Villanueva beats Mathieson finally
By Brian Kirwin | Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 | PoliticsNo, it wasn’t a recount. Mathieson hasn’t even asked for one yet, and he can’t until likely November 23rd.
But will he? There are three steps here. Step one was completed last night, which was the local Electoral Board’s certification of results. It is NOT a recount (despite what some local media and some sign carriers longing for a Florida have said). Step two is certification of the results by the State Board of Elections, which will happen by November 23rd.
Only after that point can anyone even ask for a recount, and only candidates can. No one else can impose one, and there isn’t an automatic one.
George Allen, behind by 00.25% to Jim Webb in 2006 opted not to ask for a recount, saying “I do not wish to cause more rancor by protracted litigation.” Conversely, Creigh Deeds did ask for one, costing taxpayers 6 figures and changing a whopping 37 votes out of nearly 2 million cast.
So, no, both sides don’t do the same thing.
Villanueva was declared the winner by 14 votes after the inclusion of 2 absentee votes which the candidates split, and 4 provisional votes were approved, 3 of which went to Mathieson.
Everything is up to Mathieson now. He can concede the race and accept the result, or he can insist on staying lawyered up with Al Gore legal help and drag this into December recounting electronic votes and absentee ballots. Are they hoping for a different result? Will they try to have enough absentee ballots for Villanueva thrown out to change the result of the election?
Oh, THAT would be rich. The crowd of Democrats (most not even from the district I’m sure) who chanted “count every vote” would have to start chanting “Nevermind what I said last week…DON’T count every vote” and “Throw out his votes but not ours.” Not exactly “We Shall Overcome” is it?
Or will Mathieson let this one go and live to fight another day, so to speak. The legal tricks of the Democrats during the past 7 days haven’t exactly raised the bar of statesmanship in Virginia Beach. The Electoral Board has done nothing improper and rantings of some Democrats making it out to be some bin of corruption was really sad to see. Unfortunately, if Mathieson stays on this track, we’ll see more trashcan stunts well into the Christmas season.
What should Bobby do?
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About the author
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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17 Responses to "Villanueva beats Mathieson finally"
If the man had any class he would take the defeat and go away, but I am guessing he won’t since class is something the Dems don’t have. Plus, why not try – it worked for Al Franken in MN – up there they just kept discovering votes until he had enough to win.
If the Electoral Board hasn’t been so clandestine about some questionable handling of the ballots in the first place, we might not have had reason to be suspicious. The process really needs to be more transparent, every step of the way. The electoral board, poll workers and chiefs, seem to somehow get a kick out of putting up barriers to access. I understand the pressure they are under to get everything right, but I don’t believe that’s an adequate excuse for casting shadows on the process.
BTW: I was one of the ones holding a sign during that rally, I do live in the 21st District, and I was annoyed at the calls for a recount, and on one occasion drowned out that chant in favor of counting all the ballots.
Villanueva appears to have won back the seat that John Welch lost. Some will recall that Welch lost the seat to Bobby because he failed to support a solution for transportation funding. Ironically, at the Beach it may be the apex for no the tax republicans. Transportation must be solved, yet their hands are tied by the no tax policy of the Governor and the Speaker. Once the economy improves, which is happening now, the electoral environment will be much different than this year. My prediction, if the R’s fix transportation, they may retain their seats; if not, they are toast next time around, just like Welch.
Mike, you’re the only man in America who thinks Welch lost because he didn’t raise taxes. In fact, Welch won every election until he began advocating a gas tax increase.
Do facts mean anything to you?
Do polls that say 69% oppose tax increases tell you anything about how an election will go?
The majority seems to always oppose tax increases.
Joel, politicians seem to notice that, too.
Well yes, of course they oppose taxes if there is some other reasonable way to pay for the incredible deterioration, congestion, closures, and lack of local government road funds. Leo Wardrup, Chairman of House Transportation, did lose his seat because voters in his district were fed up with his obstuctionism when it came to transportation. So Brian can revel in the appearance of another tax revolt, but my point is that is a fading strategy. Now that McDonnell and his team in the House have the majority to fix transportation, if they don’t, they will be toast.
Actually Leo Wardrup didn’t “lose” his seat, he retired. If you are going to argue with facts, then at least get them right. Also, here is one for you. Over 60% of the population don’t want to pay higher taxes in order to fix transportation. Oh, yeah, what ever happened to the $1.4 billion tax increase under the Warner Administration (the largest in VA history by the way)…wait that got through a GOP House and Senate…those damn Republicans…and their opposition to tax increases
He retired because voters were fed up with his obstructionism when it came to transportation.
That’s not what you said…you said he LOST (as in was defeated in an election) his seat because voters wanted a solution to the transportation problem and he didn’t provide it. However, you chose that statement to address and not the fact that 60% of Hampton Roads voters don’t want their taxes increased to fix transportation and that the Warner $1.4Billion tax increase didn’t do anything to fix transportation and oh yeah, that tax increase passed both the GOP controlled House and Senate.
Mike, you are dead wrong. Leo Wardrup retired from a life of more than 50 years of public service – naval officer, ODU professor, Delegate. He was over 70 years old when he retired for Pete’s sake. He certainly could have kicked Bouchard’s ass ten ways from Sunday. Bouchard only beat Stolle by a handful of votes. Leo certainly would have won – he owned those swing precincts in the 83rd and everybody knew it. You said he “lost.” He most certainly did not. Just admit you were wrong – geez does your ego make that impossible for you or something? And on taxes, NO Republican in Virginia has lost their seat because they refused to raise taxes. None.
You limousine liberals can easily afford higher taxes to create the European-utopia society that you long for. Working class folks, who you ironically claim to support, emphatically do not. (See: Bob McDonnell, campaign for governor, 2009). If you want higher taxes move to France. Stop trying to convince us that it is in our best interests to give the government more of our hard earned money.
My comments about Leo are not meant to convey any personal disdain; I like the irascible character. On the other hand, his politics were deplorable, and his acquiescence to the No Tax policies of Speaker Howell which have resulted in the deterioration and degradation of the Commonwealth’s more important strategic asset, that is, our transportation system, have horrendous consequences. As Chairman of House Transportation, he will always be remembered as the man who refused to tell the Speaker that he was damaging Virginia, and who seeing that was what he intended, resigning in protest. I hold politicians to a high standard, and Leo had the chance, but failed the test of integrity.
Using Mike’s logic, Sen. Chichester and Sen. Potts “lost” their seats because of their tax increases.
Using Brian’s logic, there is no way Gilmore could have lost his last election, but he did. Fact is, pledging not to raise taxes has worked, but in the long run, most citizens realize the damage done by the no tax philosophy. We’re about to see how this plays out again. MJB sends!
His acquiesence to the Speaker? Hell, Mike, what evidence do you have that Leo wanted to raise taxes but backed down because he was afraid of Bill Howell’s wrath? You have none. You’re just making stuff up. And I have news for you, no one gives a damn what you thought of Leo’s politics. He is an honorable man – elected EIGHT times to the House. How many times have you been elected, Mike, and tested your beliefs and values and record with the voters? EXACTLY ZERO if my math is correct.
It’s soooo easy to sit back and throw hand grenades from way far away from the battlefield. How about getting in the battle, you know it all…
Many many great policies were enacted in Virginia while Leo was a leader in the GOP caucus. He’s not a bad person just because he didn’t raise taxes and you wanted him to.
Give off your moral high horse. You are on the wrong side of history and the voters massively disagree with you and evidently it is driving you stark raving mad.
He is not a bad person because he did not fix transportation; no, but he was an absolute failure as the Chairman of House Transportation. When he came into office, we had a first class, high functioning transportation system; now, the Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers graded our bridges and tunnels as a D-. Of course, he shares this distinction with all the members of the republican caucus in the House as they have shown a disdain for the need to conserve our transportation infrastructure. And we, the voters, want the system fixed, and now the pressure shifts to the Governor and the new Delegates.
Leo Wardrup was elected in 1992 and the GOP did not take over the House of Delegates until 1999 (assuming he became Chairman of Transportation during that year or later). So how is that the GOP oversaw this massive decline of our transporatation infrastructure in a short 10 years? Your logic is faulty in that you assume the transportation was going along strong until the GOP took over and then slashed VDOT’s budget so that it could not function (all this with 2 Dem Governor’s at the helm and the state senate only being in GOP control for a few years). I dare say you protest to much!
The problem is that simply providing more money for transportation is not going to fix it. It is not that simple (yet Dems just throw money at problems without clear cut guidelines of actually solving the problem). Localities are just as much to blame in this as the state. Since the bulk of a localities economic base is housing stock (real estate taxes), the need to grant greater land use to develop more housing is high, which leads to more residents, which leads to more children which require new schools to attend and for the most part development does not grow in some common sense fashion (urban sprawl) it adds to greater and greater congestion. So without fixing the foundational problems of unchecked develpment and urban sprawl, just throwing more money at the transportation problem alone is not going to fix it.
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