GOP Senator in Northern Virginia, Foe Seeking Gay Vote

This Washington Post article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/02/AR2007100202235.html) shows just how schizophrenic politics can be in Virginia, which in many ways is two states: (1) the rural and homophobic southwest and southern portions of the state and (2) the urban cities and Northern Virginia. Thus, Republican incumbent Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (wife of Congressman Davis R-VA) is forced to work for vote among residents that others in the GOP in the backward, knuckle dragging parts of the state either ignore or use only for gay-baiting the Christianists. Here are some highlights:

If ever there were a sign that Northern Virginia's political landscape is shifting, it was the recent scene in a nondescript office park in Fairfax City, where two candidates for the state Senate battled passionately to win what each views as a crucial source of support this election season: the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender vote.

Republican incumbent Jeannemarie Devolites Davis and Democratic challenger J. Chapman Petersen practically fell over each other to win votes at a debate Thursday sponsored by Equality Fairfax, a nonpartisan group that seeks to end discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The debate provided more evidence of the political shake-up occurring in Northern Virginia. In the 34th Senate District, whose boundaries were drawn by Republicans six years ago, Davis is fighting for her political life against what all agree is an overwhelming Democratic advantage. As a result, her race with Petersen at times looks more like a nomination fight between progressive Democrats than a Virginia general election.

This district that these two candidates are vying to represent has become progressively more progressive over the past few years," said Tom Osborne of Virginia Partisans, a Democratic gay and lesbian group that has endorsed Petersen. "So any candidate who hopes to have a chance of winning would have to appeal to more progressive votes."

I see the trend continuing, with the urban areas and Northern Virginia eventually wrenching control of the state's political future from those who still think they are living in the early 20th century rather than the 21st century. The change cannot come soon enough in my view. It is one of my hopes that HRBOR will help speed up this change in mentality in the Hampton Roads business community.