Democrats Will Take Internet Questions before Primary
Keith Irvin
Capital News Service
The program, titled "Battleground Virginia," will air at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on WSET-TV in Lynchburg as well as WRIC in Richmond.
Questions for the program may be submitted at either http://www.wjla.com or http://www.politico.com/battlegroundvirginia.
A May 18-20 poll by DailyKos saw Democrat Terry McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, leading his party rivals with 36 percent. Former state Delegate Brian Moran had 22 percent and state Sen. Creigh Deeds registered 13 percent.
McAuliffe has so far outraised the other two Democrats. He has received most of his campaign funds from outside the commonwealth, a fact his opponents have used to try to portray him as out-of-touch with Virginians.
Deeds, who narrowly lost to Bob McDonnell in the 2005 race for attorney general, on Friday received the endorsement of the Washington Post editorial board. The newspaper said Deeds is in a unique position to garner support for transportation funding from the state’s usually reluctant rural legislators.
Deeds has trailed his Democratic rivals in polls since the race began but has seen a bump in numbers since he has finished the spring legislative season and has started to campaign more heavily.
On May 19, the three Democrats squared off for their final debate at Northern Virginia Community College’s Annandale campus. The candidates agreed on most of the issues raised. One exception regarded drilling for natural gas: McAuliffe supported gas exploration 50 miles offshore, Deeds supported drilling as a means of job creation, and Moran opposed drilling in order to preserve tourism and Navy jobs as well as the Chesapeake Bay.
The winner of the June 9 primary will go on to face McDonnell, the sole Republican candidate for governor and former state attorney general, in the November general election. McDonnell holds a head-to-head poll lead against all three Democrats.
On Sunday, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele appeared in Bristol to support McDonnell in front of about 100 party supporters who applauded loudly when he recited the "Drill, baby, drill" line popularized by 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Virginia and New Jersey are the only states that will hold gubernatorial elections this year. The Virginia race is expected to receive a significant amount of national attention.
President Barack Obama is expected to campaign throughout Virginia for the Democratic nominee.