Photo by Associate Press
U.S. Sen. George Allen, left, is being challenged by Democrat Jim Webb, former secretary of the Navy.
By Kelly Evans
Local voters have a front-row seat to one of the nation’s hottest Senate races this fall as Democratic challenger Jim Webb’s polling numbers close in on those of incumbent Republican senator George Allen.
Webb stopped in Lexington on Friday, Sept. 22, at a rally held in Hopkins Green as he made his way through western Virginia. Umbrellas dotted the crowd as a couple dozen people, including several elderly men cheering for a fellow veteran and former Secretary of the Navy, braved the sporadic rain to show their support.
“I appreciate you all coming out in the rain like this,” said Webb, wearing his signature combat boots that have sparked much comparison to Allen’s own trademark--cowboy boots.
David Cox, a local Episcopal priest who lost his race last year to unseat Republican delegate Ben Cline, introduced Webb. He pointed out that 70 percent of Lexington voters supported Webb in the Democratic primary race this spring. In that race, Webb drew 142 votes in the city against his Democratic opponent, lobbyist Harris Miller.
“We are blessed to have a real candidate,” Cox said, playing up the campaign’s symbolism of Webb being a Marine veteran who served in Vietnam and his son currently being in the Marine Corps. “He wears combat boots because he is a real marine and he is the father of a real marine.”
Virginia’s Senate race has received intense national exposure as a series of embarrassing incidents have cost Allen several points in the Senate race and dimmed his chances of being a 2008 Presidential nominee.
Allen first received negative attention in August after calling one of Webb’s staffers “macaca,” which some interpreted as a derogatory term. Allen insisted he meant no insult and simply made up the term. In another stumble, he reacted angrily on national television when asked about his Jewish ancestry but later acknowledged that his mother had Jewish roots she hid from him until very recently. Most recently, a former University of Virginia football teammate came forward to say that, in college, Allen used a racist slang word for blacks.
“This is an unusual political campaign,” Webb quipped to the crowd on Friday. Webb himself came under fire recently for his lone campaign ad, which shows President Reagan praising him during a 1985 speech. Republicans claim that Reagan’s widow asked Webb to remove the ad, a claim that Webb denied during his visit, saying the only letter he received was from a staffer in her office. Webb has also been criticized for a 1979 article he wrote in the Washingtonian arguing that women should not serve in combat.
“This campaign has gone in directions I don’t think people could have imagined,” he said. Webb said he started out with zero dollars and zero staff, 33 points behind Allen. A Sept. 11 Mason-Dixon poll put Allen ahead at 46 percent over Webb’s 42 percent, while a Sept. 10 Zogby poll breaks with several others by putting Webb ahead by 7 points.
The Virginia Senate race is also in the national spotlight because Democrats hope to seize control of Congress after this fall’s midterm elections. They need to win six seats from Republicans to control Senate and 15 from Republicans in the House of Representatives to become the majority there. Virginia is one of the key states where Republican incumbents are facing an uphill battle for reelection on Nov. 7.
Here in Lexington, the Republican and Democratic headquarters are open for business and lawn signs supporting Allen and Webb are popping up all over town.
“People come in here to pick up the signs and see what else is around,” said Republican party volunteer Chip Schram, who added that the office, situated on East Nelson Street behind Lexington Presbyterian Church, gets many visits from tourists and travelers as well.
“We picked a nice place with a lot of traffic,” he said, standing amid signs and banners supporting George Allen and unopposed Republican incumbent Bob Goodlatte, who is seeking reelection for the House of Representative 6th District that covers the Rockbridge area.
A quarter mile east on Nelson Street is the new Democratic headquarters for Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County. At least one volunteer is all-too aware that this “Webb Site” used to host Country Cookin’, a down-home restaurant.
“I keep the door open because you can still smell the food,” said Democratic volunteer Joyce Denton.
But the smell doesn’t seem to bother the people who stop by looking for lawn signs or information about the elections.
Marge Rose, 58, is an area schoolteacher who supports Jim Webb’s campaign.
“He’s very knowledgeable,” she said. “Much more so than Allen.” But Rose said she’d mostly just like to see someone new in Allen’s office.
“I don’t care if Charlie Brown was running right now,” she said. “I’d vote for him.”
Kaylee Hartung covers Webb's
visit to Rockbridge County
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Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Claudette Artwick
Reporting supervisors:
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd