Virginia Democrats Take Control of State Senate

By Michael D. Shear

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Virginia Democrats wrested control of the state senate from Republicans Tuesday, gaining four additional seats to secure a 21-19 majority in the chamber for the first time in a decade. The party also made historic gains in the House of Delegates and won key local races.

In a speech to Democratic Party activists at a hotel in Tysons Corner, Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) hailed the political changes that have swept through Virginia, beginning with the election of Gov. Mark R. Warner in 2001, his own election four years later and last year's victory by U.S. Sen. James Webb.

In an interview moments later, Kaine said Democrats picked up four seats in the Senate, with two races still outstanding. "It's an exciting time," Kaine said. "The state is really a competitive state." The gains mean there is a new Democratic partner for him in Richmond, he said. "It enables me to get even more done," Kaine said.

Kaine's comments came as the votes were still being counted across the commonwealth. But what was clear to the governor was already emerging in the tallies: Democrats in Virginia made big gains in the legislature and in key local races as the commonwealth's voters continued to dramatically shift their preferences away from the Republican elected leadership they installed during the 1990s.

The party won at least four key state Senate races -- including a bitter and costly battle between Democrat J.C. "Chap" Petersen and Republican incumbent Jeannemarie Devolites Davis -- giving them outright control in the chamber, which has been under Republican control since 1997. In the House, they gained at least four seats, with one race in the Reston area too close to call.

Petersen said he was "very, very pleased." He attributed his wide margin to voter fatigue with Republican rule: "No doubt being a Democrat was helpful. That was a piece of the puzzle."

The key to Democratic hopes was secured by Fairfax voters, who reversed control of the Senate by ousting Republican incumbent J.K. "Jay" O'Brien Jr. from his seat in the western part of the county.

Kaine declared victory early based on a win by Democrat George L. Barker, who was leading by about 700 votes last night with the absentee ballots still to be counted. News organizations, including the Associated Press and The Washington Post, waited until about 1:30 a.m. to call Barker the winner.

Also in Fairfax, incumbent Republican Sen. Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II was neck-and-neck with Democratic challenger Janet S. Oleszek. If Oleszek wins, Democrats would extend their majority in the Senate to 22-18.

Barker's win was part of a Democratic surge in the county: Incumbent Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry E. Connolly (D) trounced his opponent. And Petersen easily defeated Davis despite the efforts of her husband, U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R).

In claiming the Senate, Democrats prepared to install longtime Fairfax Sen. Richard L. Saslaw as majority leader and seize the chairmanships of key committees that control social legislation, crime issues, land-use and transportation policy.

Saslaw said the results proved that efforts by Republicans to focus voter attention on illegal immigration did not work.

"I did not think that immigration in and of itself would carry the day," Saslaw said. "The results are proving that while immigration is a concern to people -- and it should be -- it is not returning the votes that they thought that it would."

However, in Prince William, Republican Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart succeeded in winning reelection after making illegal immigration a focus of the campaign. He had led the board to impose tough sanctions on illegal immigrants, making national news.

Robert D. Holsworth, a political science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, said the "decline of the Republican brand" rallied Democratic activists, bringing forward credible Democratic candidates and attracting hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions to Democratic campaigns.

Democrats claimed victory on the Eastern Shore, where Democrat Ralph S. Northam defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Nick Rerras. And in Tidewater, Democrat John C. Miller defeated Republican Patricia B. "Tricia" Stall for an open Senate seat last held by a Republican.

The party also successfully defended a challenge against Charles Colgan (D-Prince William), who will remain the Senate's longest-serving member.

In the outer suburbs of Northern Virginia, Karen K. Schultz, a Democrat, appeared to be losing her bid to capture a typically Republican seat that has been held by Republican H. Russell Potts Jr. Republican Jill Holtzman Vogel was leading.

Republicans successfully defended a Senate seat in the Roanoke area, as Ralph K. Smith defeated Democrat Michael J. Breiner. Smith defeated incumbent Republican J. Brandon Bell in a primary this year after Bell spent much of the last year advocating a statewide ban on smoking.

In the House of Delegates, where Democrats had predicted they would make more modest progress against a strong Republican majority, Democrats gained four seats, and may add another, bringing them closer to parity with the Republican majority.

Democrats picked up a House seat in Virginia Beach, where incumbent Republican John J. Welch III lost to Democrat R.W. "Bobby" Mathieson. But the GOP picked up a seat in the Richmond suburbs by defeating independent Katherine B. Waddell with Republican G.M. "Manoli" Loupassi.

Democrat Margaret G. Vanderhye defeated Republican David M. "Dave" Hunt for the seat left open by the retirement of longtime GOP lawmaker Vincent F. Callahan Jr. in the Mclean area of Fairfax.

In Virginia Beach, Democrat Joseph F. "Joe" Bouchard defeated Chris P. Stolle. In Prince William County, Democrat Paul F. Nichols defeated Republican Faisal M. Gill.

A race in Reston between incumbent Republican Thomas D. Rust and Democratic challenger Jay P. Donohue was too close to call.

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