Candidate Center

Our new candidate center is designed to help keep you up-to-date with the campaigns going on across the country. Click on your state of interest and you’ll find a list of candidates running for each federal office, a brief overview of the state, and specific information for campaigns of interest as it becomes available. In the near future, the candidate center will include polls that will be updated as new ones are released, and links to FEC data.

Virginia

Presidential primary: Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Congressional primary: Tuesday, June 10, 2008

President (13 Electoral Votes)

Virginia represents one of the best pickup opportunities for Democrats in 2008. An increased level of success in statewide elections over the last two cycles shows that Democrats' fortunes are improving in this state. An increasingly Democratic population in northern Virginia has helped put the state back in play. Virginia has not gone for a Democrat in a presidential election since Lyndon Johnson in 1968. In 2004, John Kerry won 45 percent of the vote. However, there is reason to be optimistic; Democrats have won the last two gubernatorial elections and won a Senate seat in 2006. This will be one of the new battlegrounds in 2008.

U.S. Senate - John Warner (Rep)

Democrats received some great news on September 12 as popular former governor Mark Warner announced that he would run for the open senate seat in Virginia. Earlier in the month longtime senator John Warner announced his retirement at the end of the current term, which set an opportunity for another close senate race. Democrats come in to this race brimming with confidence after Jim Webb's unexpected victory over former senator George Allen in 2006. Now that Warner has entered the race Democrats are seen as the favorites to win this seat given his widespread popularity. Northern Virginia will continue to crucial, as it is the center of the Democratic base in the state. On the Republican side, former Governor Jim Gilmore and current congressman Tom Davis are considering a run. An early <a href=http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0907/456087.html target="_blank">SurveyUSA poll</a> shows the magnitude of Warner's appeal as he is currently running way ahead of any of the perspective GOP nominees. According to the poll Warner would defeat Congressman Tom Davis by 35 percent, former governor Jim Gilmore by 28 percent, and former Senator George Allen by 19 percent.

Another more recent poll from the Washington post gives Warner a 30-point advantage over either of the prospective GOP candidates.

more recent poll

John Warner (Rep) - Retiring in 2008.
Tom Davis (Rep) - US Representative, 11th District
Jim Gilmore (Rep) - Former Governor and Former Republican National Chairman
Don Beyer (Dem) - Former Lieutenant Governor, Auto Dealer and 1997 Governor Nominee
Creigh Deeds (Dem) - State Senate, former Delegate and former Commonwealth's Attorney and 2005 Attorney General Nominee
Mark Warner (Dem) - Former Governor, Businessman and 1996 US Senate nominee
Ishah Wright

1st District - Jo Ann Davis (Rep)

East, Fredericksburg, parts of Newport News and Hampton

The untimely passing of Representative Jo Ann Davis will give way to a special election sometime in December of this year. Davis received 67 percent of the vote in 2006.

Jo Ann Davis (Rep) - Incumbent
Shawn O'Donnell (Dem) - Businessman, Democratic Activist, Author and 2006 Nominee

2nd District - Thelma Drake (Rep)

Southeast corner/coast, parts of Norfolk and Virginia Beach

Republican Thelma Drake narrowly escaped defeat in 2006. She beat challenger Phil Kellam by less than 3 percent, and she could be a target again in 2008. With the right candidate, this could prove to be an interesting race.

The Democrats finally landed a strong candidate for the 2008 election cycle, when Glenn Nye started up his campaign in January to challenge Drake. Nye's background is strong in foreign affiars inluding somre recently completed work with USAID in Iraq. Nye has also previously worked in Afghanistan and the West Bank. Nye also has worked with the World Bank, which will give him some important credibility on the economy, as it appears more and more likely that the 2008 election will be centered on the economy.

The 2nd district has long had a Republican orientation, in part because of its concentration of military installations and personnel. President Bush carried 58 percent of the district’s vote in 2004, the same year that they gave 55 percent to Drake, then a state House member, who had stepped in late in the campaign after Republican incumbent Ed Schrock unexpectedly dropped his re-election bid. Virginia Beach generally votes Republican in federal contests, while the state’s Eastern Shore and the district’s shares of Norfolk and Hampton are more politically competitive.

Thelma Drake (Rep) - Incumbent

3rd District - Bobby Scott (Dem)

East/Tidewater, parts of Richmond

Bobby Scott (Dem) - Incumbent

4th District - Randy Forbes (Rep)

Southeast border, Chesapeake, part of Portsmouth

Randy Forbes (Rep) - Incumbent

5th District - Virgil Goode (Rep)

Southside & South central, Danville, Charlottesville

Virgil Goode (Rep) - Incumbent
Brydon Jackson (Dem) - Businessman, Iraq War Veteran and Former Police Officer
Dave Shreve (Dem) - College Professor
Joe Oddo (Ind. Green) - Freelance Writer, Sales Consultant and frequent candidate

6th District - Bob Goodlatte (Rep)

Western border, Roanoke, Lynchburg

Bob Goodlatte (Rep) - Incumbent
Sam Rasoul (Dem) - Businessman

7th District - Eric Cantor (Rep)

Central and north central, part of Richmond and suburbs

Eric Cantor (Rep) - Incumbent
William Griffith (Ind)

8th District - Jim Moran (Dem)

Northern Virginia/Washington, DC suburbs, Arlington, Alexandria

Jim Moran (Dem) - Incumbent
Mark Ellmore (Rep) - Banker and GOP Activist
Basil Mossaidis (Rep)
Thomas O'Donoghue (Rep)

9th District - Rick Boucher (Dem)

Southwest, Blacksburg, Bristol

Rick Boucher (Dem) - Incumbent

10th District - Frank Wolf (Rep)

Northern Virginia/Washington, DC suburbs, part of Fairfax county

While the district has been kind to statewide Democrats for consecutive cycles and is trending Democratic, House challengers can't necessarily rely on coattails. Democratic candidates in top-of-the-ticket races consistently performed in the low-to-mid forties in 2000 and 2004. Al Gore received 41.3% in 2000 and John Kerry 44.2%. However, Tim Kaine and Jim Webb have carried this district in successive cycles as the demographics of Fairfax and Loudon County have become more advantageous. Though Kaine and Webb carried the district it hasn't translated into close House races thus far. Incumbent Frank Wolf defeated Judy Feder by 16 percent in 2006 and received more than 57 percent of the vote. While the trends in the county suggest that this should be a close race, Feder comes into the race a heavy underdog.

Frank Wolf (Rep) - Incumbent
Vern McKinley (Rep) - Financial Policy Analyst and Conservative Activist
Judy Feder (Dem) - Georgetown Public Policy Institute Dean, Former Congressional Aide and 2006 Nominee
Mike Turner (Dem) - Retired USAF Officer and Non-Profit Group Executive

11th District - Tom Davis (Rep)

Northern Virginia/Washington, DC suburbs, parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties

On January 30, representative Tom Davis announced his intention to retire at the end of the current term. This turn of events offers a great opportunity for Democrats to pickup a congressional seat in Virginia. The 11th district is made up of Fairfax and Prince William Counties, both of which are areas where Democrats perform well. The district has shown strong Democratic leanings at every level over the past three election cycles. John Kerry came within a percentage point of winning this district (less than 4,000 votes), and Tim Kaine and Jim Webb won the district by more than 10 percent, in their respective races.

Democrats already have a strong candidate in Leslie Byrne, who served one term in the House before losing to Davis in 1994. This race represents a prime opportunity for Democrats.

Tom Davis (Rep) - Incumbent
Sean Connaughton (Rep) - US Maritime Administrator, Former Prince William County Council Chair and 2005 LieutenantGovernor Candidate
Keith Fimian (Rep) - Home Inspection Company CEO and Accountant
Tim Hugo (Rep) - State Del., Businessman, Former Congressional Aide and Army Reserve Veteran
Jay O'Brien (Rep) - State Senate, Former State Del., Businessman and Army Veteran
Corey Stewart (Rep) - Prince William County Council Chair and Attorney
Leslie Byrne (Dem) - Former State Senate, Former Congresswoman, Former State Del and 2005 LieutenantGovernor Nominee
Gerry Connolly (Dem) - Fairfax County Council Chair and Former Congressional Aide
Doug Denneny (Dem) - Retired Navy Officer and Community Activist
Chap Peterson (Dem) - Former State Senate, Attorney and 2005 Lieutenant Governor Candidate