic National Committee chairman, is barred by the state Constitution from seeking re-election. ______ Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
About Post Author
