Key N.Va. Campaign May Peak In Primary
Davis Retirement Spurs Democrats

By Amy Gardner
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 12, 2008

One of the most closely watched and hard-fought political contests in the nation will unfold in Virginia this year -- but not necessarily on Nov. 4.

In the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R) in Northern Virginia's 11th Congressional District, many think the real battle will take place June 10 between four candidates facing off for the Democratic nomination.

Leading the pack are two of the state Democrats' biggest personalities: Leslie L. Byrne, a former congresswoman, state delegate and state senator with deep roots in the party's progressive wing, and Gerald E. Connolly, a Latin-quoting, pro-business Democrat who, as chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, represents one in seven Virginians.

Two Democratic newcomers -- retired naval officer Douglas J. Denneny and physical therapist Lori P. Alexander -- are also in the race. And there is a well-funded Republican waiting to face the winner in the fall: Keith S. Fimian, the owner of a home-inspection business, whose campaign has more than $600,000 in the bank, half of it his money.

By nearly all accounts, the tougher and potentially nastier contest is between Byrne and Connolly, both of whom have been not-so-quietly positioning for this shot at federal office for years. Northern Virginia voters have been choosing Democrats overwhelmingly in recent elections, and Davis's retirement presents a chance for Democrats to gain another seat in Congress.

"Most people see this as a very prime opportunity for Democrats," said former lieutenant governor Donald S. Beyer Jr., an old friend of Byrne's and Connolly's who is supporting both. "I'm sure Republicans will field a strong candidate, but it's hard to imagine who will be as strong as Leslie or Gerry."

Byrne declared her candidacy last fall, before Davis even announced his retirement from a seat that covers much of central and southern Fairfax County and a large swath of Prince William County. She has been amassing support ever since: from a long list of unions, from the pro-abortion rights, pro-woman group Emily's List and, last week, from U.S. Sen. James Webb (D-Va.).

Byrne said she is running for Congress to bring a progressive voice to Washington. She is critical of the Bush administration over U.S. involvement in Iraq, and she says the administration has pushed deregulation of industries at the expense of consumers and the environment and has failed to reform health care.

She also brings the experience of having served in Congress before. Byrne is seeking to recapture the seat she held for one term in the early 1990s, before Davis defeated her in the Republican revolution of 1994. Byrne would have instant seniority over the rest of the freshman class and would use it to gain a seat on the Transportation Committee to help Northern Virginians deal with traffic, she said.

"If you're looking for someone who stands up for what I believe, and delivers it, I'm the one," she said.

Connolly jumped into the race this year, after Davis's announcement and after Connolly had tested the waters and found a ready supply of community and financial support. Already, Connolly appears to have a significant financial advantage over Byrne. He said he had raised almost $300,000 since January, compared with Byrne's $115,000 in the final quarter of last year.

Connolly said he would bring to Washington the same expectation of good service and competence that he thinks Fairfax delivers to its residents. He would also continue Davis's legacy of defending federal workers, pushing for highway improvements and nurturing the government contractors and high-tech industries that fueled Northern Virginia's economic boom, he said.

But Connolly is also careful to reach out to the Democratic Party's base, a crucial voting bloc in a primary. He has courted the grocery store union by promoting a county ordinance to limit the size of Wal-Marts and other big-box stores. He has led a Cool Counties initiative to promote conservation in government. He also is critical of the Bush administration's Iraq policy. He touts his experience working for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as evidence that he is better prepared than Byrne to address matters of foreign policy and national security. And because he is more pro-business than Byrne, he has a better shot against a Republican in the fall, he said.

"There isn't a lot of daylight between us on the issues," Connolly acknowledged. "This is going to be an examination of credentials and electability."

Connolly has amassed a deep well of support from local Democratic committee leaders and elected officials, including all but one of the Democrats on the county board, a dozen Democratic state lawmakers from Northern Virginia and elected leaders from Fairfax City, Alexandria, Arlington, Prince William County, Occoquan, Herndon and Vienna.

The Byrne-Connolly matchup is noteworthy in part because of the tenacity and political experience that each brings to the contest. Both have been operating in Northern Virginia Democratic circles for the better part of a quarter-century. And both have personalities like freight trains -- which has yielded kudos for strong leadership but also produced a set of vocal detractors.

Byrne has a reputation for taking uncompromising, ideologically driven positions that can alienate even like-minded colleagues. Connolly is known to defend his own actions so relentlessly that he has intimidated county residents who have sought to approach him.

Supervisor Penelope A. Gross (D-Mason) said she witnessed such an occurrence a few weeks ago at a meeting of the Annandale Chamber of Commerce when Connolly became engaged in a heated discussion about his support of Supervisor Linda Q. Smyth (D-Providence) in her primary race last year against Charles W. Hall.

"His strong convictions sometimes come across as an edge," Gross said. "Folks are a little blown away, but behind that strong personality is a real passion for the issues, a passion for humanity and a passion for doing the right thing."

Byrne and Connolly have each assumed the mantle of front-runner. Each claims to be ahead of the other, based on poll results. A Byrne poll shows her with greater name recognition than Connolly, but Connolly released a poll Monday showing that he had the edge in recognition. Byrne narrowly lost a bid for lieutenant governor in 2005, a campaign that gave her statewide exposure. But Connolly cruised to reelection in November, spending $1 million along the way on a campaign that included a network television advertising campaign that brought him valuable exposure.

The most critical question is which candidate will possess, come primary day, the most loyal following among the party activists who typically turn out for such elections. Only the results June 10 are likely to resolve the he-said, she-said debate now raging over the answer.