Virginia voters head to polls to pick Democrats' gubernatorial nominee

Washington Examiner ^

[RatherBiased.com]

Virginia voters — bombarded by mailers, television ads, door knocks and phone calls — will pick a gubernatorial nominee Tuesday from a crowded field of challengers, each hoping to extend their party’s control of the executive mansion into a third term.

The commonwealth’s first Democratic gubernatorial primary in more than three decades is expected to be decided by a few hundred thousand Virginians, who in recent months have been inundated by pitches from former Del. Brian Moran, state Sen. Creigh Deeds and Terry McAuliffe, a national Democratic fundraiser making his first foray into state politics.

The three together raised more than $13 million to campaign against each other. The victor will enter a more expensive general election in which the Republican nominee, former Attorney General Bob McDonnell, already has pulled together about $9 million.

As one of only two gubernatorial races in the nation this year, and the most competitive, the Virginia governor’s race will see a showering of national attention and money and will carry deep implications for the 2010 congressional midterm elections.

Still, the primary is expected to follow the trend of tepid turnout of past Virginia nomination contests, a prediction reinforced by reports of scant absentee ballot returns.