Dem picked up former state dist. seat from repub tonight.......by 24pts

[Rose Siding]

from autorank's LBN thread:

Democrat Mark R. Herring overwhelmed Republican David. M. Mick Staton Jr. today to win a special election in a GOP-leaning Loudoun County and western Fairfax County Senate district. With 50 of 52 precincts reporting, the unofficial results in the 33rd District were: Herring, 12,379 votes, or 62 percent. Staton, 7,688, or 38 percent.

Herring succeeds former Republican state Sen. Bill Mims, who resigned the seat to become chief deputy to Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell. The contest was the last of four special elections held since Novembers general election to fill seats in the 2006 General Assembly.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2078111

:wow:

[EST]

1. Read about this earlier.

I was so excited the sotu speech didn't seem quite as bad as I'd feared. This has made me the most hopeful I have felt in months.

[guidod]

2. OUTSTANDING!!

[JDPriestly]

3. Congratulations Virginian DUers

Congratulations Virginian Democrats.

We should start a tally of the new seats we win this year. It would be interesting to see which red state can add the most Democrats. Why don't we have a contest?

[autorank]

4. VA Dems -- 3 for 5 (.600) in 2006 Special Elections for State Legislature

WE'RE 3 FOR 5, NOT BAD FOR SPECIAL ELECTOINS.  THE BALANCE IS
SHIFTING.  WE'LL KEEP TABS FOR THE RACE.  AS LONG AS WE ALL
WIN, WHO CARES WHO IS IN FIRST PLACE (WELL, WE DO;)

Office: Senate of Virginia===>LOSE
State Senate District 004 
Precincts Reporting: 72 of 72 (100.00%)
Registered Voters: 124,018   Total Voting: 8,416   Voter
Turnout: 6.79 %
 Candidates 	 Party 	Vote Totals 	Percentage
  R T McDougle 	 Republican 	6,822 	81.29%
  R G Cavendish  Democratic 	1,558 	18.57%
 

Office: House of Delegates ===>WIN
State House District 003
Precincts Reporting: 45 of 45 (100.00%)
Registered Voters: 43,229   Total Voting: 10,913   Voter
Turnout: 25.24 %
 Candidates 	 Party 	Vote Totals 	Percentage
  D C Bowling 	 Democratic 	6,579 	60.35%
  T S Cook 	 Republican 	3,065 	28.12%
  G L Elkins 	 Independent 	1,028 	9.43%
  R B Wright 	 Independent 	227 	2.08%
 

Office: House of Delegates  ===>WIN
State House District 023
Precincts Reporting: 23 of 23 (100.00%)
Registered Voters: 41,411   Total Voting: 13,886   Voter
Turnout: 33.53 %
 Candidates 	         Party 	        Vote Totals 	Percentage
  S R Valentine 	 Democratic 	7,887 	        57.50%
  M B Harrington 	 Republican 	5,817 	        42.41%
  
Office: House of Delegates ===>LOSE
State House District 097
Precincts Reporting: 44 of 44 (100.00%)
Registered Voters: 50,984   Total Voting: 9,032   Voter
Turnout: 17.72 %
 Candidates 	         Party 	        Vote Totals 	Percentage
  C K Peace 	         Republican 	4,573 	        50.83%
  J W Montgomery Jr 	 Democratic 	4,354 	        48.39%

Office: Senate of Virginia ===>WIN
State Senate District 033
Precincts Reporting: 52 of 52 (100.00%)
Registered Voters: 147,161   Total Voting: 20,090   Voter
Turnout: 13.65 %
 Candidates 	 Party 	        Vote Totals 	Percentage
  M R Herring 	 Democratic 	12,381 	        61.63%
  D M Staton Jr  Republican 	7,689 	        38.27%
 

[JDPriestly]

6. Democrats win when Democrats get voters to the polls.

That's the lesson here.  With the exception of State House
District 097, the higher the percentage of voters, the better
the chances for Democrats.  There is an easy solution: 
register voters early, get people to vote absentee when
possible, organize a get out the vote campaign.  Go door to
door.  Talk to your neighbors.  Set up tables in front of
supermarkets and other public places, hand out brochures and
talk and talk and talk and talk and talk and talk to voters. 
You'll be surprised, but it's actually fun and you will make
new friends.  You'd be surprised at how many closet Democrats
are out there.  I suspect that is especially true in areas in
which voter turnout is low.  People don't vote, because they
think it's a waste of time since the Republican is going to
win anyway.  Little do they know that by staying home, they
are voting TWICE for the Republican candidate.  Once because
they don't vote and once because some Republican votes in
their place.  Get the Democrats to the polls.  That's how we
can take back our country.  Even Diebold can't show a
Republican win if voters favor Democrats 80% to 20%.

[Lexingtonian]

5. We should have more special elections, we just should.

Seriously, since Pelosi's crew went all out in the Kentucky Sixth and Jim Chandler won there two years ago, Democrats have been kicking ass in special elections.

I think in my state Republicans aren't allowed to resign between general elections anymore, their seats just seem to evaporate to Democrats whenever they do. In Minnesota the DFL has picked up two or three state Senate seats since November and they're one seat away from tying in their state House. New Hampshire Republicans lost a state House seat last week. And there's that most painful Republican defeat in a special election so far, Stephanie Herseth's win in South Dakota.

Of course, the Pubbies have Android Arnold to tout, but since he's turning mushy or Democrat and got his ass kicked in that last referendum, that's more a Golden Oldies kind of point.

[moggie12]

7. Hey, that's great!

I don't believe all the TV prognosticators who say we can't take back the House and Senate in '06. A lot of Independents may be finally waking up and realizing what nightmare Bush is.

[mdmc]

8. kick for dem gains

:dem: