After being responsible for a total of 33* (yes you read that right) lost House of Delegates seats in his tenure as DPVA Chairman and House Democratic Caucus Chair, Ken Plum has decided partisan politics is not for him and he wants to focus on policy.
Plum has actually lost more seats in the House (33*) while in leadership than Democrats currently have (32).
* Plum served as DPVA Chair in 1999, when Democrats lost four seats they controlled going into that year, leading to a total GOP takeover of the House and the 2001 redistricting that cost the Democrats another 14 seats that year. Plum was forced out by Mark Warner before he got to the 2001 election day, but was still responsible for that years losses from the redistricting mess he created in 1999. In 2009, House Democrats lost 8 incumbents, and this year House Democrats lost another 7 seats they had controlled thanks to redistricting and poor candidate recruitment.
http://blogs.roanoke.com/politics/2011/11/15/ware-seeking-house-democratic-caucus-post/
Your next caucus chair!
Posted by: Andrew | November 15, 2011 at 05:55 PM
The Virginia Democratic party is pathetic. In the HOD, there was no excuse to lose district 2(58% Obama), district 87(54% Obama), district 12(54% Obama) or district 93(56% Obama). They should have agressively targetted Bob Marshall(55% Obama), Villenouva(50% Obama), Greason(53% Obama), Comstock(51% Obama), LeMunyon(53% Obama), Rust(58% Obama), Rich Anderson(50% Obama) and many others.
I blame the DNC for abandoning the 50 state strategy, which encouraged Democrats to put up candidates everywhere.
Posted by: Steve | November 15, 2011 at 06:40 PM
The extremely well funded and politically wired Comstock was aggressively targeted by Pam Danner and Mike Kondratick came within 50 votes of winning District 87. The challenges to Villanueva, LeMunyon and Garces race in District 2 had the potential to be stronger if the House Caucus had invested more and I agree there was NO excuse for not challenging Tom Rust with a 58% Democratic performance....
Posted by: just the facts | November 16, 2011 at 12:31 AM
Ware is also running statewide in 2013
Posted by: GOP PHANTOM | November 16, 2011 at 08:26 AM
Onzlee or Lee?
Posted by: Ghost of Alexander Hamilton | November 16, 2011 at 09:05 AM
So ware platform is the based on business? Seriously? I agree with reframing the bs that dems are anti business. That's an easy one. The question will be how to frame the commonwealth to be pro responsible business and that we don't cower to illegal, immoral and unethical business that do not invest or protect the commonwealth.. Seriously you drive down I 95 and there are signs that this county or that county is a certified business county. What does that even mean? That we let companies and corporations have a free reign based on their tax status?
Posted by: Wow | November 17, 2011 at 06:40 AM
Competing for every seat doesn't make sense due to gerrymandering, however contesting SOME GOP seats in the House certainly would have been a good idea. NO Republican incumbent legislator was put in danger of losing. You can't win if you're totally playing defense.
Posted by: Steve Vaughan | November 17, 2011 at 10:40 AM
Congratulations to Donald for making history- and to the Democratic Caucus
Posted by: write my essay | November 24, 2011 at 09:10 AM