McDonnell wins big in Virginia
Posted by Wellsy on November 3, 2009
In a race where the only uncertainty was the margin of victory, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell annihilated Democrat Creigh Deeds by a margin of 18 points. Going into Election Day, the margin in the polls had been widening, leaving this race in little doubt. Republicans won the other two statewide positions of Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General easily as well.
And yet, such a large margin of victory is quite surprising in a state that just a year ago went for Barack Obama fairly handily. A consistent message being pushed by pollsters and pundits tonight is that these elections aren’t a reflection on Obama and that the President himself isn’t a factor. That’s certainly true to a degree, as the races boil down to two candidates and issues that matter to a state electorate, not a national one.
Still, the addition of Virginia to the Democratic column was a major feather in the cap in 2008, and such a dramatic swing the other way for statewide offices doesn’t happen in a vacuum. In any event, it’s an impressive win for McDonnell and Republicans in Virginia.
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