Jeff McWaters is challenging Virginia Beach Councilwoman Rosemary Wilson for the Republican nomination for State Senate in the 8th District – Ken Stolle’s soon-to-be-vacated seat.
The nomination won’t be determined until after the general election on Nov. 3, when Stolle is elected Sheriff, but both candidates are vigorously campaigning — particularly since they know there will be a short window of time between the general and the nomination.
However, while they are campaigning and raising money now, they do so with the knowledge that they are not the main event. Therefore, they’re faced with finding balance between their self-interest and being team players (which could be in their self-interest).
However, McWaters may have tipped the balance in a negative way: he recently began to put up 4×8 signs.
And putting up the signs has aggravated McDonnell volunteers.
The volunteers are agitated because they claim McWaters is taking valuable territory away from the statewide ticket. They also state that McWaters is putting up the signs despite repeated pleas from party leaders not to.
Wilson, as to be expected, has said that her campaign will respond by also putting up her signs, if McWaters doesn’t take his down until after the general.
While signs don’t win elections, they certainly send a message and campaigns take it very seriously.
What do you think? Is McWaters hurting his campaign by putting these signs out early?