Multiple sources, including this one, are reporting that former Senator George Allen will announce today that he is running to reclaim his seat. As of this writing, Allen’s website carries just a message: “Stay tuned.” That Allen is running should be of no surprise to anyone who has watched him over the last four years since he lost in a close race to Jim Webb. Whether the 2012 campaign will be a rematch is yet to be determined.
Allen has to win the Republican nomination, and there is already one announced candidate with several others thinking about it. If it ends up being a lot of candidates, I think Allen easily wins the nomination, based on name ID and fundraising prowess alone. But in a head-to-head battle, his win is not so assured.
And then there is the fact that Webb has yet to announce his plans for re-election, something he plans to do by the end of the first quarter. Based on his performance over the last few months – mainly the fact that he’s actually been in Hampton Roads – I believe he will run and is simply delaying the announcement because he dislikes campaigning. Once he announces, that phase starts. Grin and bear it, Senator 😉
If we do end up with a rematch, I think Webb wins and by a larger margin than last time.
UPDATE: And here’s the announcement video
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Well the “fun” (this will not be fun) can now begin. Heaven help the GOP in this state if they renominate this man to be Senator. He is a G.W. Bush Republican and the Republican Party needs no more of that!
So who would be your pick?
Vivian, I’d agree with you that a multi-candidate primary means a sure Allen nomination. If the “not Allen” Republicans coalesced around one person, it could be a tought fight. No sign yet of that happening.
In a rematch, I’d think Webb would be the favorite. He did more with the job in six years than Allen did.
There’s also that bit about losing by a larger margin in a rematch.
There is already a Draft Bert Mizusawa Facebook page.. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Draft-Bert-Mizusawa-for-Senate/123582221043392?v=wall
Few people are aware that Bert, who as far as I know is a minority of asian decent, is a decorated Brigadier General in the Army Reseerves, graduated at the top of his class at West Point (USMA) and that he was a McArthur fellow at the Harvard Law School.
Webb can take comfort in running against Allen but if conservatives with a military background have a viable choice, Bert just might be it. The only way this can work is for Jamie Radtke and Bert to work together and before the primary consolidate forces in some capacity.
Has Mizusawa indicated any interest in running?
Yep, he sure has. Quite a bit actually.
What do you think are the odds Webb gets appointed SecDef like Brian Schoeneman on Bearing Drift mentioned? I don’t know if Obama would really do it, but if Gates leaves, I don’t see many other people that could fill his shoes.
http://bearingdrift.com/2011/01/23/webbs-future-could-have-major-impact-on-2011-and-2012-races/
Anything is possible but I don’t see Webb taking the SecDef job.
I think Webb would be a good SecDef pick when/if Gates leaves. He’s got credibility on defense that both sides respect.
That said, if he stands for reelection, I don’t think tying healthcare to his by itself is gonna work. There is the small matter of a certain piece of legislation that is benefiting a lot of veterans/servicememebers that he has to stand on…
I’d be extraordinarily surprised to see Webb offered the job in the first place; his disagreements with Gates stretch as far back as the Reagan administration, and I can’t bring myself to voice much in the way of optimism when it comes to the likelihood of a smooth transition in the event that one man succeeds the other.