Virginia will again play a big role in presidential-year elections that in 2012 include perhaps the country's marquee Senate race, while Maryland Democrats face a potentially bruising primary before trying to increase their ranks in Congress.
Just six months ago, Senate Republicans seemed poised to march to victory in 2012 and easily retake control of the upper chamber of Congress, but some successful Democratic recruiting and some unintentional help from the tea party in recent months have made next year's overall contest more competitive.
Virginia politicians and the state's General Assembly receive high marks from voters — a sharp contrast with how the Old Dominion feels about its presidential choices, according to poll results released Thursday.
Tim Kaine accused George Allen on Wednesday of employing divisive and "bullying" rhetoric against his opponents in the sharpest jab of a caustic first debate between the candidates for U.S. Senate from Virginia.
George Allen and Tim Kaine on Thursday delivered sharp critiques on the ills plaguing an intransigent Washington and predicted better days ahead — albeit in markedly different ways — in a likely preview of pitches they'll make to Virginia voters in their bids for a U.S. Senate seat.
Virginia political leaders, including its two Democratic U.S. senators, criticized the Obama administration's decision Tuesday to keep the state out of the latest five-year offshore oil and gas leasing plan, calling it an economic blow to the state.
Top Virginia Democrats rallied before an enthusiastic crowd at George Mason University on Monday in a final push before Tuesday's elections, where the party will try to prevent a Republican monopoly from controlling Richmond just three years after the state swung blue.
Virginia Republican and Democratic luminaries crisscrossed the commonwealth over the weekend in last-ditch pushes to get their voters to the polls Tuesday for General Assembly elections that history shows likely will have a low turnout.
Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart, a frequent critic of former Virginia Gov. George Allen, on Tuesday made nice with the current U.S. Senate candidate by offering him his endorsement.
