Va. Gubernatorial Hopefuls Throw Out Their First Pitches

In recent years, Democrats have won two successive gubernatorial elections, both U.S. Senate seats and control of the state Senate. This year, a Democratic presidential nominee carried the state for the first time in more than four decades.

McDonnell, 54, used his time to explain how he is unlike the many Republicans who lost this year.

He said he will appeal to new voters, younger residents and minorities as a moderate who has worked on welfare reform and promoted Internet safety and drunken-driving laws.

"I'm not writing one single vote off here in Virginia,'' he said. "I'm going to run hard while these others guys are fighting for the next six and a half months."

McDonnell's lack of opposition means he will have the spring and summer to raise money, organize his campaign and develop a message heading into next year's general election while Democrats wage an expensive, nasty primary fight.

McDonnell became the Republican nominee for governor last month after no one else filed to run by the deadline. Voters will chose a Democratic nominee June 9 in the party's first contested gubernatorial nomination battle in more than two decades.

Moran (Alexandria) and Deeds (Bath) have been laying the groundwork to run for governor for years. McAuliffe plans to announce a final decision on his candidacy Jan. 7 but has started raising money and hiring a staff.

Deeds, who lost the attorney general's race to McDonnell by fewer than 400 votes, is expected to benefit from a primary against two candidates from Northern Virginia. Deeds and Moran have different personalities and interests, and on Tuesday the two legislators worked to distinguish themselves from each other.

Deeds, 50, stressed his experience as a statewide candidate and said he could win against McDonnell, who he said is too conservative to appeal to residents in Northern Virginia and elsewhere. He accused McDonnell of supporting a sham transportation plan that was built on money that never materialized. (McDonnell countered that Deeds voted for the plan, too, and said half the money is still available.)

Moran, 49, touted his work with Democratic standard-bearers Kaine and Warner and said he would continue what they started. "We've re-branded the Democratic Party in Virginia. We have gone too far to go back," he said.

The candidates agreed that the economy will dominate the race and monopolize the next governor's agenda for at least the first part of his term.

State officials, facing one of the worst financial crises in recent times, must cut $3 billion from the two-year budget. All four also agreed that Virginia would have to continue cutting the budget, but they ruled out raising taxes.

"The worst thing you can do is to tax your way to prosperity,'' McDonnell said. "That's failed in the United States and abroad."

The day-long event, organized by the Associated Press, takes place each year a month before the legislative session. It is one of the few events where McDonnell will appear with all three Democratic candidates.