With more than 90% of the vote counted as I write this, Jim Webb is ahead by more than 8,000 votes. I do not see how Harris Miller can make up the difference. My congratulations to Mr. Webb. My condolences to Mr. Miller.
There are some things to be learned from this primary. First, voter turnout outside of Northerm Virginia was pretty low. Miller won a lot of those areas but the totality of votes in NoVA is just too much to overcome. I wrote earlier about NoVA making decisions for the rest of the state. Vote totals for the seven cities in Hampton Roads so far is 21,765 (numbers in brackets are precincts reporting):
- Chesapeake – 3,229 (52 of 52) 2.51% turnout
- Suffolk – 1,152 (23 of 23) 2.43% turnout
- Portsmouth – 2,737 (31 of 31) 4.76% turnout
- Hampton – 3,319 votes (33 of 33) 4.25% turnout
- Newport News – 2,744 votes (44 of 47) 2.63% turnout
- Virginia Beach – 7,376 (83 of 86) 2.81% turnout
- Norfolk – 4,454 votes (57 of 57) 4.21% turnout
Miller won all of these cities except Virginia Beach, where at this writing, he is down by 286 votes. By contrast, Fairfax County alone had 28,370 votes with about 80% of the precincts reporting. In order for Hampton Roads to compete with the numers generated by NoVA, we have to turn out at a much higher rate.
Secondly, there is obviously a disconnect between what D’s in this part of the state want versus what D’s in NoVA want. As long as they can control who the nominee is, will this mean continued losses? I look back to the 2005 LTGOV primary and see a similar result. We all know how that turned out.
Finally, I worry about the ability of Democratic candidates to appeal to the black base. When I saw the turnout numbers I reported earlier at Rosemont, I was sorely disappointed. There are some 3,000 registered voters at that precinct, which I believe is the largest in the city, and only 106 votes were cast there. There was no presence by either candidate (also true at all the precincts I visited in Norfolk, except Barron Black). I stood outside and talked to a few voters as they came up. A couple didn’t even know who the 2 candidates were! The Democratic party has taken this vote for granted for too long and the Republican party is making inroads with such issues as gay marriage. The lesson here is that Mr. Webb will need this vote in November if he wants to beat George Allen. The question is will black voters turn out.
With these in mind, I hope that all Democrats can unite with the common goal of winning in November.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Vivian, Thank you for relaying those sights to me. the fact that blacks would turn to thr Republicans based on one issue will eventually lead to losing the rights they supposedly fought for in the 60’s. do they really think the Republicans will stop at gay rights. the Republicans are already attacking worker’s rights, disability rights, and veterans rights, so it will only be a matter of time beofre thay will again say no to the Civil rights act. So if the blacks want to dig that hole then they will have to live in it and all because they want to know what there neighbor is up to.I believe in the Bill of rights not the Bill of wrongs.
Gene – I agree with you. It's going to take some effort, though, to make the case that these social issues – on which many blacks are extremely conservative – shouldn't be the deciding factor and that we need to vote on economic issues.
I think the Democratic party is more in tune with overall concerns of the black community.