2010 elections

Two Virginia Dems Go Down -- And It Could Get Worse

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2010, 8:56PM

Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA)

It's looking like a bloodbath tonight for Virginia Democrats, with two incumbent Congressmen already going down to defeat -- and possibly more on the way.

The Associated Press reports that Democratic Rep. Rick Boucher of VA-09, who was first elected in 1982, has lost re-election to Republican Morgan Griffith in this southwest Virginia district, after many years of its voters splitting their ticket between Boucher and Republican candidates.

Meanwhile, freshman Democratic Rep. Tom Perriello (D) of VA-05, who upset Republican incumbent Virgil Goode in 2008, has lost to Republican Robert Hurt.

That's not all: Two other freshman Dems, Glenn Nye and Gerry Connolly, both of whom picked up seats from the Republicans in 2008, are currently trailing in their seats. With 44% of precincts reporting in VA-02, Nye trails Republican Scott Rigell by 53%-43%. In VA-11, Connolly trails his 2008 Republican opponent Keith Fimian by a narrower 50%-48%, with 30% of precincts reporting.

Late Update: ABC and CBS have called VA-02 for Rigell. That's three Democrats losing in Virginia, with a possible fourth on the way.

Democrats

Dead Dems Walking: TPM's List Of Candidates Who've Been Written Off By Their Party

Brian Beutler | November 2, 2010, 7:24AM

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer with other House Democrats

Returns for 435 House elections will start rolling in a few hours from now. Well before they do, though, most Dems had long conceded that more than a handful of races are already lost. With these seats for all intents and purposes off the table before the polls opened, the number of truly contested seats the GOP needs to win control of the House is effectively much smaller than the magic 39.

Assuming the House does change hands, then, the big open question is how big the swing will be. There are scores of seats in play, but the battle lines have already moved past over a dozen House members who, in most cases, have already been written off by their own party.

If you're keeping score tonight, don't hold your breath for any of these Democrats.

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Dave Bartholomew

Racist Email Flap Blows Up Virginia Beach GOP

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 20, 2010, 8:36AM

Fmr. Virginia Beach Republican Party Chairman David Bartholomew

Virginia Beach is the biggest city in Virginia, and the hometown of the state's current Republican Governor, Bob McDonnell. Now it's also home to the latest example of a racist email forward destroying a prominent conservative's political credibility and possibly career.

As the progressive Blue Virgina blog reported Monday -- and I independently confirmed from one of the recipients Tuesday -- Virginia Beach Republican Party chair Dave Bartholomew forwarded a racist email comparing African Americans to dogs. The email, subject line "my, dog," consists of a racist parable about African Americans and welfare. In the first 24 hours since the email came to light, Democrats condemned Bartholomew and he resigned his position with the Republican Party.

The text of the message, in full:

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Health Care

Five Conservative Dems Campaigning On Opposition To Health Care Reform

Eric Kleefeld | August 30, 2010, 8:57AM

Demonstrators rally outside of the U.S. Capitol Building.

An interesting pattern has started to emerge in this midterm election, which could be dominated by the continuing debate over the health care reform law passed earlier this year. A whole bunch of Dems from Republican-leaning districts have been running ads in which they tout their opposition to the bill.

So let's take a look at some of these conservative Dems. Will their votes against the bill -- and their public campaigning on those votes -- actually work for them in November?

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Health Care

Rep. Nye Will Still Vote 'No' On Health Care Reform

Jillian Rayfield | March 21, 2010, 2:23PM

Rep. Glenn Nye (D-VA)

Rep. Glenn Nye (D-VA) announced last night that he will not change from a "no" vote on the House health care bill.

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Joe Biden

Biden Tells Two Swing-Seat Dems At Fundraiser: "You Got Some Tough Votes Coming Up"

Eric Kleefeld | September 25, 2009, 1:02PM

Vice President Joe Biden

Vice President Biden last night helped raise money for three freshman House Democrats from Virginia -- Gerry Connolly, Glenn Nye and Tom Perriello -- and very prominently noted that two of them are from swing seats that could be in real danger in 2010. From the Washington Post pool report:

VPOTUS noted that two of the three Democrats in attendance - U.S. Reps. Glenn Nye and Tom Perriello - would face difficult challenges in their more rural, southern Virginia districts.

"I don't have to tell you that you're in a very competitive state," he said. "You got some tough votes coming up." He noted that the third Virginia House Democrat - U.S. Rep. Gerry Connelly - had a "few liberals" in his left-leaning Northern Virginia district. He called the triumvirate "independent minded" and "damn competent," but united on several core Democratic Party themes, including energy policy and health care.

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