Surprise winner in Virginia Dem primary

Washington Post:

Running with the least money and fewest ties to vote-rich Northern Virginia, State Sen. R. Creigh Deeds has won the three-way Democratic primary for governor, paving the way for a rematch with Republican Bob McDonnell in the fall.

Deeds, 51, a country lawyer from Bath County in the western part of the state, was viewed as an unlikely winner against two Northern Virginians with entrenched political ties.

Known for his moderate views on such issues as gun rights, but also appreciated for his folksy style and attention to the Washington suburbs' cry for road improvements, Deeds was leading in Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun and Prince William counties.

Deeds had almost doubled the vote totals of each of his opponents, Democratic activist Terry McAuliffe and former Del. Brian Moran.

"Three weeks ago, this was a two-man race between McAuliffe and Moran," said Quentin Kidd, a political science professor at Christopher Newport University. "Deeds was going to win the rural vote and that's it. People are going to be talking about how he pulled this off for weeks and months."

Deeds, a 17-year veteran of the General Assembly, lost by a mere 323 votes to McDonnell in the 2005 election for attorney general. His victory today presents Republicans with a different challenge than they were expecting: a moderate with strong ties to rural voters and a political apparatus throughout the state.

...

The Republicans can probably match his strength in the rural areas of the state. What the election suggest is that Virginia is not as liberal as some have suggested since Obama carried it. I think McDonnell has a good chance of winning the general election. This may be the start of a trend against liberals in the rest of the country.