The Washington Examiner handicaps the race in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District now that Tom Davis has announced his retirement:
Davis’ departure is widely regarded as bad news for the Republican Party, which is likely to face Fairfax Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly or former U.S. Rep. Leslie Byrne in a general election, both of whom are considered formidable.
Conservative Republican businessman Keith Fimian declared his candidacy hours after Davis announced his retirement, saying he has amassed more than $700,000 — $325,000 of which is his own money. Former Fairfax County School Board member Steve Hunt also has entered the race.
But neither Republican can boast the name recognition of Connolly or Byrne, who will face the lesser-known Doug Denneny and Lori Alexander for the Democratic nod. Connolly has not formally declared.
(…)
While there is no obvious successor for Davis, Fimian is the “clear front-runner” for the nomination, said Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity.
“He’s been running, he’s got an organization, he’s got money, he’s got himself educated on the issues,” Herrity said. “Clearly his biggest weakness is name recognition outside the Republican Party. That is a big obstacle.”
Other potential Republican candidates whose names had been bandied about in recent months have said they won’t run, including Herrity, Prince William Chairman Corey Stewart, his predecessor, Sean Connaughton, Centreville Del. Tim Hugo, former state Sen. Jay O’Brien, and Prince William Supervisor Mike May.
Of those, the scuttlebutt I’ve read on other local blogs seems to indicate that Stewart, Connaughton, and May probably won’t run. Actually, Stewart said back in November that he would not run for Congress even if Davis stepped down. Tim Hugo is being quiet on his intentions. And as for Jay O’Brien, I don’t really know what they GOP would want to nominate a guy who lost his last election.
February 2nd, 2008 at 10:00 am
[...] The Belway (here) and Too Conservative (here) also consider the possible [...]