News Item

Perriello and Feder elevated to Red to Blue

Just got off phone call that Chris Van Hollen, head of DCCC held with Virginia press, to announce that the 5th and 10th districts have now joined the 2nd and 11th as being part of the most competitive on which the DCCC focuses, the Red to Blue list.  In general, Van Hollen noted that there is an interplay between the focus being placed on Virginia by the Obama campaign and the strong campaign being run by Mark Warner for the Senate, and that provides more opportunity in these House races.   And clearly, the substantial fundraising by both Perriello (900K plus) and Feder (over a million, more already that all of last cycle) contribute to the decision.  There is no specific polling data by CD that contributed to these decisions.

The previous successes of Warner, Kaine and Webb do play into this decision, just like the success in state races in the Tidewater region last year had already contributed to the decision to put Glenn Nye and the 2nd into this category previously, that plus the fact that Drake only won by 5,000 votes in 2006.

Issue play a big role.   Van Hollen clearly sees economic issues playing a role.  He noted affirmatively Tom Perriello's economic revival tour across the 5th CD.  He commented on some of the votes by the Republican incumbents, in the case of the 2nd Drake's consistent support of big oil companies, Goode voting against the economic stimulus package, and Wolf voting against the effort to restore full pay equity by attempting to reverse the recent Ledbetter decision.