By Stephen Groves
With 60 days until the elections, Virginia’s congressional campaigns are heating up.
While University of Virginia professor Larry Sabato released a prediction on Thursday that Republicans would gain 47 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, the status of Virginia’s close elections – the second, fifth, ninth, and 11th districts – did not change. The second and fifth are still toss-ups, and the ninth and 11th lean Democratic. But that doesn't mean the campaigns aren't creating any clamor.
On Thursday, candidates in the second district met for the second debate of the campaign, focusing on the Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) closing and campaign tactics. JFCOM will be a key issue in that race, with both Rep. Glenn Nye (D) and Scott Rigell (R) trying to take command of the issue.
Nye is a part of the coalition of Virginia congressmen challenging Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ decision to close the base.
“The proposal by the Defense Department to close JFCOM is short-sighted and without merit," Glenn said after the closing was announced.
But Rigell accused his opponent of falling asleep at the wheel and not knowing about the closing until Gates announced it on Aug. 9. In the coming weeks, the Senate Committee on Armed Services will meet to discuss the closing. Whether or not Virginia’s congressmen can make any headway to stop the closing could become a key factor in how people vote on Nov. 2.
The Republican and Democratic candidates for the race say they will keep the economy as their focus for the campaign. Rigell, the owner of a chain of car dealerships, is running from his experience as a business leader who can bring conservative principles to Washington. Nye’s message similarly focuses on keeping jobs in the district.
“My priorities have not changed since I ran for this seat two years ago — working on behalf of our military, veterans and their families, and making sure our small businesses get the support they deserve to help strengthen our economy,” he said.
During the debate, which also included independent candidate Kenny Golden, Nye fired back at Rigell for putting out negative campaign ads. A recent ad released by Rigell’s campaign links Nye to U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Obama. The ad tells of Nye’s votes to make Pelosi speaker and to push through federal stimulus funding.
“They are 100 percent factual,” Rigell campaign spokesperson Jason Miyares said of the ads.
Nye’s campaign countered with an ad touting his fiscal conservatism, including votes against the federal health care reform bill, Wall Street bailouts, and congressional pay raises.
Nye’s fellow freshman Democratic incumbent, Rep. Tom Perriello, seems to be taking the same approach of distancing himself from Obama’s administration in the fifth district race.
“He’s an independent. He has taken the administration on very strongly,” said Jessica Barba, spokesperson for Perriello’s campaign.
A recent poll by SurveyUSA for WDBJ News in Roanoke puts state Del. Robert Hurt (R) leading Perriello, 61 percent to 35 percent. But that pull varies greatly with another poll taken by Ayres McHenry & Associates for the pro-Republican group American Action Forum that narrows Hurt's lead to just six points. Democrats have criticized the accuracy of the polls.
Regardless, Perriello has been campaigning aggressively. On Thursday, he answered questions from a mostly Tea Party crowd in Lynchburg.
While Periello and Hurt have not debated, that hasn’t stopped them from lobbing attacks at each other over issues like debate conditions, votes for electricity bill raises, the cap-and-trade bill vote, campaign contributions from labor groups, and tax increases. In one press release, Perriello’s campaign suggested that Hurt is not conservative enough.
The independent candidate in the fifth district also made news this week. Jeff Clark offered to step out the race if the people who revealed his past personal financial troubles to the press would reveal themselves. He then rescinded the offer.
Even Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli got involved in the fray, hosting two town halls in the district on Thursday. Cuccinelli’s office said his appearances had nothing to do with the elections.
With nearly two months left to campaign, Perriello and Hurt said they would focus on jobs and the economy.
Perriello’s campaign said he will run on his record of supporting working class families. Hurt similarly promised he would focus on scaling back the spending and size of government to encourage job creation for private businesses.
The line has a familiar ring throughout the state, such as in the ninth district, where Rep. Rick Boucher (D), who has comfortably won the district in recent elections, has campaigned aggressively with ads that separate him from the national Democratic party.
But state Del. Morgan Griffith (R) gained a little ground last month. In a SurveyUSA poll, he improved from 13 points behind in mid-July to now being 10 points down. Griffith has tried to get Boucher to debate, but so far the incumbent has declined.
The economy continues to weigh heavily on all campaigns. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released unemployment figures for August on Friday, showing the national unemployment rate at 9.6 percent, up slightly from July's rate of 9.5 percent. In Virginia, the July rate was 7 percent. State figures for August have yet to be calculated.
