Struggling Dem ticket sparks greater House worries
By: William C. Flook
Examiner Staff Writer
October 30, 2009
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| With Democratic gubernatorial nominee Creigh Deeds struggling, Democratic state House candidates are feeling the effects. (Getty images) |
Republican Bob McDonnell's double-digit lead in the Virginia governor's race has left Democratic House candidates facing even greater headwinds as they seek to hold onto vulnerable districts.
Polls consistently show McDonnell, a former state attorney general, with a broad lead over Democrat Creigh Deeds. That gap has created new troubles for a Democratic House caucus that has made steady gains in recent years and until recently flirted with the idea of taking a majority in 2009.
Talk of a House takeover has ceased, and Democrats are now contemplating how to prevent the Virginia GOP from using statewide victories to strengthen its majority in the 100-member chamber.
While many of the campaigns are intensely local, the outcome of the legislative races will no doubt be interpreted through a national lens as parties forecast the 2010 midterm elections.
"The bigger the GOP gains, the larger the warning for Democrats nationally," former Bush adviser Karl Rove wrote in an a Wall Street Journal op-ed Wednesday.
Republicans are eyeing potential pickups in Loudoun County's 67th and 32nd districts, as well as the 34th District, a long-time inside-the-Beltway GOP holdout that turned Democrat in 2007. They are also anticipating victories in Virginia Beach and Prince William County.
Some districts are now in play that wouldn't normally be considered competitive for Republicans, said retiring Del. Chris Saxman, R-Staunton, citing the race in Fairfax County's 44th District between Democrat Scott Surovell and Republican Jay McConville.
"If you're playing in that race this late, the other districts that are for us are even more in play," Saxman said.
Democrats haven't abandoned the idea of picking up seats on Nov. 3. While any House candidate "would prefer to be riding on the coattails of a governor's candidate who's 10 points ahead," many House races remain competitive, said Del. Dave Englin, D-Alexandria.
"If Creigh has come up to parity and narrowly ekes it out, then we could end up seeing some significant Democratic gains," Englin said. "If Creigh's numbers have come up -- if he loses by three or four points, instead of double digits -- that could still push some races in our direction."
