Former Navy Secretary Jim Webb won the Democratic nomination to face Republican incumbent George Allen in November's Senate elections, winning 53 percent of the vote, according to nearly complete totals.
Kristian Denny-Todd, communications director for the Webb campaign, attributed Webb's success to a number of factors, including his "electability" against George Allen, which she said resulted in Webb's overwhelming success in Northern Virginia.
"The overriding theme that attracted [Northern Virginia] democrats, in particular, was the electability factor, that he was a democrat who could win, who could beat George Allen," Denny-Todd said.
The endorsement of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) also accounted for Webb's success, as it "put to rest any type of fears or reservations they may have had about Jim's credentials," Denny-Todd said, especially for voters who may have been bothered by Webb's history as a Reagan-republican.
Taylor West, the communications director for Webb's opponent, Democratic activist Harris Miller, also attributed Webb's success in Northern Virginia to national endorsements and the belief that he would be a stronger challenger against Allen.
"I think we ran a very strong campaign everywhere in the state aside from Northern Virginia," West said. "The hardest thing was not knowing who exactly was going to come out to the polls. Certainly we felt like we probably would have come out stronger in Northern Virginia than we did, but it was a difficult thing to predict."
In his concession speech Tuesday night, Miller pledged to support Webb as he fights for a seat in the Senate this fall.
"Jim Webb is going to be a great United States senator and I'm going to do everything I can to help him get there," Miller said. "[Webb] ran a great campaign, and I'm looking forward to campaigning with him over the next few months."
According to University politics Prof. Larry J. Sabato, Webb will serve as a more formidable opponent against Allen in November. "Webb has a strong military record and until recently, was a Reagan Republican," Sabato said. "He has some appeal across party lines."
Denny-Todd said that Webb's victory is promising news for Democrats.
"A Webb victory means that Virginians are ready to boot George Allen," she said."They're ready to make a change, and that's a strong indicator given that we were so severely outspent and that we survived."
According to Sabato, both Webb and Allen have a hard fight ahead of them. "It's fair to say that Webb has a steep uphill climb, but that Allen has a real race on his hands," Sabato said."He may have to spend more time in Virginia and less time in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina."
Read More
Student Council passes resolution to uphold student voices during presidential search
By Lauren Seeliger | YesterdayThe resolution requests that five students be included on the search committee, and that the Board of Visitors provides key updates to the student body throughout the search process.
Senior VP for Operations Colette Sheehy looks back at her career at the University
By Brandon Kile | 3 days agoSheehy’s role involved overseeing the work of around 2,500 University employees, including custodians, architects and engineers.
Will the Faculty Senate’s no-confidence vote impact the U.Va. Board of Visitors?
By Brandon Kile | 3 days agoIn many cases, a no-confidence vote may soon be followed by steps taken to remove the leadership that may be acting against the wishes of a community.
