Collegiate Times

It’s official: the next governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general of Virginia will be Republican.

With decisive victories from Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling, and Ken Cuccinelli, many will be wondering what the statewide election says at the national level, especially going into the 2010 Congressional midterm elections.

“That Republican resurgence, that revolution, has begun again,” said Eric Cantor, Republican whip in the House of Representatives. But does a vote against Creigh Deeds, Jody Wagner, or Steve Shannon mean a vote against President Barack Obama?

Of those that voted for Deeds, 38 percent said their vote was in support of the president, according to exit polls, and 42 percent of McDonnell voters said their vote was one against Obama.

However, overall, 55 percent of voters said that President Obama was not a factor in their vote. In New Jersey’s gubernatorial election, 60 percent said the same.

Republican attendees at McDonnell headquarters in Richmond disagreed. Cantor said that the vote was an indictment of “the Obama-Pelosi-McCain agenda.”

Every president in American history, with the exceptions of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and George W. Bush, experienced a loss in House seats in the first midterm election following their moves into the White House, according to Larry Sabato, political science professor at the University of Virginia.

So while there may indeed be Republican victories next year, there is little agreement on whether tonight’s result forecasts anything of the sort.  Voters themselves have indicated that 2009 may or may not mean anything for 2010. Pk

Candidates gathered at Gillie’s in Blacksburg have announced winners of the town council race.

Ten candidates were on the ballot for four at-large positions. Incumbent Susan Anderson, Blacksburg native and Virginia Tech graduate student Krisha Chachra, Tech staff architect John Bush and Blacksburg native Cecile Newcomb have won the positions, according to the candidates at Gillie’s.

Virginia’s State Board of Elections has not officially reported results for the town council election.

Republican Bob McDonnell just gave his acceptance speech in the ballroom of the Richmond Mariott. The room erupted in boisterous cheering as McDonnell took the stage.

McDonnell began his speech by thanking his family, friends and supporters. He also said that he looks forward to continuing to work with opponent  Creigh Deeds as the Democrat continues to serve in the Virginia state senate.

“There are some things that transcend politics,” McDonnell said. “We are all Virginians and we are all Americans.”

McDonnell hopefully promised to be a successful leader.

“We will find new ways to solve problems and create more jobs and opportunities,” he said.

McDonnell said he was excited for his whole ticket after Bill Bolling has also won the lieutenant governor post and Ken Cuccinelli has become the next attorney general.

“Working together, we will leave Virginia better than we found it,” McDonnell said.

Just after Ken Cuccinelli accepted the post of attorney general, Bill Bolling gave his own acceptance speech as he was elected lieutenant governor of Virginia.

“I told you if you went out and brought those voters to the polls today we were gonna have a good night, and we’re having a good night,” Bolling said.

Bolling thanked his supporters and spoke to the importance of running a campaign based on issues and ideas. He laid out promises to improve the economic situation in Virginia, to increase available jobs, to resolve both education and transportation issues and to “do everything we can to improve access and affordability in va without turning it over to the federal government.”

“This is the dawn of a new day in Virginia,” Bolling said.

Cuccinelli has just taken the stage in the Richmond Mariott ballroom to seize the office of attorney general.

He said that Steve Shannon recently called him to concede the race.

Cuccinelli praised Shannon for “running a hard race.”

“He did a good job and is to be congratulated,” Cuccinelli said.

Cuccinelli continued by thanking God, his family, and his “grassroots army” of supporters for his victory.

He spoke about his commitment as attorney general to “protect our constitution, all of it, as it was written.”

Cuccinelli concluded his speech by quoting Dr. Seuess.

“I meant what I said and said what I meant, this elephant’s faithful 100 percent.”

After thanking supporters, family members and campaign contributors, Creigh Deeds acknowledged defeat in the governor’s race with a will to go forward.

His concession speech came to a roaring end, as Deeds held onto a sense of duty to Virginia.

“There are still people that need a voice and we’re going to give them that voice,” Deeds said.

“This chapter is closed, but the next chapter has yet to be written.”

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds is conceding the governor’s race to Republican Bob McDonnell.

“I called Bob McDonnell a little while ago and congratulated him and wished him well,” Deeds said.

Deeds said the campaign has been the “adventure and highlight of my life. Carrying your banner for governor is just the highest honor.”

Deeds is now looking forward to Virginia’s future.

He said Virginia’s issues “are not going away just because we didn’t get the result we wanted tonight.”

Creigh Deeds is taking the stage in Richmond as his campaign closes in a losing effort.

Fellow Democrats Jody Wagner and Steve Shannon have just spoken to supporters.

Keep it on the blog for updates.

The atmosphere at Republican headquarters was festive as Bob McDonnell became the projected winner of the gubernatorial race by major networks including CNN and Fox News.

With more than 64 percent of the vote, McDonnell held a decisive lead over Democratic challenger Creigh Deeds.

Candidate for lieutenant governor Bill Bolling and attorney general candidate Ken Cuccinelli also lead decisively over their Democratic challengers, both with over 60 percent of the vote.

Republicans will no doubt claim the victory represents a referendum against Democrats on the federal level, particularly under the policies of the Obama Administration and a Democratic Congress.

“American’s proud of you tonight,” said Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee in Richmond. “Let the numbers roll in, baby, let ‘em show the victory!”

“”Because of you we won a great victory tonight,” said Eric Cantor, Republican whip in the House of Representatives.  “Because of you that Republican resurgence, that revolution, has begun again.”

Democratic rule over the Governor’s Mansion in Richmond has ended. U.S. Senator Mark Warner and departing Gov. Tim Kaine are speaking at the Westin in Richmond, congratulating Republican Bob McDonnell on victory and looking to the future.

Warner and Kaine won the previous two elections by dominating population centers such as Northern Virginia.

Deeds, who hails from Bath County near the West Virginia border, was down by 14 points in the last Public Policy Polling survey before tonight’s election. He has controlled many rural areas, especially southwest Virginia, but has struggled in Northern Virginia.

McDonnell currently holds commanding leads in Congressional districts 10 and 11, which occupy much of the Northern Virginia area. Although it is still early, McDonnell votes make up more than 60 percent of the votes in each district.

Virginia’s blue result last year punched President Barack Obama’s ticket to the White House. The enthusiasm even seemed to carry Deeds in the primary elections this summer, Virginia Business President and Publisher Bernard Niemeier said.

“Deeds was great in the primary, but that does not seem to be the case,” Niemeier said. “There was a hope that Deeds could reach out to the younger and maybe disenfranchised voters as happened during last year’s Presidential election, but that hasn’t really happened in this campaign.”

Many Democratic supporters say this year’s Democratic state campaign did not have the same ideals, or results, as the Obama campaign.

“When Deeds was asked if he was an Obama Democrat, he hesitated and said that he was a ‘Creigh Deeds Democrat.’ This is showing that Deeds was not fully embracing the top of the Democratic party–he was basically saying he was ashamed of it,” said Democatic supporter Amir Malik.

Deeds has been questioned during the campaign about his views on guns and other social issues. He has supported gun rights in the past, even garnering an endorsement from the National Rifle Association in a previous campaign.

Democratic supporter Imran Chaudhry said the energy shown by last year’s Democrats has been more apparent in the Republican party this year.

“Democrats should learn their lesson,” Caudhry said. “The Republicans had a better outreach program, without a doubt they were more aggressive. Democrats were unable to inspire the base of the supporters.”

Small business owner LaMar Dixon, also a Democratic supporter, said lessons from this campaign can be applied to future endeavors in the state.

“I think that hopefuls will take the lessons learned from the campaign and move forward for a greater success in the future. It has been proven over the last eight years that the Democratic thought process of people first is better,” Dixon said.

Chaudrhy said attorney general candidate Steve Shannon holds the future of the party.

“If Shannon is head of the ticket next time and he engages in more outreach opportunities, people will actually listen to what Shannon says. Overall, I believe the Republicans had stronger candidates, they had the stronger more outreach-centered ticket,” Chaundry said.