It is going to take some serious work by Republicans to hold onto the state senate in 2015 and Majority Leader Tommy Norment knows it. In his end-of-session press release he made a point of mentioning “Republican leadership” several times when touting this year’s ability to get things done.
And rightfully so.
Last year, with a divided legislature, Democrats insisted on tying Obamacare expansion to the state budget when they had a majority in the state senate. This led to a stalemate that lasted until June. It was only a Democratic senator’s retirement that broke the logjam.
But those days could return – and Norment certainly wants all of us to remember.
However, if you needed further clarification from Gov. Terry McAuliffe that he wants to have the senate back in Democrat control – and that Virginia Beach will be ground zero for the challenges – he provided that clarity. (PilotOnline.com)
“We need to pick up one seat and I feel very confident we’re going to do it,” said McAuliffe to reporters Friday. Right now the GOP holds only a 21-19 advantage. Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, will break any ties.
Gary McCollum, a former Army Ranger and Cox Communications exec is taking on Sen. Frank Wagner and Dave Belote, a former Air Force colonel is the likely Democrat to face Del. Bill DeSteph for the privilege of succeeding Sen. Jeff McWaters.
Republicans are very much playing defense, trying to win the two Beach seats and win open seats with the retirements of Sens. John Watkins and Walter Stosch. Of those four contests, only two can be said to be generally safely Republican.
While there is some possibility of GOP pick-ups elsewhere, the path to keep 21 is going to be a tough one. It would be best if the GOP were all on one sheet of music…but….
About that Virginia GOP infighting
The Washington Post took a swag at explaining the Republican political landscape in Virginia. Think about that for a second. Does anyone really think the Washington Post is interested in calming the GOP waters? And if it’s showing controversy in Virginia in order to show a rift with national efforts, it’s probably safe to say this article isn’t to further advance the GOP agenda.
That said, read Shaun Kenney’s excellent observations on the article on the flagship.
This post originally appeared in J.R.’s daily email: “The Last Word.”
