Though he’s now embroiled in an increasingly ferocious congressional race, Rep. Tom Davis has a bigger seat than the 11th District in his sights, political analysts and his opponent say.
Some say the powerful Republican congressman, chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform, is hoping to replace Sen. John Warner, whose possible retirement is also the subject of substantial political speculation.
“His ambitions have been widely known for many years,” said University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato. “And obviously if John Warner retires in 2008, Tom Davis is going to run for Senate, in all probability.”
The rumblings surfaced in the public arena at a debate in Fairfax County on Tuesday night, when Davis’ Democratic challenger, Andrew Hurst, told the assembled crowd that the congressman was looking to higher office. When asked about his opponent’s statement, a visibly riled Davis responded: “I’m running for the House for two more years.”
His campaign did not return a request for comment on Thursday.
“The question is out there, and [Davis] doesn’t want to address it openly while he’s running for a House seat, because it’s awkward for him,” said Mark Rozell, a professor of public policy at George Mason University.
A former chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Davis has held on to the 11th district since he was first elected in 1994, despite the region’s general move toward the left. He is now defending his spot from a liberal opponent who has repeatedly tried to tether Davis politically to President Bush.
“I can’t think of many other people who are as qualified or have an interest in running [for Warner’s Senate seat],” said Virginia House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell.
Davis has built a reputation as a party centrist who can work with different GOP factions and effectively reach across party lines, Rozell said.
But he said geography could work against the congressman in a statewide election.
“Number one, he’s not well known outside Northern Virginia,” Rozell said. “Number two, he’s from Northern Virginia, which doesn’t play in most of the state.”
A spokesman for Warner could not be reached on Thursday.
