Democrats Capture Control of Virginia Senate
Gains, Including House Seats, Buoy Kaine's Agenda

By Tim Craig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Democrats wrested control of the Senate from the Republicans in yesterday's legislative elections, picking up the four seats they needed to give them a majority of at least 21 to 19 and end a decade of GOP dominance in the chamber.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) claimed victory in a celebration at Tysons Corner. The Republicans retained control of the House, but the Democrats also gained seats there. The party's surge will help the governor advance much of his agenda during his last two years in office, including investing more in education, health and the environment.

"It's an exciting time," Kaine said in interview. "It enables me to get even more done."

The Democratic gains offered further evidence of a closely divided electorate as both parties gear up for next year's presidential and U.S. Senate races. Although Democrats made advances in rapidly changing, diversifying Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, the GOP held on to several Senate seats in more rural parts of the state.

In Fairfax County, Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D) easily beat Republican Gary H. Baise of Falls Church. Democrats also appeared well positioned to retain their majority on the Board of Supervisors.

In a race that centered on Prince William County's effort to curb illegal immigration, GOP board chairman Corey A. Stewart, who led the immigration crackdown, won reelection over Democrat Sharon E. Pandak.

In Loudoun County, most of the Board of Supervisors candidates who ran on a slow-growth platform won, including five Democrats. Chairman Scott K. York (I) was reelected.

In the Senate, Democrats won two hard-fought contests in Hampton Roads, unseating Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (Fairfax) and defeating J.K. "Jay" O'Brien (Fairfax).

O'Brien's Democratic opponent George L. Barker won by about 800 votes. Barker claimed victory but said O'Brien did not call him to concede.

Democrats also had a chance to pick up another Senate seat in Fairfax. With only absentee ballots left to be counted, Sen. Ken T. Cuccinelli II (R) held a 69-vote lead over Democrat Janet S. Oleszek.

Sen. Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax) said the gains in the Senate will be significant for Northern Virginia residents "because virtually every senator up here becomes a committee chairman. That's huge."

Saslaw, who will probably be majority leader, also becomes chairman of commerce and labor, for instance. "There will be a heavy urban focus," he said in an interview, referring to the Senate under new leadership. But he also sought to strike a centrist note, saying: "The state Senate has always governed from the center. That's what we do."

Democrats also picked up at least four House seats, including two in Northern Virginia. Democrat Margaret G. Vanderhye beat Republican David M. Hunt for the seat of retiring Del. Vincent F. Callahan Jr. (R-Fairfax). In Prince William, Democrat Paul Nichols picked up the seat of retiring GOP Del. Michele B. McQuigg. Del. Thomas Davis Rust (R-Fairfax) beat Democrat Jay P. Donahue.

Depending on the outcome of that race, Republicans will hold either a seven- or eight-seat majority in the House because they also unseated Del. Katherine B. Waddell, an independent from suburban Richmond. House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) issued a statement last night saying the "strong Republican majority in the House of Delegates endured despite a challenging political environment."

For most of the year, Republicans have been worried President Bush's unpopularity could become a drag on their candidates. Several Democratic candidates, particularly in Northern Virginia, sought to make their race in part a referendum on GOP policies in Washington.

The message appeared to be particularly effective in Hampton Roads, where Democrats won two seats over conservative Republicans.

In the Senate contests, Democrat Ralph S. Northam beat incumbent Sen. D. Nick Rerras (R) in the Norfolk area. John C. Miller (D) beat Patricia B. "Tricia" Stall (R) in the other Tidewater race.

In one of the most closely watched races in Northern Virginia, Democrat J.C. "Chap" Petersen beat Davis.

"This is one of those moments you dream about your whole life," Petersen told supporters at the Hilton in Tysons after his victory was clear.

"My hat's off to her for her service," he said of Davis.

Kaine staked his political reputation on Democratic gains in the 140-member legislature as he sought to build on the party's recent advances in the state and bolster the chances he can win approval of his agenda to invest more in education, health care and the environment.

Virginia Republicans responded to Kaine by telling voters that they would keep taxes low and crack down on illegal immigration, themes that spilled into local races in Northern Virginia.

In Fairfax, there were also several competitive races for the nine other board seats, and voters selected Raymond F. Morrogh (D) to replace Commonwealth's Attorney Robert F. Horan Jr. (D), who decided not to seek reelection.

But much of the attention was centered on state legislative races.

Democrats hoped to pick up as many as five House seats, which they said would position them to gain control of that chamber in the 2009 election.

The victory in the Senate marks the largest gain in that chamber by one party since 1991, when Republicans picked up eight seats during the administration of former governor L. Douglas Wilder (D).

Hoping to counterbalance the Democratic tilt of her Fairfax City and Vienna-based district, Davis raised more than $1 million for her matchup against Petersen.

Oleszek and Barker argued that Cuccinelli and O'Brien, who are among the most conservative members of the Senate, were out of the step with Fairfax County residents' views on social issues.

Kaine also targeted several open Senate seats created by GOP retirement. Conservatives also unseated two moderate GOP senators in the June primary.

In a district that stretches between western Loudoun and Winchester, Democrat Karen K. Schultz lost to Republican Jill Holtzman Vogel for the seat of retiring Sen. H. Russell Potts Jr. (R-Winchester).

In central Virginia, former delegate Albert C. Pollard Jr. (D) lost to Republican Richard H. Stuart for the seat of retiring Senate President John H. Chichester (R-Northumberland).

In a reliably Republican district near Roanoke, Democrat Michael J. Breiner lost an aggressive campaign against Republican Ralph K. Smith.

Because Republicans were widely seen as having difficulty recruiting challengers, most of the Democrats' 17 incumbents ran unopposed or faced nominal challengers this year.

The fall campaign for control of the General Assembly got off to an unusually early start as both parties started investing millions in the races in August.

According to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project, legislative candidates raised nearly $60 million this year, double what was spent in 2003, the last time both delegates and senators were on the ballot.

Candidates sent out a large amount of negative mail, and many launched television ad campaigns that were unprecedented for a state legislative race. In Northern Virginia, seven Senate candidates purchased network airtime in the expensive Washington market.

For most of the campaign, Republicans were on the defensive because of the party's role in crafting a plan in February that will pump $1 billion annually into highway and mass transit projects.

Because GOP legislators couldn't agree on a statewide tax increase, the plan included regional panels in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia that can raise taxes locally as well as steep fees on bad drivers.

The fees touched off a summer-long rebellion, including an online petition on which more than 175,000 people vowed to oust lawmakers who supported them.

In late August, GOP leaders sought to shift the focus to illegal immigration after Congress failed to address the issue.

House and Senate GOP leaders agreed on a plan to bar illegal immigrants from public colleges and deny them bail when they are charged with a crime.

In Northern Virginia, several GOP state legislative candidates also teamed with Stewart in Prince William to promote cutting off services for illegal immigrants in that county.

Immigration also became a factor in Connolly's race. But unlike Stewart, Connolly focused on illegal behavior, such as overcrowding, and did not support withholding services to people in the country illegally.

Unlike some previous Virginia legislative races, many GOP candidates shied away from campaigning on social issues such as abortion. House and Senate leaders unveiled plans for more spending on health care and school construction.

Kaine, who teamed with former governor Mark R. Warner (D), crafted a message of change, saying Republicans had blocked progress on quality-of-life issues, such as better schools and highways. Kaine and Warner argued that Democrats were responsible for the state's recent accolades, including being named by Forbes Magazine as the best state for business.

The stakes for both parties were heightened this year because this was the last Senate election before redistricting in 2011.

Staff writers Brigid Schulte, Michael A. Laris and Chris L. Jenkins contributed to this report.