Democratic Senator Creigh Deeds, who represents Virginia’s 25th District (which includes Charlottesville), formally announced his campaign for Attorney General today. 
The usual crowd of Charlottesville’s Democratic muckety-mucks (including me) turned out for the event, held on the east end of the Downtown Mall, at Bashir’s. Deeds’ speech made it clear that he’s as centrist as ever, but that didn’t seem to dampen the enthusiasm of the audience of liberal Democrats.
Deeds’ opposition will come in the form of either Steve Baril or his opponent for the Republican nomination, Del. Bob McDonnell. That will be decided in the June Republican primary.
03/30 Update: Bob Gibson’s got the skinny in the Progress.
Im pretty young so I dont know much history about attorney generals but it seemes to that Mr. Deeds would have a hard time getting elected to the states top criminal punishment office considering this is a hard punishment state (which to me means Republican leaning). Also doesnt coming from Charlottesville arose the state in the same way that coming from Massachucetts aroses the country. Will people not say a liberal Charlottesvillian? I remember their being an editorial in the Progress where the author talked about the anti-Charlottesville sentiment in cities along 29 to the south (Danville and Lynchburg).
If anyone knows how to describe VA politics, I would like to know a few general statements that sum up the state. All I have heard is that in recent history everytime a republican in in the White House there is a Democratic Gov.
it seemes to that Mr. Deeds would have a hard time getting elected to the states top criminal punishment office considering this is a hard punishment state
Well, it helps Creigh that he’s a hard-punishment guy. :) He favors the death penalty, for instance — a preference that he pointed out to an unhappy crowd (when it came to that comment) during his speech today.
Also, Mary Sue Terry (a Democrat) was Attorney General for 8 years, up until 1993. We’re no stranger to Democrats as attorneys general.
Also doesnt coming from Charlottesville arose the state in the same way that coming from Massachucetts aroses the country. Will people not say a liberal Charlottesvillian?
They would, if he were from Charlottesville. :) But the 25th Senate District is crazy-shaped — it includes southern Albemarle and Nelson, and then gets really, really narrow, running west, expanding again, and the other half runs clear to Bath County and the West Virginia border. It’s over there where Creigh lives. Until he got elected to this seat a few years ago, Creigh didn’t know from Charlottesville. :)
The district also includes Alleghany County… it is Bath that Creigh is from.
The Senate District also includes one random precinct in Buckingham County that happens to include obviously liberal-leaning Yogaville. District 25 is gerrymandering at its finest.
I just looked up a map of the 25th Senate district of Virginia. I thought districts like that were outlawed by the Supreme Cout! So don’t these districts make it nearly impossible for Democrats to retake the senate or the house? I know the Charlottesville area is growing rapidly so maybe when the next census comes around they will have to redistrict and we will get a some what fair district?
Yeah… gerrymandering is illegal, and all, but its kinda hard to enforce. First of all, how do you prove it? At best, you have as evidence the districts in question, but that does not prove any malicious intent… At best, all you would do is get somebody on the witness stand giving some BS excuse as to why Bath County belongs in the same district as Nelson.
Furthermore, who do you charge? The legislators who did the redistricting? The entire GOP? The entire GA?
It’s like jaywalking… it never gets prosecuted.
The Supreme Court issued a pretty strong ruling last year saying “stop bringing us these gerrymandering cases.” They’re “political thicket” questions, something that (Bush v. Gore aside) they’re loathe to get into. And yet, then, they ruled on another gerrymandering case just a few months later, so who knows? :)
It all seems quite hypocritical. How can you have partisans drawing districts with the intention of promoting their presence all while claiming to be for democracy. If districts were drawn fairly it would seem that the congress would be more represenative of the country. Because of gerrymandering we are stuck with a whole bunch of ideologues like Virgil Goode who are way out of line with most peopl in the country. I can’t tell you how much I dont like the man “representing” me in congress. He shows no resemblance to anything Charlottesville. The best hope I have for having a rep. in congress that shares my views is to move. Is that democracy?