Column by Not Gretchen Bulova:
The Hotline has come out with a list of "rising stars" in VA politics today. I've cut and pasted a few and included my comments in ().
State Sen. Mark Obenshain (R): The brother of the current VA GOP chair, he's a possible AG candidate in '09. He's "very charismatic." (ha, they must not be paying attention to all the upheavel in the party about his sister or the Republitarian Blog)
Sec/Finance Jody Wagner (D): "A very sharp and hard-working person." Lost to then-Rep. Ed Schrock (R) in heavily GOP VA 02 by just 7500 votes. (She didn't win the VAprogressive poll but she's got a future statewide if she wants one. I think she could take NLS in a statewide primary.)
Fairfax Co. Board Chair Gerry Connolly (D): "He's established" and could make a strong bid for Rep. Davis' VA 11 seat. (He must have responded to this himself and Hotline clearly didn't read the article about feces.)
State Del. David Englin (D): Ran an insurgent race against a group of established Dems in Fairfax Co. and beat them all. (Never thought of him going anywhere for a while, but I guess he could. He has to get re-elected first.)
State Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (R): Wife of Rep. Tom Davis (R), she's "always talked about as a potential candidate for LG." "Count her on the short list." (The short-list to what.... Unemployment in '07?)
NGB, totally uncalled for dig at JeanneMarie.
Posted by: Not Larry Sabato | March 30, 2006 at 05:05 PM
Only because you like her :). If it were Marsden it'd be appropriate!
Posted by: not gretchen bulova | March 30, 2006 at 05:07 PM
How did Lurch not make the list? :)
Posted by: Not Larry Sabato | March 30, 2006 at 05:09 PM
After this season, you have to add Jim Larranaga to this list.
Posted by: | March 30, 2006 at 05:11 PM
Don't forget about Harris Miller. He will make a great candidate for Governor in 2009.
Posted by: | March 30, 2006 at 05:20 PM
Deeds will be our candidate for Governor in 2009. I'll be surprised if anybody even challenges him.
I agree with Wagner especially. The others are all pretty good. Except for JeanneMarie. Sorry Ben, I know you like her, but Chap's my boy. I think he should be on that list.
Posted by: Dannyboy | March 30, 2006 at 05:26 PM
Chap and Deeds were both on the 2003 rising stars list (the Hotline compiles the list in off years. The odds are off years almost everywhere else).
Jeannemarie was actually on the 2003 list, too.
Posted by: | March 30, 2006 at 05:29 PM
Chap was on the list (NGB broke it into pieces for different days). I don't think we will see Chap v. JeanneMarie head to head so I see no need to speculate on that bridge unless we come to it.
Posted by: Not Larry Sabato | March 30, 2006 at 05:29 PM
Dannyboy, don't count your chickens before they hatch on Deeds.
Couple of scenarios for you:
1. Warner runs for Pres, loses, runs for Governor in '09. Deeds doesn't run.
2. Leslie Byrne runs for Governor in '09 and defeats Deeds in a primary. Democrats finally wake up to the fact that he is not the best thing since sliced bread.
Posted by: not gretchen bulova | March 30, 2006 at 05:30 PM
Well, if Chap doesn't go up against her, she's of my "hit list." :)
Forgot to ask why Gerry is on there? Are they creating a Secretary of Sanitation Examination or something? No offense to Gerry, but he has WAY to many critics (even within his own party) to go much further.
Posted by: Dannyboy | March 30, 2006 at 05:31 PM
NGB:
You're absolutely right about the first option. I don't think I'm counting Deeds' chicken, I seem to be counting Warner's. I'm a huge Warner 2008 guy.
As for the Second, I think Leslie would step aside for Deeds, and she'd run for LG again. That's just my opinion, I could be completely wrong. She may decide to run for Governor, and Leslie always does well in primaries.
I don't think Creigh is the best thing since sliced bread, but he is one of my favorite Democrats. I'll support him in 2009, no matter what position he runs for.
Posted by: Dannyboy | March 30, 2006 at 05:35 PM
How did Devolites-Davis become a star? Did she make tons of connections in richmond?
Posted by: | March 30, 2006 at 05:38 PM
Is this real?
Where's the link?
Posted by: Too Conservative | March 30, 2006 at 05:43 PM
Yea TC. Hotline is subscribers only, so no link, sorry.
JMDD had her ways of making friends....
Posted by: not gretchen bulova | March 30, 2006 at 05:47 PM
What kind of ways, NGB? How has she endeared herself to other members of the Republican party? Does she have a secret strategy?
Posted by: | March 30, 2006 at 05:58 PM
Anon: 5:20 :
You are preaching to the choir! Harris Miller's star is rising faster than bread with extra yeast, its just that these darn webblogs (get it?) keep trying to hold him down.
Posted by: harrismillerfan | March 30, 2006 at 06:01 PM
If Mark runs, he will do so with absolutely no interference from me.
Especially if he calls me(like he promised) and we can work out some sort of arrangement.
Posted by: republitarian550 | March 30, 2006 at 06:16 PM
"2. Leslie Byrne runs for Governor in '09 and defeats Deeds in a primary. Democrats finally wake up to the fact that he is not the best thing since sliced bread." ~Just did some research, turns out he is the best thing since sliced bread, so your analysis is wrong:-)
Posted by: NoVA Democrat | March 30, 2006 at 06:21 PM
Devolites-Davis will be a formidible challenger to Gerry Connolly in 2007. Gerry has a tough race ahead of him - a race I'm not sure he can win.
Posted by: Virginia Centrist | March 30, 2006 at 06:57 PM
Reoublitarian, what kind of "arrangement"?
Posted by: GOPHokie | March 30, 2006 at 07:01 PM
Myron's inaction will be more than compensated for by my efforts to defeat Mark Obenshame.
Posted by: Adam Sharp | March 30, 2006 at 07:09 PM
Hey...Pastor John's back!
http://virginiarepublican.blogspot.com
Posted by: | March 30, 2006 at 07:26 PM
Even if Mark doesn't call me Hokie, it will still be hands off of Mark for me.
By "arrangement" I mean that Mark supposedly wanted to talk to me about something at Matt's coronation. I'm assuming he's got something important to say or is wondering about my involvement in local politics. If Mark would lower himself a little and give me the time of day he might find out we agree on alot. Working together to solve problems is better than going toe to toe .
Our blog is going to change gears somewhat.
Adam, if you were Mark who would you rather have leave you alone. Me or you?
Posted by: republitarian550 | March 30, 2006 at 07:34 PM
Repub:
You guys probably agree on about 100%...
You probably agree with Matt Lohr on almost every issue too...
Posted by: Virginia Centrist | March 30, 2006 at 07:35 PM
Yeah I know....
We all need to bring our issues to the table and work through them together.
The personal animosity and distrust needs to end. Although Lowell may be out of politics we all could learn a lesson from him.
We can get more done together, both democrats and republicans(and republitarians too...)
Posted by: republitarian550 | March 30, 2006 at 07:58 PM
Brian Moran for Governor - 2009. You heard it here first.
Posted by: Bubba | March 30, 2006 at 09:16 PM
NGB on Englin: "He has to get re-elected first."
Duh! All the electeds on this list "have to get re-elected." Englin's in a 70% Democratic district and he's already back knocking on doors and working the Metro stations. The question is not whether Englin will get re-elected, but by how much of a landslide.
Posted by: Dan | March 30, 2006 at 09:42 PM
Don't forget Charlottesville/Albemarle rising stars.
Rob Bell will lose his race for AG in 2009, fortunately.
And David Toscano will run for something statewide in the next few statewide cycles.
Posted by: Dan Kachur | March 30, 2006 at 10:44 PM
Woah,
Don't forget Brian Moran... he almost ran for AG in 2005. Bowed out to let Creigh run.
He is rumored to be thinking about statewide in 09 - Gov or Ag.
As House Caucus Chairman he is one of the most senior active Democrats in the state.
Creigh would have to raise a LOT more money to be gov.
Posted by: Not Richard Simmons | March 30, 2006 at 11:39 PM
Myron,
Senator Obenshame would rather than me leave him alone than you because you only oppose him when you're on separate sides (once every two years, maybe), while I will oppose him from now until whenever he stops trying to run Harrisonburg or Virginia.
To make you happy all he has to do is treat you with respect. To make me happy he has to resign his seat and never run for political office again.
So which of us does he know will be dogging him for a long, long time?
Me. He'll throw you a bone to shut you up.
Posted by: Adam Sharp | March 30, 2006 at 11:48 PM
I don't care who Devolites-Davis is married to she is 0 for 1 at running for LG and if the GOP wanted to lose that race for sure, the would nominate her. I hope the GOP has a deeper bench than that!
Posted by: George Templeton | March 31, 2006 at 02:03 AM
Adam, your political analysis of that situation is SEVERLY flawed....
Posted by: republitarian550 | March 31, 2006 at 07:52 AM
I.E. Why would Mark be scared of you dogging him when you have no bite....
Posted by: republitarian550 | March 31, 2006 at 07:53 AM
Deeds may not even run statewide next time this last race was taxing on him personally...you can bet that ithe nomination won't be handed to him like it was this time thats for sure...How is it that y'all love Chap's chances so much? This blogs NOVAcentic view are amusing...Chap did not win the primary...period...he will not be a democratic nominee statewide candidate...he has to win something else first...Baskervile is done too...Moran has an opportunity...but if Warner does run again the Dem nomination is done...If he does not I am betting that the ticket will be nothing like what y'all are talking about.
Posted by: | March 31, 2006 at 08:19 AM
Is David Poisson on Hotline's list? If Poisson can get re-elected in 2007 I think the Democrats would be smart to put him up for higher office in 2009 or 2013. Poisson is a moderate who showed he can beat a well financed opponent in a conservative area.
Posted by: The Colonel | March 31, 2006 at 09:04 AM
Is David Ashe on Hotline's list? I'd like to see David run for Senate or House. I don't know exactly where in VB he lives, though.
Posted by: eileen | March 31, 2006 at 10:12 AM
neither Poisson nor Ashe made the list.
Posted by: not gretchen bulova | March 31, 2006 at 10:21 AM
You've got to be kidding about Jeannemarie. She would be nowhere without Tom Davis and his fundraising. How many times did it take her to win an election? Then she drew her own Senate district. Read this month's Washingtonian. Those two deserve each other.
Posted by: NotAnArmedRobber | March 31, 2006 at 05:46 PM