Gov. Tim Kaine plans to set a Jan. 12 special election to replace Virginia Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, setting the stage for a key contest that will help determine the makeup of the state’s only Democrat-controlled chamber.
The election is expected to draw out a nucleus of Fairfax County’s most active voters, those who aren’t too fatigued with state politics mere months after a nationally watched election. On Nov. 3, voters elevated Cuccinelli to attorney general as part of a broad Republican sweep.
Cuccinelli, a Republican, said he expects about 15 to 20 percent turnout for the election for his replacement in the central- and western-Fairfax 37th District, with the Republican nominee looking to mobilize the same conservative core that put him in the state Senate.
The candidates won’t feel the same need to appeal for independents as in the recent statewide elections, Cuccinelli said.
“It will be a real race, it’s a competitive district, but I think we’re in a better position to turn out our base,” Cuccinelli said. “And let’s face it, that’s what special elections are — they’re base races.”
Republicans have scheduled a canvass for Dec. 1 to nominate one of three hopefuls: retirement community executive Will Nance, former Fairfax County School Board member Steve Hunt, and Marianne Horinko, who was acting Environmental Protection Agency administrator under President George W. Bush.
Democrats will hold a firehouse primary Dec. 3 to select their nominee. Del. Dave Marsden, who lives just outside the 37th District, announced his candidacy Thursday.
A date has not been formally set for the special election, although “it’s the governor’s intent” to hold it on Jan. 12, said Kaine spokesman Gordon Hickey.
The race will help set the tone for the 2010 General Assembly session: A Republican win would cap off a string of victories and reinforce the notion of Fairfax County as disputed territory. For Democrats, taking the 37th District would buffer their 21-19 majority and allow them a measure of breathing room where most votes now require strict party cohesion.
