At a Democratic Party rally Saturday on the Downtown Mall, local candidates cheered supporters, restated their platforms and emphasized the importance of tomorrow's elections for the future of their party in Virginia.
About 100 people gathered to hear speakers, including Sen. Emily Couric, D-Charlottesville, Ed Wayland, candidate for the 58th district, and Del. Mitch Van Yahres, D-57th, along with city office candidates.
Members of the audience cheered the candidates and hammered the air with political signs.
Couric is defending her seat against challenger Jane Maddux (R), and Wayland is challenging Del. Paul Harris, R-58th. Van Yahres is running unopposed.
In brief remarks, Couric encouraged the crowd by touching on her usual campaign points of education, affordable health care and preserving Virginia's "quality of life.
"We understand how important our schools are," she said.
Wayland reminded the crowd about his practical experience and knowledge of the district's concerns.
He said his campaign was built on the notion that when people get to know him, they will "come forward" to support him along with the other democratic candidates.
"We're going to go forward to get a great set of victories on Tuesday," he added.
While Couric and Wayland appealed to the audience by revisiting their campaign positions, Van Yahres warned Democrats that poor party turnout at the voting booths could allow Republicans to gain control of the General Assembly and lead to power-grabbing by Gov. James S. Gilmore III (R).
According to Van Yahres, the Gilmore administration would become a "monarchy" and "dictatorship" if Republicans gained control of the legislature.
Republicans only need a net gain of one seat in the House of Delegates, while holding on to their 21-19 advantage in the Senate, to win control of the legislature.
Van Yahres said the possibility of such a scenario should motivate all Democrats to get to the polls.
"I'm here to help out the candidates that need your vote," he said. If Democrats fail to keep their current number of seats, "we're going to get trampled to death" by a Republican majority.
While introducing Van Yahres, Albemarle County Democrats Chairman Will Harvey criticized Republicans for not running a challenger against Van Yahres.
Harvey said Republicans hope Democrat voters in the city who would come out to vote for Van Yahres will otherwise stay home.
He said that such voters would be in Couric's Senate district, and their absence would hurt her at the election.
The Republicans think they are "going to keep the vote down in the city by not running someone against Mitch," he added.
Larry J. Sabato, government and foreign affairs professor, agreed that Republicans have adopted this strategy.
Steve Rose, a Charlottesville resident and Democratic supporter, said he felt the Democratic candidates ran substantive campaigns.
"They're running on the issues --especially Ed Wayland," Rose said.
Couric volunteer Jack Marshall said Couric's views make her a better candidate than Maddux.
"I think she's more enlightened than Jane Maddux," Marshall said.
But Charlottesville resident Lisa Dawn, who watched the rally wearing a Maddux sticker, said Maddux is a better fit for the Charlottesville area.
"Her views are more in line with the people of this district," Dawn said.
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