Jim Moran and George Allen won their parties’ primaries in a low-turnout election in Arlington on Tuesday. Just 9,362 votes were cast in the Democratic primary (almost 7.5 percent of active voters) and 3,664 were cast votes on the Republican side (about three percent of active voters). Voters may cast ballots in either primary but in only one.
George Allen cleanly beat Tea Party Republican challenger Jamie Radtke, 65 to 24 percent in a four-way race throughout the commonwealth. The Republican U.S. Senate candidate, former Senator and Virginia governor, Allen, will face former Democratic governor, Tim Kaine for the Senate seat being vacated by Jim Webb, who is retiring after one term in office.
In the full 8th House of Representatives race, Jim Moran took 74 percent of the vote to Bruce Shuttleworth’s 26 percent. In Arlington it was a touch closer: 70 to 30 percent. Now in his 12th run for Congress, Moran faces Republican Patrick Murray, a retired Army Colonel making his second run for the 8th district, and Janet Murphy, of the Independent Greens.
I had lunch with Arlington Republican Committee Chairman Charles Hokanson, and we took the final eight minutes, to discuss the primary, Virginia politics and the Arlington GOP.
Republicans are redeveloping their precinct system and have gotten a lot of new volunteers, Hokanson says. We talk about the GOP chances in Arlington and what turnout in the Mark Kelly race for county board last fall means for GOP chances this fall.
The background sound in the podcast is admitedly loud. Hokanson can be heard clearly. I have to thank him for being the first podcast interview with the Mercury.
The Nov. 6 General Election in Arlington has so far shaped up like this:
Unofficial as of June 13, 2012. Ballot order is not yet been determined. D=Democrat, R=Republican, G=Green Party, IG=Independent Green Party, I=Independent.
President and Vice President of the United States The Republican Party will select their nominees via a convention Aug. 27-30
The Democratic Party will select their nominees via a convention Sep. 3-6
Third party and independent candidates must file by Aug. 24.
U.S. Senate
- Timothy M. Kaine (D)
- George F. Allen (R)
U. S. House of Representatives, 8th District
- James P. "Jim" Moran, Jr. (D), incumbent
- J. Patrick Murrary (R)
- Janet Murphy (IG)
County Board
- Libby T. Garvey (D) incumbent
- Matthew A. Wavro (R)
- Audrey R. Clement (G)
School Board (two seats). In Virginia, parties may not nominate candidates. Both of the candidates, however, have been endorsed by the Democrats:
- Noah Simon
- Emma Violand-Sanchez, incumbent
