Line 335:
{{main|Politics of Virginia}}
[[Image:Kaine Warner.png|thumb|Governor [[Tim Kaine]] with U.S. Senator [[John Warner]] and former Senator and Governor [[George Allen (U.S. politician)|George Allen]], and current Representative [[Thelma Drake]].]]
Virginia's politics reflect a statecommonwealth thatin isshift beginningfrom toa experiencelargely arural, conflict[[Politics betweenof itsthe increasinglySouthern liberalUnited northernStates|politically regionSouthern]] and its[[Conservatism|conservative]] traditionallystate. conservativeThe southerngrowing regionsuburban areas are [[Centrism|politically moderate]] to [[Progressivism|progressive]].<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2007/12/10/ST2007121001571.html |title= Tensions Could Hurt Majority in Va. Senate |first= Tim |last= Craig |work= [[The Washington Post]] |date= [[December 11]], [[2007]] |accessdate= 2007-12-23}}</ref> While Virginia's Governor is a [[Democratic Party of Virginia|Democrat]], the Lieutenant Governor is a [[Republican Party of Virginia|Republican]], and Republican [[Robert McDonnell]] became Attorney General by {{nowrap|360 votes}} following a legally mandated recount of ballots for that race in 2005.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/21/AR2005122101889.html |title= McDonnell Clinches Attorney General Race |first= Carol |last= Morello |work= [[Washington Post]] |date= [[December 22]], [[2005]] |accessdate= 2007-12-03}}</ref> [[NorthernFairfax VirginiaCounty]], [[Arlingtonand County, Virginia|Arlington County]] andother [[FairfaxNorthern CountyVirginia]] in particularareas, havevoted begunfor to favorthe [[Democratic candidatesParty in(United recentStates)|Democrat]] elections. This is likely due toin the large migration of people from the liberal [[Northeastern2004 UnitedU.S. States|NortheasternPresidential stateselection]] intofor the [[Washingtonfirst Metropolitantime Area]]in (whichforty includesyears, Northern Virginia).and [[John Kerry]] won Arlington County overwhelmingly with 6745.648% of the vote, Fairfaxin CountyVirginia.<ref>{{cite (longnews a|url= Republicanhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23613-2004Nov3.html stronghold)|title= withFairfax 53.2%No ofLonger thea vote,GOP andGiven generally|first= faredLisa better|last= inRein the|work= rest[[The ofWashington NorthernPost]] Virginia than|date= [[AlNovember Gore4]], did[[2004]] in|accessdate= 2000.2007-12-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite Despiteweb this|url= improvementhttp://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2004&fips=51&off=0&elect=0&f=0 however,|title= he2004 stillPresidential lostGeneral everyElection otherResults county in the Northern- Virginia region|work= in[http://uselectionatlas.org theUS 2004Election election.Atlas] In|date= contrast2005 to|accessdate= the2007-11-24}}</ref> changingThough votingNorthern trendVirginia intrends NorthernDemocratic, rural Virginia, theonce majoritya ofDemocratic thestronghold, restswung ofRepublican Virginiawith isthe still[[Southern stronglystrategy]], supportiveand ofbalances the Republicanstate's Partypolitical map.{{fact|date=December Some2007}} portionsPortions of the[[Southwest stateVirginia]] likeinfluenced by unionized [[coal mine]]s, college towns ofsuch as [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] and [[Blacksburg, Virginia|Blacksburg]], and the southeastern counties in the [[Black Belt Region]] arehave remained more likely to vote Democratic though.{{fact|date=December 2007}} In the [[Virginia state elections, 2007|2007 state elections]], the Democrats regained control of the State Senate, and narrowed the Republican majority in the House of Delegates to seven or eight votes.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/07/AR2007110700553_2.html |title= Kaine Hails 'Balance' in New Political Landscape |first= Tim |last= Craig |coauthors= Anita Kumar |date= [[November 8]], [[2007]] |work= [[The Washington Post]] |accessdate= 2007-11-07}}</ref>
Virginia could become a more competitive state in future presidential elections, as the number of Democrats in the north have begun to balance the number of Republicans in other parts of the state.<ref name=purple>{{cite news |url= http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/10/12/the_purpling_of_america.html |title= Painting America Purple |first= Dan |last= Balz |date= [[October 12]], [[2007]] |work= [[The Washington Post]] |accessdate= 2007-11-24}}</ref> The election of [[Jim Webb]] as one of Virginia's two U.S. Senators in the [[United States general elections, 2006|Congressional midterm elections of 2006]] seemed to reinforce this prediction. His election also demonstrated the disaffection of independent voters with the Republican Party.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-11-26-election-lessons_x.htm |title= Election '06: Lessons learned by dissecting votes |first= Susan |last= Page |work= [[USA Today]] |date= [[November 26]], [[2006]] |accessdate= 2007-12-12}}</ref> In that midterm election, the [[Virginia United States Senate election, 2006|Virginia Senate race]] was the last decided. Through it the Democratic Party secured a majority in the United States Senate. [[John Warner]], a Republican, holds Virginia's other seat in the [[U.S. Senate]], though he has announced his intention not to seek reelection in 2008.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/31/AR2007083100986.html |title= Va. Sen. John Warner Announces Upcoming Retirement |first= Bill |last= Turque |work= [[The Washington Post]] |date= [[September 2]], [[2007]] |accessdate= 2007-12-20}}</ref> Both of Virginia's Senators are former [[Secretary of the Navy|Secretaries of the Navy]].
|
Article Images