Virginia Hunting Dog Owner's Association

Contest updates since May 15, 2007 shown in Italics
Winners shown in red
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Dear Virginia Dog Owners,

Unlike most states, every year is an election year in Virginia. State and local elections are in odd years. Federal elections for President and the U.S. Congress are in even years. This year, 2007, all 140 members of the General Assembly are up for re-election to two or four-year terms. For more background on Virginia governance, click here.

While the Old Dominion is politically balanced statewide, nearly all its congressional and General Assembly (GA) seats have been designed to be safe-GOP, or safe-Democratic domains. This precinct-shifting process is repeated every ten years, after each U.S. census. As a result, few of the GA seats are two-party competitive and the most interesting, hard-fought contests are frequently primary races involving intraparty challenges or open seats due to retirements. November general election candidates are chosen in a variety of ways here, the most common being the winner of a State Board of Elections' supervised primary election, held this year on June 12th. Local political parties may also employ party caucuses and "firehouse" primaries, both of which are less inclusive selection methods. The first of the firehouse primaries was held last Saturday, May 12th, to select the GOP candidate to challenge Delegate Katherine Waddell (I) of Dist 86 (Richmond/Chesterfield). Manoli Loupassi won and will have VHDOA's November endorsement.

The most interesting aspect of this year's election from a lobbyist's perspective is that three senior GOP legislators from the House and Senate are retiring, creating six committee chairmen vacancies. Filling those chairmanships will have a ripple effect that very directly impacts on animal owners.

Del. Vince Callahan (R-34) Appropriations Chairman
Del. Jack Reid (R-72) General Laws Chairman
Del. Leo Wardrup (R-83) Transportation Chairman
Sen. John Chichester (R-28) Senate President Pro-Tem and Finance Chairman
Sen. Charles Hawkins (R-19) Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Chairman
Sen. Russ Potts (R-27) Education and Health Chairman

Senator Potts' retirement is most welcome. He has been a consistent animal rightist and the sponsor of many ill-considered bills opposed by VHDOA and other animal owners. Don Marro, president of PETA-wannabe Virginia Voters for Animal Welfare (VVAW) and a Potts' financial backer, has filed for this seat as an Independent, virtually assuring a GOP win.

The more interesting May-June contests and VHDOA's comments follow. Recommended non-partisan information resources include State Board of Elections and Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) VPAP's website information is incorporated here and gratefully acknowledged.

House District 34
Democratic: Primary - June 12
Richard Sullivan and Margaret Vanderhye are vying for the Democratic nomination in House District 34. The seat is open following the pending retirement of Republican Del. Vincent Callahan.
Probable toss-up seat.

House District 51
Democratic and Republican: Party Caucus - Conventions - June 2
Both major parties have contests in this district. Faisal Gill and Julie Lucas face off for the GOP nomination in House District 51. On the Democratic side, Jeff Dion faces Paul Nichols. The seat is open following Republican Del. Michele McQuigg's decision to run for clerk of court. Dion withdrew on May 26th
Marginal GOP seat.

Republican: Primary - June 12
There is a three-way scrum for the western Henrico County seat that is open following the pending retirement of Republican Del. Jack Reid.
James Massie - Poovillam S Subramanian - James Wheat
Safe GOP seat.

House District 74
Democratic: Primary - June 12
Five Democrats are competing for their party's nomination in House District 74, left open after incumbent Del. Donald McEachin decided to run for the Senate.
Safe Democratic seat. Floyd Miles was an AR voter and bill sponsor in the House before Don McEachin regained his seat in 2005. Winner Joseph D. Morrissey

House District 79
Democratic: Primary - June 12
Henry Light is challenging incumbent Johnny Joannou for the Democratic nomination in Portsmouth.
Safe Democratic seat.

House District 83
Republican: Primary - June 12
The two-way race for the GOP nomination was set up by the retirement of long-time Del. Leo Wardrup of Virginia Beach.
Chris Stolle - Carolyn Weems
Safe GOP seat.

House District 96
Republican: Firehouse Primary - June 9
Three candidates are seeking the GOP nomination House District 96, which is being vacated by the retirement of Del. Melanie Rapp.
Brenda Pogge - Sheila Noll - Richard H Jones
Very likely GOP seat.

Senate District 1
Republican: Primary - June 12
Tricia Stall is challenging incumbent Senator Martin Williams for the Republican nomination in Senate District 1.
If efforts to keep Senator Martin off the GOP primary ballot are successful, he will run as an Independent in November and win.
Marginal GOP seat

Senate District 9
Democratic: Primary - June 12
Del. Donald McEachin is challenging Democratic Sen. Benjamin Lambert III in a Democratic primary a predominately black district in the Richmond area.
Safe Democratic seat. Del. McEachin heavy favorite.

Senate District 12
Republican: Primary - June 12
Joseph Blackburn is challenging Sen. Walter Stosch in Henrico County.
Safe GOP seat.

Senate District 13
Primary - June 12
Both major parties have contests in Senate District 13. David Bouchard and Steven Heretick are vying for the Democratic nod. On the GOP side, Richard Ramsey is challenging Sen. Fred Quayle of Portsmouth.
Very likely GOP seat.

Senate District 22
Republican Primary - June 12
Former Roanoke mayor Ralph Smith is challenging incumbent Sen. Brandon Bell for the Republican nomination in the Roanoke suburbs.
Strong GOP seat

Senate District 24
Republican: Primary - June 12
Robert Sayre is challenging incumbent Sen. Emmett Hanger for the Republican nomination in the Shenandoah Valley.
Safe GOP seat. Senator Hanger cast the deciding committee vote for the HB339 "Gotcha" rabies/dog licensing scheme.

Senate District 27
Republican: Primary - June 12
The retirement of Sen. Russ Potts has prompted a battle for the GOP nomination between two candidates who sought to unseat Potts four years ago. Don Marro, president of PETA-wannabe Virginia Voters for Animal Welfare (VVAW) and a Potts' financial backer, has filed for this seat as an Independent.
Jill Holtzman Vogel - Mark Tate
Safe GOP seat. Mark Tate, who VHDOA endorsed in the 2003 GOP primary, came within 300 votes of beating Potts then.

Senate District 28
Republican: Firehouse Primary - May 19
Four Republicans are seeking the GOP nomination in Senate District 28 now that Sen. John Chichester is retiring. The winner faces former Democratic Del. Albert Pollard, Jr.
Joseph Graziano -John Van Hoy - Jonathon Myers - Richard Stuart
Could be a moderately close November race, as a function of which GOP candidate wins on May 19th. Al Pollard is popular and was a very knowledgeable and dependable animal owner supporter in the House.

Senate District 33
Republican: Firehouse Primary - May 19
John Andrews and Patricia Phillips will face off in party-run balloting in Senate District 33. The winner will face incumbent Sen. Mark Herring, D-Loudoun.
This could be a tight November contest. Andrews seems to have lots of money and S-33 isn’t a clear-cut Democratic or GOP district. Senator Herring is a freshman who won the special election after Senator Mims resigned.

Senate District 39
Democratic: Primary - June 12
George Barker and Greg Galligan are running in a Democratic Primary for a chance to challenge Republican Sen. Jay O'Brien of western Fairfax County.
Definite edge to GOP.

In the fall, VHDOA will again publicize its incumbent legislator ratings, based on past Richmond voting records. Voter registration deadline for the November 6, 2007 General Election is October 8, 2007. Registration details may be found here.

Sincerely,

Bob Kane, President
Virginia Hunting Dog Owners' Association
http://vhdoa.uplandbirddog.com/

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