Virginia Elections
News from WAMU 88.5
Fairfax Election Holds Special Election
January 12, 2010 - Dave Marsden and Steve Hunt are both longtime Fairfax residents, but that's about where the similarities end. They're running in a special election to replace Ken Cuccinelli, the conservative senator who left his seat to become Attorney General.
Marsden, the Democrat, is a member of the House of Delegates who's run on a centrist platform.
"That's what I've always attempted to do," he says. "I try to steer clear of ideology and using the words 'always' and 'never.'"
His Republican opponent, Steve Hunt, rejects that. He's a full-throated conservative who portrays himself as Cuccinelli's heir apparent. Hunt says he's benefiting from a backlash against national Democrats.
"Those swing voters who swung over to Barack Obama in '08 are now saying 'we don't like what we're seeing here,'" says Hunt.
The Senate seat up for grabs represents western Fairfax County. It covers Burke, Centreville and parts of Chantilly.
Virginia State Board Of Elections To Certify Results
November 23, 2009 - By Natalie Neumann
The Republican sweep in Virginia is about to become official. The State Board of Elections meets this afternoon to certify the results from this year's election.
Today's general election certification will lack the drama of 2005. That's when the election for attorney general was the closest in modern Virginia history. This year all three statewide Republican candidates won handily.
There is one close race this time, but on a more local scale. In a House of Delegates race in Virginia Beach, Republican Ron Villanueva holds an unofficial 14-vote edge over Democratic incumbent Bobby Matheison. That's close enough for a taxpayer-financed recount.
Virginia State Board Of Elections Certifies November Results
November 23, 2009 - By Rebecca Blatt
Virginia's State Board of Elections has certified the results of the November 3rd general election. All three Republican statewide candidates won with comfortable margins.
Governor-elect Bob McDonnell received nearly 59 percent of the vote in defeating Democrat Creigh Deeds. Ken Cuccinelli got almost 58 percent of the vote for attorney general, and Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling won re-election with nearly 57 percent of the vote.
The closest race was for a House of Delegates seat in Virginia Beach. The board certified Republican Ron Villanueva as the winner over incumbent Robert Mathieson by 14 votes out of more than 15,000 cast.
Mathieson's campaign manger Mark Henson says the Democrat will seek a recount.
Cuccinelli Wins Big, Worries Some Democrats
November 4, 2009 - State Senator Ken Cuccinelli represented Fairfax County in the General Assembly, and he was known as one of the most conservative legislators in commonwealth.
He is now the Virginia's Attorney General-elect.
In his victory speech last night, Cuccinelli said he'll use his new position forcefully.
"We're coming into office with a mandate from the people of Virginia to alter the course of change in Virginia," he told supporters in Richmond.
The conservative rhetoric makes some Democrats uneasy. David Bulova is a Democrat from Fairfax County who serves in the House of Delegates. He says Cuccinelli needs to think bipartisan when he takes office.
"With the Attorney General's position, it's important when you get elected that you're not just out there representing the 55 or 60 percent of the people out there who voted for you," Bulova says.
Cuccinelli's Democratic opponent, former state senator Steve Shannon, says he wants to work with Cuccinelli on combating gangs and stopping child predators.
David Schultz reports...
Local Elections Mixed Bag For N. Va. Democrats
November 4, 2009 - Democrats won all five open-seat Delegate races: three in Fairfax County, one in Arlington County and another in Prince William County. But Democratic candidates in Northern Virginia failed to unseat any Republican incumbents, including Delegate Dave Albo of Fairfax, one of the Democrats' prime targets.
In addition, there are two Democratic incumbents from Northern Virginia whose seats are in jeopardy. Margi Vanderhye and Dave Marsden each held leads of only a couple hundred votes after all the ballot counting finished late last night.
David Schultz reports...
Nothern Vigrinia Dems Worry McDonnell Win Means Cuts In Funding
November 4, 2009 - Some Democrats in Northern Virginia say Bob McDonnell will need to reach across the aisle early if he hopes to solve problems important to this area. Transportation has been a focus of Northern Virginia and some voters say Bob McDonnell's focus on the issue propelled his candidacy.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova, a Democrat, fears McDonnell will make Northern Virginia choose between transportation funding and money for education, public safety, and human services. "Those are priorities, as well as transportation," Bulova says. "We cannot sacrifice one for the other."
Congressman Gerry Connolly, who represents part of Northern Virginia, says Democrats will be watching to make sure the new Governor makes good on his campaign promises. Connolly sees an implicit promise to govern as a moderate.
"The Republican candidate got out there -- he moved from the center to the right," Connolly says. "We're going to hold our Republic Governor to that moderate pledge."
Connolly says moderate views on social issues are just as important as moderate economic policies in Northern Virginia.
Jonathan Wilson reports...
Democrat Volunteers In Virginia Urge Party Towards Obama
November 4, 2009 - Some Democrats in Northern Virginia say closer ties to the White House would have made the difference for their party on election day.
Most of the party volunteers gathered at the Fairfax Democrats election night dinner seemed more philosophical than disappointed about their losses.
June Chason says Virginia Democrats and their gubernatorial candidate -- Creigh Deeds -- should have asked the White House for more help.
"I felt that Deeds could have gone to Obama sooner than he did," Chason says.
For Jim McBride it wasnt about asking for help.
He says Virginia Democrats needed to fully adopt the Presidents agenda and political tactics.
"I think we need to be embracing the President's agenda, and his outreach methods to young people, African-Americans, and other groups of people," McBride says.
Despite misgivings about this election McBride and many other volunteers say they still feel Virginia is fertile ground for the Democratic Party.
Jonathan Wilson reports...
Virginia GOP Celebrates Victory In Farifax
November 4, 2009 - Virginia Republicans had plenty to celebrate at a party in Falls Church.
They arrived slowly soon after the polls closed, but by 8 pm the hall at the Fairview Park Marriott was full of supporters cheering the news that Republican Bob McDonnell was the projected winner of the governors race.
Some here consider the sweep for Republicans a referendum on the Obama presidency. "We've turned back Obama. That's what it means. We've turned back Obama," says Tony Debeniditis.
Scott Ward, the president of the Republican state leadership committee, says things will be different in Virginia moving forward.
"As much as Democrats want to spin what's going on here, I think the folks in Washington need to take notice that the people in Virginia are tired of the overreach and the 'government knows what's best' mentality coming out of D.C.," said Ward.
Elliott Francis reports...
Republicans In Virginia Hope To Use Election Momentum To Rebuild Party
November 4, 2009 - Many Republicans in Virginia say they're hoping to re-build their party with the momentum from Tuesdays sweep.
At local victory celebration in Fairfax county Republicans from Virginia like Kevin McCormick were optimistic about the future of party. "I think its a rebirth of the conservative movement in Northern Virginia."
The statewide sweep for Republicans is a shift from the past eight years of Democratic dominance. Craig Filburn, a Republican party goer, says this change is good. "It's a very strong referendum on the people versus the party, I mean you look at New York and New Jersey and what's going on here and its good. I think Republicans are making a strong comeback and I think its significant."
Some here say they're excited about McDonnell's plans for the state's economy and transportation. Most seem genuinely impressed over the lift his win has given to the GOP.
Elliott Francis reports...
9 A.M. Update: WAMU Reporter Patrick Madden Covers Alexandria, Va. Voting
November 3, 2009 -7 A.M. Update: WAMU Reporter Patrick Madden Covers Alexandria, Va. Voting
November 3, 2009 -8 A.M. Update: WAMU Reporter Patrick Madden Covers Alexandria, Va. Voting
November 3, 2009 -It's Not 2008, But Election Interest Still High In Arlington County
November 3, 2009 - As voters head to the polls in Virginia today, there are some signs that the increased political interest from the 2008 election is continuing, at least in Arlington County.
Linda Lindberg, the County's general registrar, said voters have cast more than 4,500 absentee ballots this fall.
That's nothing like last year, when 34,000 people cast absentee ballots in Arlington. But it is a thousand more absentee ballots than the county saw in the 2005 governor's race and Lindberg said the Obama-McCain contest has something to do with that.
"A lot more people became aware that it was an option to them, so that explains that increase," said Lindberg.
Lindberg said there's increased interest in volunteering at the polls as well. Generally the registrar's office has to recruit people to work at precincts during gubernatorial elections.
"We don't have to do any recruiting in Arlington when it's a presidential election year, and there was enough carryover this year that we didn't have to do any recruiting this year as well," said Lindberg.
The county will be using 400 fewer volunteers to work the polls than it did for the 2008 election.
Jonathan Wilson reports...
Arlington Co. Registrar Says It'll Be Tough to Match 2008 Turnout
November 3, 2009 - Today's election in Virginia may come down to turnout and at least in Arlington County -- it's going to be hard to match what the state saw in the 2008 presidential election.
Linda Lindberg -- general registrar for the county -- says there were plenty of signs that the election of 2008 was going to be different.
"Last year, we added something like 14,000 new registered voters to the rolls in Arlington County," Lindberg says. Arlington County saw an 83 percent voter turnout -- for the presidential contest.
But Lindberg says despite last year's flock of new voters, she doesn't expect a turnout anywhere near 83 percent for today's election.
"From what we're seeing, it seems to be comparable to what we saw four years ago in the governor's race," she says. "In 2005, we had roughly a 50 percent turnout here in Arlington County."
Across the state in the 2005 gubernatorial election, turnout was approximately 45 percent.
Jonathan Wilson reports...
Arlington Co. Registrar Says It'll Be Tough to Match 2008 Turnout
November 3, 2009 - Today's election in Virginia may come down to turnout and at least in Arlington County -- it's going to be hard to match what the state saw in the 2008 presidential election.
Linda Lindberg -- general registrar for the county -- says there were plenty of signs that the election of 2008 was going to be different.
"Last year, we added something like 14,000 new registered voters to the rolls in Arlington County," Lindberg says. Arlington County saw an 83 percent voter turnout -- for the presidential contest.
But Lindberg says despite last year's flock of new voters, she doesn't expect a turnout anywhere near 83 percent for today's election.
"From what we're seeing, it seems to be comparable to what we saw four years ago in the governor's race," she says. "In 2005, we had roughly a 50 percent turnout here in Arlington County."
Across the state in the 2005 gubernatorial election, turnout was approximately 45 percent.
Jonathan Wilson reports...
10 A.M. Update: WAMU Reporter Patrick Madden Covers Alexandria, Va. Voting
November 3, 2009 -WAMU Election Coverage
November 3, 2009 - WAMU will provide hourly on-air coverage of the Virginia elections. You can listen to the audio of all on-air coverage here.
Are you on Twitter? Follow @wamu885news for the latest Virginia elections news.
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. today. The Virginia Board of Elections will provide up-to-the-minute election results as they become available.
Click here to get directions to your local polling station.
Click here to see unofficial results of the general election.
Click here to see a map of statewide results of the gubernatorial race, which will be updated precinct by precinct.
