With the election only one day away, Virginia senatorial candidates George Allen (R) and Charles S. Robb (D) are turning up the heat and making frantic, last-ditch efforts to mobilize voters.
Recent polls have shown the two candidates in a virtual dead heat.
In the final days of the campaign, the candidates "have to focus on motivating and energizing support, particularly [their] base in the party," said Larry J. Sabato, government and foreign affairs professor.
Representatives from both campaigns said they are focusing on energizing the most support possible.
The Allen campaign is committed to "building momentum with a positive message," Allen spokesman Tim Murtaugh said.
The campaign is busy reaching out to as many voters as possible all over the state, Murtaugh said. Starting Saturday and continuing until the election tomorrow, Allen has made and will be making appearances all over the state, including Northern Virginia, Richmond, Martinsville and Danville, in the southern part of Virginia.
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Robb campaign efforts also are focused all over the state, not in any particular area.
"We are not conceding any votes and not taking any for granted," Robb spokesman Mo Elleithee said.
The Robb campaign is committed to getting the message out and getting supporters to the polls in order to pull out an Election Day victory.
"We feel that is just enough to put us over the top," Elleithee said.
University students have diverse opinions about the campaign and the issues that have been raised during the course of the election season.
Third-year College student Mohsin Syed, standing outside the Pav yesterday afternoon, said the campaign has been "negative advertising par excellence." Both sides also have been fighting for the conservative center and misrepresenting each other in the process, he said.
Standing near Syed, fourth-year College student Charles Olmstead said the candidates "sell themselves differently in different parts of the state."
Olmstead said this was especially true with respect to certain issues like gun control that residents in some areas may be more concerned about than those from other regions of the state.
"Allen represents Southwest Virginia better than Northern Virginia, which has a larger population and tends to dominate the rest of the state at the exclusion of [other] interests," he said.
Third-year College student Patrick McCreesh said he supports Robb in the Senate race.
"Robb has proven to be an efficient senator working for Virginia, Allen didn't work for the whole state [during his term as governor]," McCreesh said.
If Allen takes the election, he would topple the only remaining Democratic statewide office-holder. Robb's counterpart in the U.S. Senate, John Warner, Gov. James S. Gilmore III, Lt. Gov. John Hager and Attorney General Mark L. Earley all are Republicans.
Murtaugh, Allen's spokesman, said if Allen is elected, he would cooperate with Warner in the U.S. Senate to assure the best representation for all Virginians.
"Allen likes to be a partner with Warner, rather than working against him," he said.
Allen was campaigning with Warner, Gilmore, Gen. Colin Powell and former presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kans.).
But Robb's spokesman Elleithee said Republicans probably will not get control of all statewide offices.
Sabato said an Allen victory "would represent the party's high point," and Democrats would begin to capture offices again within the next decade.
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