Democrats Savor New Majority Status

Va. Senate Leaders Seek Centrist Route

RICHMOND -- Midway through their second full week on the job, Democrats are rediscovering what it's like to hold the power in the Virginia Senate.

Lobbyists swarm outside the Democratic senators' offices, waiting to be heard. Campaign contributions pour in. And the Democrats are finding that they can muscle some of their priorities through committees, including a vote last week to repeal the abusive-driving fees.

"We are still trying to enjoy this," said Sen. R. Edward Houck (Spotsylvania), referring to the Democrats' success in regaining control of the Senate after more than a decade of GOP rule. Republicans control the House.

But as the hard work of the General Assembly begins, Senate Democrats will probably discover that it's not easy being in charge. Because they hold a narrow majority, 21 to 19, the slightest dissension within their ranks could stall their agenda, embolden the Republican opposition and expose sharp ideological differences between wings of the party.

The divisions showed last month, when a flurry of backroom deals helped quell tensions between senators over who should sit on which committees. Since then, Democratic senators have gone out of their way to present a unified front.

"We realize we have to stay unified to accomplish anything," said Sen. Janet D. Howell (Fairfax). "We are determined the Democrats in the Senate are going to make a difference, and the only way to do that is sticking together."

The Democrats' agenda includes more money for transportation, reforms to the state mental health system, an expansion of subsidized pre-kindergarten and new efforts to promote alternative energy.

All 21 Senate Democrats also agreed to wade cautiously into the debate over illegal immigration, endorsing bills to address residential crowding, to make it easier to check immigration status and to deny bail to people in the country illegally who commit serious crimes.

But Senate Democrats say Virginians should not expect bold policy initiatives and extensive debate on controversial social issues this year. "We will lead from the center," Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple (Fairfax) said recently.

A centrist course is a necessity for a group that has deep geographical and ideological differences on such issues as gun control, gay rights and abortion.

The Democrats are evenly divided among African Americans from Richmond or Tidewater, Northern Virginia liberals and Democrats from southwestern Virginia, some of whom represent districts that favor GOP candidates in statewide races. When the Democrats last held power in the Virginia Senate, in the 1990s, the rural faction controlled many of the key committees.

"I think the group of Democrats who now hold power in Virginia look far more like national Democrats than at any time in Virginia history," said Robert D. Holsworth, a political science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. "Right now, when you talk about the Northern Virginia delegation, it wouldn't look very different than the Democratic delegation in Pennsylvania or Maryland."