The road back to red began in a big way today!
Republican Barry Knight defeated Democrat John LaCombe with an incredible 83% of the vote in the race for the 81st House district in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.
Barry Knight did 10 points better than Delores McQuinn, who ran unopposed in the 70th today also. McQuinn won with 73% of the vote.
Virginia Beach Democrats actually nominated a candidate for the 81st who captured a smaller percentage than “write-in” in the 70th. Virginia Beach Democrats under 17%!
An unopposed candidate had a rougher time than Virginia Beach Republicans winning today. I think we can say that the new year has officially begun.
The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled. 
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Any word on the tone and tenor of Knight’s victory speech?
eileen: He is still looking for a place to land the helo before he can make that speech…
And Brian: You really have to be joking if you think the race today means anything… The kid is just a kid. Not really a candidate nor is that area of the city ready to vote for any Dem little lone this kid… Heck even the unions endorsed Knight… Must be a slow news day at BD.
The Dems messed up.
They didn’t think they’d win anyway. However, they should have run a very nasty negative campaign not to win a hopeless fight but, to bloody Knight before the “Not so Special Election to come”
Helicopter ads, have secret operatives spread Knight’s wish to ban smoking in restaurants to all the smokers that can still afford their habit, etc.. etc.
My advice comes too late though, hehe.
Did Democrats plan an “80s themed victory party” because the Republican’s vote percentage would be in the 80s?
Bill, nice to see your usual negative attacks. How are Reba and Meyera doing?
Oh, I get it Brian. Your 8:37pm comment is the answer to my question. Nice.
Brian: With the “BIG WIN and COME BACK” I’d have figured you for a happy camper instead of moody and negative..
Just more of your same ole negative responses to others comments. BTW: I thought my post was pretty funny. But you had to go and get serious… Get over it.
Yeah, we knew it was going to be a tough race, but John LaCombe was a real candidate. I’m not even sure what a “real candidate” is being defined as above. The Democrats didn’t make a mistake here. What would have been a mistake was not running anyone. The era of unopposed races has got to end.
LaCombe would have actually represented the 81st in every way. He doesn’t care about party politics or the good ol’ boy system. He’s someone that actually cares and worked hard to reach out to the people.
I’m looking forward to November!
Winning one big will help with RPVB morale.
However, don’t read too much into this one. If a Republican takes a House seat in dry weather on the west side of Virginia Beach (21st, 83rd, or 85th) with over 60% of the vote, that would rate Brian’s level of gloating.
Barry Knight has that one picture, LaCombe looked like he went out and said to every photographer, “make your you get my good side…”
Sorry, Joel. I really think the Dems messed up. Seriously.
The Dems had a free shot to give the Freshman Republican a black eye as he went into office. We already have seen newspaper articles about Knight’s copters etc. So, after that “black eye”, the press may have continued to beat on him and leave him vulnerable for the upcoming “Real” election. Knight being on the Planning Commission isn’t a credential that would endear him to the Taxpayer Advocacy groups. There was opportunity to divide and conquer.
All I kow is that when they smelled weakness, the Virginian Pilot just beat the ever loving crap out of Del. Welch and Del. Wardrup. You could have had that kind of support for the next election.
That would have allowed time to recruit a top tier candidate to run against a damaged candidate in a conservative area. A ‘win’ that could have been the begining of tilting the GA to the Dems.
With the possibilty of setting up the next election with a more favorable position and given the slim record and chances given to LaCombe, what did LaCombe or the Dems have to lose by going hyper negative and spending a little more money and organizational resources?
LaCombe had a serious handicap in this election that he and his campaign navigated as best they could.
As for a negative campaign, there’s a lot to discuss and a lot that wasn’t pushed forward. I don’t necessarily think this is a bad thing right now. Why not wait, get all the facts straight, and then run a campaign that presents them appropriately?
Knight essentially felt he was running unopposed and didn’t inject resources until very late (like, that morning) to make sure the margins were very comfortable for him. LaCombe didn’t have those resources. He should have, but he didn’t.
At the very least, progressives should realize that there is a continual need to be involved and contribute. I’m hoping to stress this and turn it into a lesson learned. Hopefully a lesson we can use to build a campaign to reverse in the November election what happened yesterday.
This election was a personal disaster for Ollie Bates. In the Pilot, Bates said that despite having less money that the Dem’s enthusiasm would carry the day for the LaCombe – yet they pulled in only 500 votes – most of those generated by the Barbara Henley clan voting anti-Knight. Constrast that with the amazing record of what Obama did just 60 days ago. The Obama phenomenom is only that – Obama only. The Dems have no party organization and they know it.
And oh by the way, Knight could have pulverized the kid with the financial record LaCombe has amassed. But he didn’t…because he’s a nice guy and once the election is over he still has to live in this community. LaCombe has probably already moved to Ghent to live with Glenn Nye.
OMG!!!
I have met John LaCombe’s girlfriend… he is not gay. The Democratic party of Virginia Beach has no organization at all. This “kid” has done a lot to help the poor and less fortunate, you know the two groups the Republicans step on.
Who said anything about someone being gay? All that was said was something about moving in with Glenn Nye.
Oh please Kirwin… Everyone knows how you people play. It is always the innocent little comments with the double meaning. It is because the Republican Party of Virginia has no morals. They are masters at smear tactics. Maybe if more of them got indicted and investigated maybe they would learn their lesson.
Ricky, you people? I didn’t say a darned thing.
It’s people like you. I mean you ran a smear campaign..one of the greatest defeats for your employer…very impressive skills…to take a sure thing and turn it around and cost him the election was a brilliant strategy. Did you consult McCain/Palin too? It seemed like your handy work.
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