Below The Beltway

Today’s Washington Post takes a look at the race in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District:
In Northern Virginia’s 11th Congressional District race, Democrats are aiming to extend recent gains while Republicans hope a wealthy businessman who is already advertising on television can help the party hang on to a seat held for seven terms by retiring Rep. [...]

The WaPo’s Chris Cillizza ranks Virginia’s 11th District as one of the Congressional seats most likely to change parties this year:
2. Virginia’s 11th (Open seat, R): In the days leading up to the June 10 Democratic primary between Fairfax Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly and former Rep. Leslie Byrne, there was a real sense [...]

In a primary election marked by incredibly low turnout, it’s usually the candidate with the most committed supported and best organized get-out-the-vote effort that’s going to come out on top, and it looks like that’s what happened in Northern Virginia’s Congressional Districts yesterday.
In the Democratic race in the 11th District, for example, Fairfax BOCS Chairman [...]

Too Conservative compiles an interesting list of winners and losers from last weekend’s Republican convention in Richmond.
Here are a few of the more interesting ones, starting with a winner:
Democrats
Particularly Mark Warner. It’s not like Warner really needed a split GOP in order to cruise to victory, but his opponent winning with only 50.2% of the [...]

Details over at Virginia Virtucon of the plans.
In short, cross the aisle and vote for Leslie Byrne in the Democratic primary in the 11th District.
Frankly, I don’t think it’s such a great idea. It’s one thing to play around with the Democratic Presidential race when there’s a chance of a Republican victory in November. Given [...]

Everyone showed up at the Marco Polo Restaurant in Vienna except, apparently, for Gerry Connolly:

H/T: Raising Kaine

The first-quarter fundraising numbers are out for the 11th District, and Gerry Connolly appears to be doing very well:
According to disclosure reports to be filed to the Federal Election Commission tomorrow, Gerald E. Connolly, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, is leading the pack of four after raising $500,000 during the first quarter [...]

Citizen Tom reports that Tom Davis (no relation) has put whatever is left of his political muscle behind the Congressional campaign of Keith Fimian:
Dear Friends,I am writing to you today for two very important reasons. First of all, I want to be sure you are aware my campaign has been fully endorsed by Congressman Tom [...]

Too Conservative has a great post up today handicapping the races in all eleven of Virginia’s Congressional Districts.
Here’s how thing look in Northern Virginia’s three Congressional Districts:
VA-08: Congressman Jim Moran (D) vs. Mark Ellmore (R)/Basil Mossaidis (R)/Dianne Kelly (R)/Amit Singh (R)
2006 results: Moran (D) 66%, O’Donoghue (R) 31%
2004 results: Moran (D) 60%, Cheney (D) 37%
PVI: [...]

The Washington Post seems to think that the race to succeed Tom Davis will be over once the Democratic nominee is decided:
One of the most closely watched and hard-fought political contests in the nation will unfold in Virginia this year — but not necessarily on Nov. 4.
In the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Thomas M. [...]