Republican Stands Alone in Congressional Race

By Sandhya Somashekhar
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, September 7, 2008

Nov. 4 will be a lonely day for Rep. Frank R. Wolf. With the retirements of Rep. Tom Davis and Sen. John W. Warner, Wolf, who is vying for his 15th term this fall, will be the only Republican incumbent on the ticket in Northern Virginia.

The circumstances say as much about Democratic gains in the area as they do about Wolf, Virginia's longest-serving member of the House. A respected figure whose face is well known in the 10th District, he is relying on the good will he has built over a 28-year career to lead him to victory, despite the dark cloud hovering over the GOP this year. Northern Virginia has supported Democrats in some recent elections, and Democrats are optimistic that they will take the seats left open by Warner and Davis.

But he faces a potentially bruising fight against an energetic and well-funded Democratic challenger, Judy M. Feder, whom he defeated in 2006 but who is aiming to capitalize on the anti-GOP mood.

Feder, former head of Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute, is wagering that the region's Democratic shift has taken a firm hold in the 10th District, which spans a diverse area from McLean to Manassas to Winchester and includes tens of thousands of new voters for whom Frank Wolf might not be a household name.

She hopes to benefit from a ticket that includes presidential hopeful Barack Obama (D) and former governor Mark Warner (D), who is running for John Warner's seat. She has adopted Obama's mantra of change, calling Wolf an entrenched politician who has walked in lockstep with President Bush and has failed to evolve with his district.

"Twenty-eight years is a long time to be in Congress," Feder said. "I think that he is a nice guy. Much of the district is appreciative of his service. But . . . people don't see him acting on the issues that they care about," such as health care, the foreclosure crisis and transportation, she said.

Feder faces an uphill battle: She is up against a popular incumbent who has persevered even while his district supported Gov. Timothy M. Kaine in 2005 and Sen. James Webb in 2006, both Democrats.

Wolf is known as much for his focus on local causes as he is on international human rights. In recent years, he has lobbied against toll increases on the Dulles Greenway and vocally opposed a 65-mile transmission line planned by Dominion Virginia Power. He has been instrumental in attracting federal funding to the Metrorail extension to Tysons Corner, Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County.

At the same time, he has spoken out against human rights abuses in China and Sudan. He urged Bush to boycott the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics because of human rights concerns. Wolf also sponsored the legislation that created the Iraq Study Group.

He said he is known on Capitol Hill for his ability to reach out to Democrats.

"I try to bring people together to solve problems," he said. "I have never divided the community. You've never seen me do that."

His greatest asset, however, may be his roots in the district. During a visit this summer to a health clinic for poor families in Loudoun County, Wolf had a familiar experience.

"Congressman!" said Thomas McGorry, the head pediatrician, leaping from his seat. He grasped Wolf's hand warmly, like an old friend. "I voted for you when you still had brown hair," he said with a laugh -- perhaps because his own snowy hair reflected the change in Wolf's.

Supporters say Wolf has little to fear this year. Although his district includes Loudoun and parts of Prince William and Fairfax counties, it also includes a good chunk of the northern Shenandoah Valley, an area that has remained firmly in Republican control. Independent political analysts such as the Cook and Rothenberger reports favor Wolf this fall.

People in this district "don't want this abrasive partisanship, and that's mainly what [Feder] provides," said James E. Rich, chairman of Virginia's 10th Congressional District Republican Committee. "It really looks like a fish out of water in the western portion of the district. She wouldn't know one end of a cow from the other."

Feder's supporters, however, say Wolf can no longer count on the longtime residents that once made up his base. Since 2002, about 168,000 new voters have been added to the rolls in the district, according to Feder's campaign, which is banking that many of the transplants are leaning Democratic. They say Feder brings a jolt of energy to a region that is craving it.

"Judy is a can of Red Bull, and Frank is a bottle of Ambien pills," said Paul Begala, a national Democratic strategist and McLean resident who is supporting Feder. "I have never seen people more hungry for change. And when you think of change, you don't think of [an elderly] guy who has been in Washington for 28 years."

Two years ago, Wolf beat Feder with about 57 percent of the vote -- a decisive victory, but by a smaller margin than in previous elections.

Feder's campaign says she has many reasons to be more confident this year, including better name recognition, an earlier start and more than $1 million in campaign contributions. She also expects to benefit from Obama's sophisticated campaign machine and the enthusiasm surrounding his and Mark Warner's campaigns.

This year, a key issue has been health care, which she said has been the focus of much of her career. She was an adviser to President Bill Clinton on health-care policy and helped craft his administration's universal health-care plan, which ultimately failed. She has penned a new proposal to reform the nation's health-care system -- one that she says offers more choices than the failed 1993 plan.

She has criticized Wolf for his ties to Bush and has accused him of failing to take steps to jump-start the economy, make health care more affordable and bring mass transit to the area. Her campaign has sought to dispel the idea that Wolf is a moderate.

Wolf's supporters have lashed back, calling Feder, who is often described by her backers as "progressive," as too liberal for the district. They have criticized her fundraising, noting that much of her money comes from outside the district. They also have accused her of being too negative in her attacks. Experts predict that the race will get acrimonious as fall approaches.