First thing: the Ralph Northam / Paula Miller headquarters opening mentioned in the post below is on Saturday, August 18 at 10:30am. The Northam campaign will have a similar headquarters opening for the Eastern Shore office this coming Saturday, August 11.
Secondly: the campaign reports that things are going quite well. Fundraising, in which Northam campaign is already way ahead of that of incumbent Nick Rerras, has actually picked up! Rerras is holding his first real fundraiser in a couple of weeks, on August 22, with AG Bob McDonnell. Note to potential Rerras contributors: don’t waste your money. Northam is a fundraising machine and is committed to raising as much money as he needs in order to win this race.
Other aspects of the campaign continue to go well, especially voter contact. And in case you hadn’t noticed, the Northam campaign and the Miller campaign are working together to keep the seat in the 87th and win the seat in the 6th. I understand that the opposing camps are not coordinating their efforts. Not that I want to give them any ideas 😉 but it does raise a question in my mind.
We’ve got a winner here, folks. But we have to do our part. Volunteer and donate today!
Technorati Tags: Ralph Northam
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
If you factor in the money he and his father have contributed, which accounts to over half of money raised, I would hardly consider that a fundraising machine. Rerras is considered the underdog in this race, even though he is the incumbent. Much to your displeasure, Rerras has outstanding support on the ES. When it comes to representing the ES, Rerras shines, he has always put the interest of the people of the ES first. Northam winning is no lock, not in the least bit!
Rerras has admittedly done a great job on the eastern shore. For instance, supporting the government in taking over the privately-run L. Kellam Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, which has been remarkably efficient in comparison with the rest of VDOT’s projects, shows just how committed he is towards finding whatever it is the eastern shore is doing right and then taking it away from them so the rest of the state can raid the funds and milk it to pay for other pet projects of no consequence to the people of the eastern shore.
What wouldn’t people out on the shore like about that?
If Rerras is considered the underdog in this race, as stated above, it’s because of the biggest liability of the Rerras campaign: Nick Rerras. As an incumbent, he’s a known quantity, and that does not help him one bit. Maybe he can change his name, looks, and stances, and try to pretend he’s someone else. Oh, wait, he’s already done that once.
I was over on the Shore about a week ago and stopped into the Northam HQ for a few hours to assist with making calls to voters. I made about 75 calls and spoke to over 25 people (they have a high voter contact rate over on the Eastern Shore). The people I spoke with identified themselves as being from all over the political spectrum. Not a single person I spoke with told me they wanted to vote for Rerras. A few were still undecided, but all the rest, including the self-identified Republicans, were supporting Northam, and most VERY enthusiastically. One self-identified conservative Republican even said he was planning to put a check in the mail to the Northam campaign the next day because of how much respect he had for Ralph and for what Ralph was doing with his campaign.
Now, granted, I only spoke to 25 voters, but I have 7 family members on the Shore, and they say they are seeing real excitement about Ralph Northam over there.
Northam is going to win on the Eastern Shore because he’s a third generation native who understands and cares about the Eastern Shore in a way Rerras never will be able to no matter how many times he shows up to shake people’s hands. People on the Eastern Shore know Ralph, and they trust him. And they should. Ralph Northam is a living embodiment of the best of the Eastern Shore’s values. Ralph Northam is a REALLY good man. I’m very proud he’s our candidate.
anonymous,
Your facts are completely wrong about the bridge.
Susan,
25 voters equates to .0005% of the population on the ES
Good point, rlewis. 25 is a very small number and a minute portion of the population of the Shore. However, it is a higher, though still admittedly small, percentage of registered voters who are likely to vote in an off-off year election. But I never claimed, nor do I believe, that I was conducting a scientific poll. I’m just offering a glimpse into the experience I had with connecting by phone with likely voters on the Shore. Taken together with all the other anecdotal evidence I have from family, friends, and others, I believe Northam is going to beat Rerras on the Shore.
Rlewis, there’s a good possibility if you’d made those calls and had the conversations I did, you might be feeling a little concerned about your candidate’s chances. I’ve made thousands of calls to voters for Democratic candidates over the years, and the response to Northam in my recent calling session was extremely encouraging.
I guess we’ll see which of us has got the pulse of the Eastern Shore figured out come November.
Cheers to you.
It’s early yet, but the only yard signs I’ve seen in Norview and on the Eastern Shore are for Dr. Northam.
As Susan has pointed out, Ralph is from the Eastern Shore. And if I understand things correctly, the ES is actually a Democratic-leaning area.
Combined, I’d say that makes a win by Ralph on the ES look pretty good right now.
As for yard signs – there are a lot of Rerras signs out. But signs don’t vote, people vote and yard signs are really no indication of anything, especially this early.
We all know what the Eastern Shore does most every year anyway: Northampton County votes Democratic and Accomack goes Republican.
What matters is how close Northam can make it in Mathews and Accomack. Mathews is as red can be. They voted for Early, Kilgore and Allen. However, Accomack can be had with the right campaign. It went for Kaine while Webb and Kellam lost by a close margin.
I have no doubt in my mind that if Northam can keep up what is widely regarded as the best run campaign around he will win Norfolk and Northampton while making a contest out of Accomack. In short, the 6th Senate District has itself a new Senator.
BTW…look for Miller and Northam signs after Labor Day.
You’ll see plenty.
Nope, rlewis, the facts are in the bill…
“In addition, the Counties of Accomack and Northampton shall also be embraced by the Authority at such time as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel facilities become subject to the control of the Authority”.
In accordance with HB3202, the “Authority shall control and operate, impose and collect tolls in amounts established by the Authority for the use of any new or improved highway, bridge, tunnel, or transportation facility to increase capacity on such facility (including new construction of or improvements to, bridges tunnels, roadways, and related facilities known collectively as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel) constructed by the Authority or solely with revenues of the Authority or revenues under the control of the Authority.”
Interesting elections results on the Eastern Shore from 2006
ACCOMACK COUNTY – NORTHAMPTON COUNTY – TOTAL
Allen 5,059 1,860 6,919
Webb 4,704 2,302 7,006
Parker 136 43 179
Drake 5,151 1,834 6,985
Kellam 4,732 2,323 7,055
Accomack went for the Republicans, but Northampton, though having a smaller number of voters, went Democratic by a margin large enough that both Webb and Kellam won on the Shore.
And neither Phil Kellam or Jim Webb were born and raised in Accomack County.
Recent history will repeat itself as this is when Brian Kirwin mentions how comparing Federal elections to off-year ones is like comparing apples to oranges. Paging Brian Kirwin…
Quite correct, Eileen.