Developers Pouring Cash Into Va. Campaigns

But Peter Schwartz, a commercial real estate investor in Northern Virginia, said many of his peers believe Kaine's proposal will lead to better planning and more livable communities.

"Those of us who are in development for the long run fundamentally know that our assets are going to be less valuable if people can't get to them," he said. "You have got to have in place a set of policies that link land use and transportation. Otherwise you kill the golden goose."

Murtaugh said Kaine's last-minute proposal was a bait-and-switch on the development community, which had invested millions in his candidacy.

"He told them what they wanted to hear for 10 months, then he flips on them, pandering for votes having already cashed the checks," Murtaugh said.

Kaine spokeswoman Delacey Skinner called that charge "absurd." She said Kaine, the lieutenant governor, has always been clear that he wants to ease the state's transportation problems by improving the way local governments and the state plan for houses and roads.

"It is about doing things in a way that is smarter and balances all the interests and different needs of the stakeholders at the table," Skinner said. "Jerry Kilgore . . . keeps using the same old approaches."

Some of the largest contributions this year are coming from developers and home builders in Northern Virginia, but all three candidates have tapped real estate interests from across the state and outside Virginia, according to Virginia Public Access Project data. Kaine and Potts have received six-figure checks from developers in Northern Virginia, while Kilgore's largest real estate donations come from Richmond and Hampton Roads.

Developers have long been a powerful force in Virginia's elections. But they have often been overshadowed by lawyers, retail businesses, finance companies and technology firms.

In 2001, tech companies and their executives gave record amounts to one of their own, Mark R. Warner (D), who was elected governor. But donations from those sources have dropped precipitously this year.

Whoever is elected governor Nov. 8 will almost certainly confront heated debates over development issues during his four years in office. The governor can propose legislation and sign or veto bills regarding the powers of local governments to regulate development.

Developers and slow-growth advocates alike say members of the public -- and the lawmakers who represent them -- are becoming increasingly anxious about the effects of growth, especially on the clogged transportation network.

In Richmond this year, several lawmakers from both parties supported legislation that would have granted local governments the authority to control development or impose fees on builders to cover the impact of new homes.