Virginia United States Senate election, 2006
Encyclopedia
The 2006 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator George Allen
ran for re-election to a second term, but lost to Democrat Jim Webb
.
and was considered a possible candidate for president in 2008
, was running for his second term. Webb, a decorated Vietnam War
veteran, writer and former Secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan
won the Democratic nomination. Polls clearly favored Allen through mid-August, when he was caught on videotape on August 11 twice using an ethnic slur
in reference to a Webb campaign volunteer, S.R. Sidarth, who is of Indian ancestry
. Allen denied any prejudice in the comment, but his lead shrank considerably. Still, he led in most polls until late October, when several surveys showed Webb with a lead — mostly within the margin of error. The election was not decided until nearly 48 hours after the polls closed, when Allen, behind by a margin of about 0.3%, conceded on November 9, 2006. With all of the other Senate races decided, the outcome swung control of the Senate to the Democrats.
reports show that in the first part of 2006, Miller raised more than twice as much money as Webb, who entered the race in February. (Miller contributed over $1 million to his own campaign, 60% of what he raised.)
Allen and Webb differed on other issues. Allen is pro-life
; Webb, pro-choice
. Allen supported George W. Bush
’s tax cuts while Webb said more of the benefits should have gone to middle-class Americans. Both candidates support the death penalty, right-to-work law
s, and Second Amendment
rights.
On September 17, Allen and Webb appeared on NBC's
Meet the Press
for a debate. Part of the program's debate series on the midterm elections, the debate heavily discussed both the original Gulf War
and the present war in Iraq. Host Tim Russert
questioned Webb about his initial support for Allen's 2000 U.S. Senate run, as well as what led him to later oppose Allen. Russert also questioned Allen about a remark Webb made concerning his interactions with Allen at the start of the Iraq conflict. Webb asserted that he approached Allen regarding U.S. involvement in the region and cautioned against military action. Webb also claimed that Allen responded to this by saying "You’re asking me to be disloyal to the president." After being questioned on this by Russert, Allen clarified by saying "No, it’s loyalty to this country, and making sure that our country is unified in, in this, in this effort to disarm Saddam Hussein
. That was the point." Allen also addressed what he saw as a weakness in Webb, claiming his opponent wanted to withdraw from Iraq. Webb clarified his belief that the U.S. has a commitment to ensure Iraq is stable before withdrawing, but also reasserted that a permanent U.S. presence in Iraq is not an option.
The debate likewise covered an upcoming vote on the use of coercive interrogation methods on enemy combatant
s. Allen stated that he had not yet made a decision on how to vote, but stated "Now, the key in all of this is I don’t want to stop these interrogations. I’m not for torture
, I’m not for waterboarding
, but some of these techniques have been very helpful to us, whether, whether they are sleep deprivation
, or whether there’s loud music. And I need to be absolutely certain that what the interrogations — interrogators are doing now — which is completely fine as far as I’m concerned, protecting Americans — will not be harmed by the proposal." Webb expressed that this was an issue close to him as a former soldier, but also stated that he did not believe interrogations should be ended completely. Webb however reaffirmed his concerns that if the U.S. abandons the Geneva Convention its soldiers will suffer abroad.
Russert questioned Webb on the recent allegations that his 1979 Washingtonian article fostered hostility towards female students at the Naval Academy. Webb responded as he had in prior press releases, expressing his regret for the repercussions of the article. Russert similarly asked Allen about a statement he made in 2000 in the pages of American Enterprise magazine: "If[ Virginia Military Institute
] admitted women, it wouldn’t be the VMI that we’ve known for 154 years. You just don’t treat women the way you treat fellow cadets. If you did, it would be ungentlemanly, it would be improper." Allen responded that VMI has made great progress in a co-ed curriculum, making women cadets more of a possibility than at the time he made the statement.
League of Women Voters debate
On October 9, 2006, the League of Women Voters
sponsored a debate between Allen and Webb. The format consisted of the candidates answering series of questions from the moderator, from the LWV panel, and finally from each other. Largely, the responses from the candidates did not expand on the body of knowledge already present in their television and radio commercials. The overall feel of the debate was somewhat combative, with Allen frequently going overtime on responses and a round of uncontrolled verbal jousting after Allen cited Webb's prior statements on raising taxes.
in 1976, its congressional delegation is mostly conservative, with eight of eleven Congressmen and both Senators belonging to the Republican Party prior to the 2006 election, this made Virginia's Congressional delegation the most Republican of any Southern state. Despite this, Democrats have won the last two gubernatorial races, in 2001 and 2005. The state's political majority has been changing from conservative white to a mixture of races, especially Hispanic. The state is increasingly diverse; it has the highest percentage of Asians (4.7%, according to the 2005 American Community Survey of the U.S. Census) of any Southern state. 9.9% of Virginians are foreign-born.
Webb, like Governor Tim Kaine
in 2005, won the four major fast-growing counties in Northern Virginia
outside Washington, D.C.
; Fairfax
, Loudoun
, Prince William
and Arlington
. President Barack Obama
carried Virginia by a 6.3% margin over Republican Senator John McCain
.
When results began coming in, Allen quickly built a sizeable lead, which began to narrow as the night went on. With 90% of precincts reporting, Allen held a lead of about 30,000 voteshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EEuPyCDoQE, or about 1.5%. However, as votes began to come in from population-heavy Richmond
, Webb narrowed the gap, and pulled ahead within the last 1 or 2% of precincts to report. Preliminary results showed Webb holding a lead of 8,942 votes, and many news organizations hesitated to call the election for either candidate until the next day. At 8:41 PM EST on November 8, AP declared Webb the winner.
In all Virginia elections, if the margin of defeat is less than half of a percentage point, the Commonwealth of Virginia allows the apparent losing candidate to request a recount, paid for by the local jurisdictions. If the margin of defeat is between one and one-half of a percentage point, the losing candidate is still entitled to request a recount, but must cover its expense.
Because the difference was less than 0.5%, George Allen could have requested a recount paid for by the government. But Allen declined to make such a request. That was likely because:
George Allen (U.S. politician)
George Felix Allen is a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the son of former NFL head coach George Allen. Allen served Virginia in the state legislature, as the 67th Governor, and in both bodies of the U.S. Congress, winning election to the Senate in 2000...
ran for re-election to a second term, but lost to Democrat Jim Webb
Jim Webb
James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
.
Background
Allen, who previously served as Governor of VirginiaGovernor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
and was considered a possible candidate for president in 2008
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, was running for his second term. Webb, a decorated Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veteran, writer and former Secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
won the Democratic nomination. Polls clearly favored Allen through mid-August, when he was caught on videotape on August 11 twice using an ethnic slur
Macaca (slur)
Macaca is a word used by George Allen in 2006 that began a controversy because it sounds similar to the French word "macaque". It was reported by journalists to be a racial slur against African immigrants in some European cultures; and by Zairian painter Tshibumba Kanda Matulu to be a pejorative...
in reference to a Webb campaign volunteer, S.R. Sidarth, who is of Indian ancestry
Indian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
. Allen denied any prejudice in the comment, but his lead shrank considerably. Still, he led in most polls until late October, when several surveys showed Webb with a lead — mostly within the margin of error. The election was not decided until nearly 48 hours after the polls closed, when Allen, behind by a margin of about 0.3%, conceded on November 9, 2006. With all of the other Senate races decided, the outcome swung control of the Senate to the Democrats.
Candidates
- Harris MillerHarris MillerHarris N. Miller is an American politician, businessman, and lobbyist. He is currently president of the Career Colleges Association, the umbrella government relations group for 1,400 for-profit vocational schools in the United States. He was formerly the president of the Information Technology...
, businessman - Jim WebbJim WebbJames Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
, former United States Secretary of the NavyUnited States Secretary of the NavyThe Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
Miller
- Kate MichelmanKate MichelmanKate Michelman is an American political activist. She is best known for her support for the pro-choice movement in the United States of America.-Career:...
, pro-choice activist - large number of Virginia state senators
- Alexandria city council
Webb
- U.S. Senator Harry ReidHarry ReidHarry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
- U.S. Senator Tom Dashle
- U.S. Senator Dick Durbin
- U.S. Senator Bob KerreyBob KerreyJoseph Robert "Bob" Kerrey was the 35th Governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987 and a U.S. Senator from Nebraska . Having served in the Vietnam War, earning the Medal of Honor for his actions, he moved into politics. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1992...
- U.S. Senator John KerryJohn KerryJohn Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
- U.S. Congressman John MurthaJohn MurthaJohn Patrick "Jack" Murtha, Jr. was an American politician from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Murtha, a Democrat, represented Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1974 until his death in 2010....
- U.S. Congresswoman Leslie Byrne
- U.S. Congressman Owen Pickett
- General Wesley ClarkWesley ClarkWesley Kanne Clark, Sr., is a retired general of the United States Army. Graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1966 at West Point, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford where he obtained a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and later graduated from the...
, - Former State Delegate Chap Petersen
- Former U.S. Senator Chuck RobbChuck RobbCharles Spittal "Chuck" Robb is an American politician. He served as the 64th Governor of Virginia from 1982 to 1986, and as a United States senator from 1989 until 2001. In 2004, he chaired the Iraq Intelligence Commission.-Early life:...
and his staff
Finances
Federal Election CommissionFederal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
reports show that in the first part of 2006, Miller raised more than twice as much money as Webb, who entered the race in February. (Miller contributed over $1 million to his own campaign, 60% of what he raised.)
Campaign
The week before the primary, Miller said a Webb campaign flier characterized him in an anti-Semitic way; Webb denied that it did.Results
Candidates
- George AllenGeorge Allen (U.S. politician)George Felix Allen is a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the son of former NFL head coach George Allen. Allen served Virginia in the state legislature, as the 67th Governor, and in both bodies of the U.S. Congress, winning election to the Senate in 2000...
(R), incumbent U.S. Senator and former Governor - Gail Parker (G), Air Force veteran
- Jim WebbJim WebbJames Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
(D), former United States Secretary of the NavyUnited States Secretary of the NavyThe Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
Controversies
This election involved several controversies involving both Webb and Allen, but the upset of Webb is mostly the cause of the incumbent, whose approval ratings in the state dropped dramatically during the election.Platform
Webb focused on his early and outspoken opposition to the war in Iraq, which Allen supported. In a September 4, 2002, Washington Post opinion piece, Webb wrote: "A long-term occupation of Iraq would beyond doubt require an adjustment of force levels elsewhere, and could eventually diminish American influence in other parts of the world." Webb’s son, a U.S. Marine, is serving in Iraq.Allen and Webb differed on other issues. Allen is pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
; Webb, pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
. Allen supported George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
’s tax cuts while Webb said more of the benefits should have gone to middle-class Americans. Both candidates support the death penalty, right-to-work law
Right-to-work law
Right-to-work laws are statutes enforced in twenty-two U.S. states, mostly in the southern or western U.S., allowed under provisions of the federal Taft–Hartley Act, which prohibit agreements between labor unions and employers that make membership, payment of union dues, or fees a condition of...
s, and Second Amendment
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
rights.
Fundraising
Allen retained a substantial lead in fundraising: $6.6 million on hand to Webb’s $1.1 million through 15 September 2006.Debates
Meet the Press debateOn September 17, Allen and Webb appeared on NBC's
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
Meet the Press
Meet the Press
Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
for a debate. Part of the program's debate series on the midterm elections, the debate heavily discussed both the original Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
and the present war in Iraq. Host Tim Russert
Tim Russert
Timothy John "Tim" Russert was an American television journalist and lawyer who appeared for more than 16 years as the longest-serving moderator of NBC's Meet the Press. He was a senior vice president at NBC News, Washington bureau chief and also hosted the eponymous CNBC/MSNBC weekend interview...
questioned Webb about his initial support for Allen's 2000 U.S. Senate run, as well as what led him to later oppose Allen. Russert also questioned Allen about a remark Webb made concerning his interactions with Allen at the start of the Iraq conflict. Webb asserted that he approached Allen regarding U.S. involvement in the region and cautioned against military action. Webb also claimed that Allen responded to this by saying "You’re asking me to be disloyal to the president." After being questioned on this by Russert, Allen clarified by saying "No, it’s loyalty to this country, and making sure that our country is unified in, in this, in this effort to disarm Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
. That was the point." Allen also addressed what he saw as a weakness in Webb, claiming his opponent wanted to withdraw from Iraq. Webb clarified his belief that the U.S. has a commitment to ensure Iraq is stable before withdrawing, but also reasserted that a permanent U.S. presence in Iraq is not an option.
The debate likewise covered an upcoming vote on the use of coercive interrogation methods on enemy combatant
Enemy combatant
Enemy combatant is a term historically referring to members of the armed forces of the state with which another state is at war. Prior to 2008, the definition was: "Any person in an armed conflict who could be properly detained under the laws and customs of war." In the case of a civil war or an...
s. Allen stated that he had not yet made a decision on how to vote, but stated "Now, the key in all of this is I don’t want to stop these interrogations. I’m not for torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
, I’m not for waterboarding
Waterboarding
Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over the face of an immobilized captive, thus causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning...
, but some of these techniques have been very helpful to us, whether, whether they are sleep deprivation
Sleep deprivation
Sleep deprivation is the condition of not having enough sleep; it can be either chronic or acute. A chronic sleep-restricted state can cause fatigue, daytime sleepiness, clumsiness and weight loss or weight gain. It adversely affects the brain and cognitive function. Few studies have compared the...
, or whether there’s loud music. And I need to be absolutely certain that what the interrogations — interrogators are doing now — which is completely fine as far as I’m concerned, protecting Americans — will not be harmed by the proposal." Webb expressed that this was an issue close to him as a former soldier, but also stated that he did not believe interrogations should be ended completely. Webb however reaffirmed his concerns that if the U.S. abandons the Geneva Convention its soldiers will suffer abroad.
Russert questioned Webb on the recent allegations that his 1979 Washingtonian article fostered hostility towards female students at the Naval Academy. Webb responded as he had in prior press releases, expressing his regret for the repercussions of the article. Russert similarly asked Allen about a statement he made in 2000 in the pages of American Enterprise magazine: "If
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
League of Women Voters debate
On October 9, 2006, the League of Women Voters
League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters is an American political organization founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt during the last meeting of the National American Woman Suffrage Association approximately six months before the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution gave women the right to vote...
sponsored a debate between Allen and Webb. The format consisted of the candidates answering series of questions from the moderator, from the LWV panel, and finally from each other. Largely, the responses from the candidates did not expand on the body of knowledge already present in their television and radio commercials. The overall feel of the debate was somewhat combative, with Allen frequently going overtime on responses and a round of uncontrolled verbal jousting after Allen cited Webb's prior statements on raising taxes.
Polling
| Source | Date | Webb (D) | Allen (R) | Parker (IG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA | November 6, 2006 | 52% | 44% | 2% |
| Mason-Dixon | November 4, 2006 | 46% | 45% | 2% |
| Reuters/Zogby | November 2, 2006 | 45% | 44% | |
| Rasmussen | November 2, 2006 | 49% | 49% | |
| CNN | October 31, 2006 | 50% | 46% | |
| Rasmussen | October 29, 2006 | 51% | 46% | |
| Zogby/WSJ | October 28, 2006 | 51% | 47% | |
| GHY (D) | October 26-29, 2006 | 47% | 43% | |
| Rasmussen | October 27, 2006 | 48% | 49% | |
| SurveyUSA | October 25, 2006 | 46% | 49% | 2% |
| LA Times/Bloomberg | October 24, 2006 | 47% | 44% | |
| Mason-Dixon | October 23, 2006 | 43% | 47% | 2% |
| Zogby/WSJ | October 19, 2006 | 47% | 50% | |
| Washington Post | October 15, 2006 | 47% | 49% | 2% |
| Rasmussen | October 12, 2006 | 46% | 49% | |
| USA Today/Gallup | October 6, 2006 | 45% | 48% | |
| Reuters/Zogby | October 5, 2006 | 37% | 48% | |
| Rasmussen | October 2, 2006 | 43% | 49% | |
| SurveyUSA | September 29, 2006 | 44% | 50% | 2% |
| Zogby/WSJ | September 28, 2006 | 44% | 49% | |
| SurveyUSA | September 27, 2006 | 44% | 49% | 2% |
| Mason-Dixon/MSNBC | September 23-27, 2006 | 43% | 43% | 2% |
| Rasmussen | September 15, 2006 | 43% | 50% | |
| SurveyUSA | September 13, 2006 | 45% | 48% | 3% |
| Zogby/WSJ | September 10, 2006 | 50% | 43% | |
| Mason-Dixon | September 10, 2006 | 42% | 46% | |
| Zogby/WSJ | August 27, 2006 | 48% | 47% | |
| SurveyUSA | August 21, 2006 | 45% | 48% | 2% |
| Rasmussen | August 17, 2006 | 42% | 47% | |
| Mason-Dixon | July 30, 2006 | 32% | 48% | |
| Rasmussen | July 27, 2006 | 39% | 50% | |
| Zogby/WSJ | July 24, 2006 | 41% | 52% | |
| Survey USA | June 28, 2006 | 37% | 56% | 2% |
| Zogby/WSJ | June 21, 2006 | 44% | 49% | |
| Rasmussen | June 20, 2006 | 41% | 51% | |
| Rasmussen | April 19, 2006 | 30% | 50% | |
| Zogby/WSJ | March 31, 2006 | 42% | 49% | |
| Rasmussen | March 28, 2006 | 30% | 54% | |
| Rasmussen | February 14, 2006 | 37% | 49% | |
| Rasmussen | December 9, 2005 | 26% | 57% | |
Results
Analysis
Virginia has historically been one of the more conservative Southern states, for instance it was the only Southern state not to vote for Jimmy CarterJimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
in 1976, its congressional delegation is mostly conservative, with eight of eleven Congressmen and both Senators belonging to the Republican Party prior to the 2006 election, this made Virginia's Congressional delegation the most Republican of any Southern state. Despite this, Democrats have won the last two gubernatorial races, in 2001 and 2005. The state's political majority has been changing from conservative white to a mixture of races, especially Hispanic. The state is increasingly diverse; it has the highest percentage of Asians (4.7%, according to the 2005 American Community Survey of the U.S. Census) of any Southern state. 9.9% of Virginians are foreign-born.
Webb, like Governor Tim Kaine
Tim Kaine
Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine is a Virginia politician. Kaine served as the 70th Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011...
in 2005, won the four major fast-growing counties in Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
outside Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
; Fairfax
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, Loudoun
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
, Prince William
Prince William County, Virginia
-National protected areas:* Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge* Manassas National Battlefield Park* Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge* Prince William Forest Park-Government and politics:...
and Arlington
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
carried Virginia by a 6.3% margin over Republican Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
.
When results began coming in, Allen quickly built a sizeable lead, which began to narrow as the night went on. With 90% of precincts reporting, Allen held a lead of about 30,000 voteshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EEuPyCDoQE, or about 1.5%. However, as votes began to come in from population-heavy Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Webb narrowed the gap, and pulled ahead within the last 1 or 2% of precincts to report. Preliminary results showed Webb holding a lead of 8,942 votes, and many news organizations hesitated to call the election for either candidate until the next day. At 8:41 PM EST on November 8, AP declared Webb the winner.
In all Virginia elections, if the margin of defeat is less than half of a percentage point, the Commonwealth of Virginia allows the apparent losing candidate to request a recount, paid for by the local jurisdictions. If the margin of defeat is between one and one-half of a percentage point, the losing candidate is still entitled to request a recount, but must cover its expense.
Because the difference was less than 0.5%, George Allen could have requested a recount paid for by the government. But Allen declined to make such a request. That was likely because:
- Even in large jurisdictions, recounts — such as those in Florida in 2000United States presidential election in Florida, 2000The 2000 United States presidential election in Florida took place on November 7, 2000 as it did in the other 49 states and D.C., which was part of the 2000 United States presidential election...
and Washington's 2004 gubernatorial electionWashington gubernatorial election, 2004The election for governor of Washington on November 2, 2004 gained national attention for its legal twists and extremely close finish. Notable for being among the closest political races in United States election history, Republican Dino Rossi was declared the winner in the initial automated count...
— rarely result in a swing of more than 1,000 votes, and Allen was trailing by almost 10,000 in the initial count. In particular, almost all votes in this Virginia election were cast using electronic voting machines, whose results are unlikely to change in a recount. - There was wide speculation that calling for a recount (and still losing) would give Allen a "sore loser" label, which would hurt his future election campaigns, including what some speculated might still involve a 2008 presidential run. However, after losing the senatorial election, on December 10, 2006, Allen announced that he would not be running for president in 2008.
External links
- Meet the Press with Allen and Webb: debate video excerpts, and debate transcript
- 2006 Voter’s Guide by the League of Women Voters of Virginia Updated every 2 minutes.
- Maps & graphic displays of the 2006 Virginia election results @ www.VaElection.org
- George Allen
- Jim Webb
- Gail Parker