Callander: Democratic primary offers good choices

While Stafford Republicans head to Richmond for a May 30 convention to nominate their candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, Stafford democrats and independents have an opportunity to nominate the Democratic candidates via a primary June 9.

If they’re smart, the Democrats will select the strongest candidates to face the popular Republican Attorney General Bob McDonnell, who is now running for governor, and Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bowling, who is seeking re-election.

The Democrats’ candidate for Attorney General, Steve Shannon of Fairfax, who is unopposed for the nomination, will face either conservative legislator Ken Cuccinelli or former Arlington School Board Chairman Dave Foster.

After two successful Democratic governors and with the historic victory of Barack Obama in Virginia, the Democrats want to keep us moving in a “blue” direction.

It’s more than pride. Virginia Democratic governors have reputations for being good governing centrists, while the recent Republican governors have proven to be big spenders who were afraid to tax enough to balance their budgets.

Among the most tenacious Democratic fighters in the legislature have been two highly qualified candidates for governor, Creigh Deeds in the State Senate and Brian Moran in the House of Delegates (until he resigned to run for governor).

Terry McAuliffe, after finishing up as chairman of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, also has his hat in the ring for the Democratic nomination.

While Deeds and Moran were involved in legislative wrangling, McAuliffe’s political experience is more national, including time as chair of the Democratic National Committee.

McAuliffe’s support for Virginia Democratic Party efforts in recent years, however, is recognized. A friendly guy, I remember meeting him for the first time when he attended one of Mark Warner’s pig roasts at the former Governor’s King George County farm.

I’ve also met both Deeds and Moran on numerous occasions. It’s nice to have had face- to-face contact with candidates so you can size them up before you go to the ballot box.

On style and issues any of the three Democrats would make more effective governors than Mr. McDonnell.

Deeds is a country lawyer from southwest Virginia that’s had a highly successful career as a prosecutor and in the General Assembly. He also lost the closest race for Attorney General in Virginia history four years ago when McDonnell squeaked by him.

It wasn’t long afterwards that Deeds was seen back crisscrossing the state meeting more and more people, starting a run for governor before anybody else. He¹s made several appearances in Stafford and has family ties here.

Moran, though, as Democratic House Caucus Chair, also traveled around the state and made lots of friends. He¹s been a financial supporter of local Democratic candidates here and endeared himself to the Stafford Democratic party leadership.

While Deeds is down home Virginia, Moran is a Massachusetts transplant. That and the fact he represented the liberal bastion of Alexandria in the General Assembly gives Deeds the edge on elect-ability.

Be sure not to confuse Moran, a former prosecuting attorney, with his older brother Jim, who represents Alexandria in Congress. Brian has extraordinary oratory skills like Jim, but thankfully he doesn¹t carry Jim¹s personal and political baggage.

McAuliffe is known as the man with the big bucks who sends slick mailers regularly to voters. Moran recently countered with an impressive mailer of his own, showing him huddling with the powerbrokers, now Sen. Mark Warner, Sen. Jim Webb and Gov. Tim Kaine.

Since Lt. Gov. candidate Jon Bowerbank has dropped out and endorsed this year’s only female candidate, Virginia’s extraordinary Secretary of Finance Jody Wagner, Deeds is the only representative of Virginia’s southwest left in the race.

The Democrats have learned in recent years not to write off the more conservative rural regions, so Deeds on the ticket with Northern Virginia’s Shannon gives the Party balance. Adding Wagner of Virginia Beach over Northern Virginia’s Mike Signer provides even more balance, but Signer, Deputy Counselor under Gov. Warner, is an articulate spokesman about all the reasons to toss out Bowling.

Regardless of how things turn out this year, the Democrats have nurtured a terrific talent pool to draw on for statewide races for years to come.

Alane Callander is a south Stafford resident active in many local causes. Reach her at info@staffordcountysun.com.