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Minor glitches reported on Election Day in Virginia after final push in Senate race Mark Warner, Ed Gillespie in tight U.S. Senate race in Virginia
(35 minutes later)
In a year that was a expected to be bad for Democrats, especially for incumbents with close ties with President Obama and his trouble-plagued health-care law, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner faced a unrelenting critique from Republican strategist and challenger Ed Gillespie. In a year that was expected to be bad for Democrats, especially for incumbents with close ties with President Obama and his trouble-plagued health-care law, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner was locked in a surprisingly tight race with Republican strategist and challenger Ed Gillespie.
Just how effective Gillespie’s chief line of attack would prove to be — that Warner had voted with the president 97 percent of the time, most notably for the Affordable Care Act — was among the outstanding questions Tuesday night as voters passed judgment on a man who has long billed himself as a business-friendly moderate. Gillespie’s unrelenting attack on Warner’s voting record in support of Obama proved at least somewhat effective against Warner, who has been Virginia’s most popular politician for more than a decade. Gillespie’s chief line of attack was that Warner had voted with the president 97 percent of the time, most notably for the Affordable Care Act.
Warner has been one of Virginia’s most popular political figures. He won his first race for Senate in a landslide in 2008. Gillespie, his underdog opponent, took him on in a year when President Obama’s low approval ratings have been a drag on Democrats nationally. The former Republican National Committee chairman claimed at a rally Tuesday that momentum was on his side — taking note of narrowing polls and the energy of a volunteer squad he dubbed his “G-Force.” Warner has long billed himself as a business-friendly moderate. He won his first race for Senate in a landslide in 2008. But Gillespie, his underdog opponent, took him on in a year when President Obama’s low approval ratings have been a drag on Democrats nationally.
A pair of Virginia House contests — one in a competitive district in the Washington suburbs, and another outside Richmond, in Hanover County — were also being watched closely. The former Republican National Committee chairman claimed at a rally Tuesday that momentum was on his side — taking note of narrowing polls and the energy of a volunteer squad he dubbed his “G-Force.”
In Virginia’s 10th congressional district — which stretches from inside the Beltway to Winchester — the face-off to replace retiring Republican Frank Wolf offered what was expected to be one of the night’s most competitive contests. Republican Barbara J. Comstock and Democrat John W. Foust continued canvassing neighborhoods, shopping malls and other spots Tuesday for last-minute votes. Polls have suggested that Warner, a former governor running for his second term in the Senate, would be reelected despite a tough national environment for Democrats. He has long billed himself as a business-friendly moderate who aims for centrist consensus in the Senate. He also outspent his rival by a two-to-one margin and benefited from more outside money.
Vanessa Weglian, 38, brought her three-year-old, George, and six-month-old, John, to the polls in Ashburn on Tuesday. George ran circles around Weglian’s white SUV (“Careful, Georgie!”) while she unhooked the baby and lifted him onto her shoulder. Outside the ballroom where Warner supporters began to gather as the polls closed, Daphne Steinberg, 45, of Fairfax County, said: “I think he’s his own man. He’s not a guy that’s going to let someone else’s opinion necessarily dictate his. On the other hand, he’s a guy who listens to other people so he’s very middle of the road. To me the Republicans seem to be people of great extremes and the Democrats aren’t. That’s one of the big reasons I go for them – I think they are more prepared to reach across the aisle,” she said.
“They’re going to learn history when they go to school, about all the presidents, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln. We’re the ones who make history, by voting,” she said as George began scattering cheese puffs onto the asphalt. Even if Warner prevails, a close race would tarnish his image as an untouchable force in Virginia politics. Six years ago, Warner beat former governor James S. Gilmore III (R) by over thirty points, sweeping all but a handful of the state’s counties. Warner prides himself on his attention to the southwest, a largely rural and conservative corner of the state. Yet even his supporters there, including several former Republican lawmakers, say Obama’s unpopularity with those voters has weighed Warner down.
“BIRDIES!” he hollered, looking up. “Cheese puffs for you!” Likewise, a near victory would be a significant boost for Gillespie’s future political career. Political observers say he is well positioned for another statewide bid, having earned GOP goodwill with his willingness to take on someone consistently ranked the state’s most popular political figure.
When she was eight weeks pregnant with George, she saw his heartbeat on the ultrasound. She didn’t know most of the candidates’ positions on most of the issues – too busy with her family and her freelance writing to dig into that, she said — but she was certain of her vote for Barbara Comstock. “He charged the hill no one else dared to charge and he did a really good job,” said Ray Allen, a longtime Republican strategist who did some work for Gillespie. “When he announced, Warner had an approval rating of 60 percent. That takes real guts.”
“I feel life is sacred,” she said, so she always makes sure to vote for people who oppose abortion. George wanted to run to the other end of the parking lot, but she steered him toward the church, wrapping a blankie over John as she walked. It took just a moment to vote, then she gave George the poll sticker. A victory would return Warner to a job that the Nextel co-founder has often found frustrating due to partisan gridlock. He has spoken more fondly of his time as governor a decade ago, often joking that he misses being addressed as “his excellency.” On the campaign trail, he has promised to devote his next two years to a forceful push for bipartisan solutions, saying he’s learned from experience.
Edward Heddinger voted for Foust. He works at Northrop Grumman hiring veterans; he was in the Army National Guard when he was sent to Iraq, a deployment that was extended six months during the “surge.” “I don’t think he has an interest in being a back bencher for 25 years,” said former Virginia Commonwealth University professor Bob Holsworth. “I think you’re going to see Warner really try to stake out that middle ground ... to bring answers to the questions that go completely unaddressed out there – the entitlement reform issues, reforming health care to make it work better.”
“That was not a good phone call to make,” Heddinger said. In the 10th District, Edward Heddinger voted for Foust. He works at Northrop Grumman hiring veterans; he was in the Army National Guard when he was sent to Iraq, a deployment that was extended six months during the “surge.”
His unit was deployed for 22 months, 13 of them “boots on the ground” in Iraq. He came home in 2007 with a head injury, among other wounds, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Since then, he has been fighting a battle with the VA. His wife Rebecca rubbed his arm. It has been a hard road, she said. But he’s home. And they were both proud to vote. They hope the Democrats will make a difference. Heddinger said he has a libertarian bent interested in candidates who can get past rhetoric and partisan politics to get things done. He’s turned off when candidates try to prove their conservative or liberal credentials with hard-line positions.
Heddinger said he has a libertarian bent and asks, “If you want the right to do this, then what’s your responsibility?” He’s interested in candidates who can get past rhetoric and partisan politics to get things done. He’s turned off when candidates try to prove their conservative or liberal credentials with hard-line positions.
“That was one of the commercials that annoyed us,” he said. “Comstock and ‘working mothers.’ We’re not talking about the issues.”“That was one of the commercials that annoyed us,” he said. “Comstock and ‘working mothers.’ We’re not talking about the issues.”
His wife nodded. “Seeing that over and over didn’t make me think I should dig deeper into John Foust’s past – it was, ‘Shut UP.’ We started muting,” Rebecca Heddinger said. “Or talking really loud over it.”
In Hanover, the heart of the 7th Congressional district Republican territory that unseated former Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Tea Party-backed economics professor Dave Brat faced Democrat and fellow Randolph-Macon College instructor Jack Trammell in a heavily Republican district.
“Virginia used to be a red state – I don’t know what happened,” said Paul Poburka, a 7th district resident who said he always votes for the most conservative candidate. Like many of his neighbors who favored Brat’s anti-immigration message, Poburka, who works for Dominion Power, said Virginia’s photo ID requirement should be a national policy.
“Who knows how many votes are from people who shouldn’t be voting, like illegal people. If they’re not citizens they shouldn’t be allowed to vote. We are literally being invaded – tens of millions of people – to overthrow our government. That’s one way to look at it because they’re all going to vote for Democrats,” he said.
The Senate race reflected wider national trends, as GOP candidates hope to see a boost from supporters who sense that Republicans have a shot to win control of Congress.The Senate race reflected wider national trends, as GOP candidates hope to see a boost from supporters who sense that Republicans have a shot to win control of Congress.
In Arlington, Ronelle Matney, 63, a consultant and self-identified independent, voted for Republican Gillespie in hopes of seeing the senate switch to Republican control. In Arlington, Ronelle Matney, 63, a consultant and self-identified independent, voted for Republican Gillespie in hopes of seeing the Senate switch to Republican control.
She and her husband, Bud Matney, 75, who retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserve and semi-retired from work as a cost analyst and former stockbroker, said they are very concerned about the economy and a host of other national and international issues. They feel the Democratic leadership has let the country down with its handling of Benghazi, the IRS, Ebola and the Islamic State militant group. “It’s time for a change,” they each said.She and her husband, Bud Matney, 75, who retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserve and semi-retired from work as a cost analyst and former stockbroker, said they are very concerned about the economy and a host of other national and international issues. They feel the Democratic leadership has let the country down with its handling of Benghazi, the IRS, Ebola and the Islamic State militant group. “It’s time for a change,” they each said.
“I can’t say I’m so strongly enamored with the candidates,” Ronelle Matney said, “but [this is] more to get a vote for the opposing party to take leadership.“I can’t say I’m so strongly enamored with the candidates,” Ronelle Matney said, “but [this is] more to get a vote for the opposing party to take leadership.
Brian Entzminger, who works in sales, hurried through the darkness to vote in Crystal City shortly after 6 a.m.Brian Entzminger, who works in sales, hurried through the darkness to vote in Crystal City shortly after 6 a.m.
“I don’t want the Republicans to control the Senate,” Brian Entzminger said, adding that he supported Warner.“I don’t want the Republicans to control the Senate,” Brian Entzminger said, adding that he supported Warner.
Some voters were more focused on local issues, including two in Arlington who were torn over the city’s controversial streetcar project. The project has played an outsize role in the race for the county’s open board seat, with Republican John Vihstadt opposing it and Democrat Alan Howze backing the plan. An onslaught of negative ads run by the Warner campaign in recent weeks hinted at concern that Gillespie was gaining ground despite a lack of substantial support from national Republicans.
Neither Susannah Rosenblatt nor Lisa Hopkins had picked a candidate in the race before heading to the polls Tuesday. Some voters in Newport News and Virginia Beach were stymied by malfunctioning electronic voting machines, which officials said would not delay the process. Across the state voters also dealt with new requirements related to the a photo identification law in force for the first time. Voting rights groups were out at the polls in force to help people comply with the new rules, which are among the nation’s strictest.
Rosenblatt, 33, who works in public relations and votes at Barcroft Elementary School in South Arlington, said she and her husband live off Columbia Pike and have been following the streetcar issue closely. “I love the idea of it. It could be so cool,” she said. Turnout was expected to be fairly low across the Commonwealth. The number of voters who requested absentee ballots — a good barometer of interest — was just under 132,000 this year, down sharply from the 476,000 who did so in 2012, the last presidential year, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
She would like to see some of the economic growth and mixed-use development closer to the Fairfax County line. She used to commute by bus to Dupont Circle and thinks it would be great to have another transportation option.
At the same time, she said, she wants to be sure the county is careful with its spending and does not just rubber-stamp ideas. “We all know about the million-dollar bus stop,” Rosenblatt said of an expensive and controversial bus stop project.
Hopkins, 45, a consultant from North Arlington who leans left, said she is most concerned about debt locally. She’s proud of the county’s reputation for promoting sustainability issues and its good schools. “I think they have good ideas, but I think we have a lot of debt — we need to back away from that,” she said.
The streetcar is a good idea in theory, “but in practice I’m not sure,” she said. “If they can get people to use it . . . Columbia Pike would be changed completely.”
Voting glitches were reported in some places as the elections also put Virginia’s new voter identification law to the test, and voter rights groups were monitoring polling places. The new requirements tripped up some voters in the early going.Voting glitches were reported in some places as the elections also put Virginia’s new voter identification law to the test, and voter rights groups were monitoring polling places. The new requirements tripped up some voters in the early going.
Rose Mansfield, spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Elections, said there were problems in some parts of the state early Tuesday with the way voting machines were displaying candidates’ names.Rose Mansfield, spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Elections, said there were problems in some parts of the state early Tuesday with the way voting machines were displaying candidates’ names.
In some cases, election officials said, the font had been made extra large on machines with the intention of making it easier for voters to read the names. But that also reduced the space between the names, causing some voters to hit the wrong name by mistake. Mansfield said the problem occurred in several jurisdictions but was corrected.
Separately, the Department of Elections said Tuesday afternoon it was notified that both Newport News and Virginia Beach were experiencing technical difficulties with their touch-screen machines. Some voters reported having a different selection appear after making their choice, the department said in a press release. Both localities were taking malfunctioning machines out of service.
One congressional campaign noted the voting irregularities in the Virginia Beach area. U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell (R-Va.) sent an e-mail to supporters claiming that voters who selected the incumbent’s name saw his opponent’s name pop up instead. His supporters posted a video purporting to show just that.
“We have received numerous, credible reports of poll machine irregularity at voting precincts in Virginia’s Second Congressional District,” Rigell’s campaign said. “This is very troubling. It is critical that every voter verifies the final summary page before pushing the ‘cast ballot’ option.”
The campaign of Rigell’s Democratic opponent, Suzanne Patrick, said her campaign had received only “a very low and limited” number of voting problems and that they were resolved quickly.
Statewide, the new voter ID requirement caused some minor confusion, according to organizations monitoring polling places.Statewide, the new voter ID requirement caused some minor confusion, according to organizations monitoring polling places.
By early afternoon, Tram Nguyen, co-executive director of Virginia New Majority, said she had not heard any reports of voters being denied the right to vote due to improper identification. But, she said, the new law was being applied inconsistently across the commonwealth.By early afternoon, Tram Nguyen, co-executive director of Virginia New Majority, said she had not heard any reports of voters being denied the right to vote due to improper identification. But, she said, the new law was being applied inconsistently across the commonwealth.
When voters go to the polls, they should participate in a two-step process, she said. First, the poll worker must confirm that the voter is the person pictured on the ID presented and, second, the poll worker must ask for verbal confirmation of the street address the voter used to register to vote.When voters go to the polls, they should participate in a two-step process, she said. First, the poll worker must confirm that the voter is the person pictured on the ID presented and, second, the poll worker must ask for verbal confirmation of the street address the voter used to register to vote.
But some poll workers were mistakenly asking for documentation of the voter’s address, said Hope Amezquita, staff attorney and legislative counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia. Other times, acceptable IDs — such as a U.S. passport and University of Virginia student ID — were rejected and the voters were not offered a provisional ballot in accordance with guidelines from the Department of Elections, she said, though she cited no examples where voters were ultimately blocked.But some poll workers were mistakenly asking for documentation of the voter’s address, said Hope Amezquita, staff attorney and legislative counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia. Other times, acceptable IDs — such as a U.S. passport and University of Virginia student ID — were rejected and the voters were not offered a provisional ballot in accordance with guidelines from the Department of Elections, she said, though she cited no examples where voters were ultimately blocked.
Susan Svrluga, Justin Jouvenal, Miles Parks, Antonio Olivo and Rachel Weiner contributed to this report.Susan Svrluga, Justin Jouvenal, Miles Parks, Antonio Olivo and Rachel Weiner contributed to this report.