Incumbent U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Charlottesville, soundly defeated Democratic challenger Al Weed for the fifth district Congressional seat in yesterday's midterm election. Goode gained 59 percent of the vote to Weed's 40 percent.
Goode, who has represented the fifth district in Congress since 1996, attributed the victory to his stance on the campaign's major issues.
"I just think it was a difference on the issues and a clear choice, and the voters spoke their minds," Goode said.
Weed spokesman Curt Gleeson said he thought that Goode's incumbency contributed to his win.
"It's a statement on the fact that Virgil has been an elected official for 33 years; they're comfortable with him," Gleeson said.
Neither Goode nor Gleeson said they believed that the presence of the Marshall-Newman Act, the so-called "marriage amendment," on Virginia's ballot affected the outcome of the race, though Goode said he thought it might have increased voter turnout.
"I think it increased turnout on both sides," Goode said. "I think it caused more people to vote than probably would have voted in an off-year election."
The results match those of the 2004 election, when Goode and Weed also faced off; however, Goode's margin of victory was slightly smaller yesterday than it was two years ago, when he garnered 64 percent of the vote to Weed's 36 percent.
According to Goode, this year's campaign differed little from the 2004 race with regard to the issues, but changes in the national political climate may have contributed to the difference in the margin of victory.
"I think the national trend did affect it some," Goode said.
Gleeson agreed that national issues and trends had a large impact on the race.
"I think it's a measure of the change that I think everyone's feeling, and I think it's a measure of the issues Al brought up," Gleeson said. "That's what led to those few points and would have led to more points had it not been someone so well-known and well-liked."
Gleeson noted that the point difference could also be indicative of an upswing of Democratic power in the fifth district as well as the Commonwealth as a whole.
"The victories of Mark Warner and Tim Kaine in the fifth district are very important," Gleeson said.
Gleeson said Weed's defeat would not end his efforts in public service.
"When Al volunteered for the military in '68, he began service and hasn't stopped yet, and I don't think he knows how to stop," Gleeson said.
Goode predicted Democratic victories in the House of Representatives but said that changes in the balance of power would have little affect on his legislative agenda, which includes helping areas of high unemployment in the district and ending American dependence of foreign fossil fuels.
"My focus is still going to be on issues that are important to the fifth district," Goode said.
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