U.S. Sen. George Allen kicked off what’s expected to be a tough re-election campaign Tuesday at a technology park in Prince William County.
“I look forward to having the opportunity to talk to Virginians about what I believe must be the three key missions for the future of Virginia and America: securing our freedoms, making America a land of opportunity for all and preserving our time-tested foundational values,” Allen said at the start of three-day 2006 Announcement Tour of the state.
But Allen’s a lifelong Republican in a state that appears to be moving closer to the left.
Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads residents are voting Democratic more often, which “may indicate a clear weakness on his part in seeking re-election,” said Toni Travis, an associate professor of public and international affairs at George Mason University.
“Allen plays to the good ol’ boy image. He is wonderful at county fairs, cowboy boots, everybody’s friend, but we are now facing some tough urban issues,” Travis said.
Another weakness of Allen’s is that Virginians cannot “point to anything he has done or lead on” in the Senate because he has had to “live under the shadow of Sen. [John] Warner,” Travis said of the state’s other Republican U.S. senator.
“[Allen] is still the favorite, but it has become clear that he is going to have to stop traveling the country and start focusing more on the state he represents,” said Larry Sabato, University of Virginia Center for Politics director.
Several national polls put Allen among the front-runners for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, though he hasn’t declared himself a candidate.
However, the senator’s bid for a “two-year term” in the Senate before officially beginning his presidential campaign “isn’t selling,” Sabato said, especially due to the “contradictory roles of being a legislator and running for the executive office.”
Allen will have problems voting on issues while still positioning himself for the White House, he said.
The June Democratic primary will decide whether Allen will face Harris Miller or Jim Webb in the November election.
About George Allen
» 54 years old
» Married with three children
» Lives in Mount Vernon
» Earned undergraduate and law degrees from University of Virginia
» Served in Virginia House of Delegates from 1983 to 1991
» Served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 1993
» Virginia governor from 1994 to 1998
