Virginia Republican Winners and Losers of 2007

Winners...

Reps. Rob Wittman and Eric Cantor
A virtual unknown statewide, Wittman came from nowhere to win the GOP nomination and handily win the 1st Congressional District special election and ascended from little-known state delegate to sitting in the U.S. House of Representatives. Wittman's election, and the effort shown by the RPV to secure his election, is the first step in healing the rift between moderate and conservative Republicans.

Cantor is quickly becoming a thorn in the side of Congressional Democrats. He has been slowly emerging from the ashes of K Street to become a key leader on Capitol Hill as the Chief Deputy Whip of the House GOP. He also exerts influence as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, fighting to keep taxes low and trade agreements strong and favorable. His humorous video criticizing Democrats in Congress has been a hit on the web, as well.

Northern and Central Valley Republicans - Sen. Mark Obenshain, Sen. Emmett Hanger, Sen-Elect Jill Vogel, Del. Todd Gilbert, Del. Chris Saxman.
Where to begin...Obenshain has become a party leader in the Senate, Hanger fended off a strong challenge in the primary and still swept the general election in convincing fashion, Vogel took over from RINO Russ Potts despite Dems trying desperately to knock her off. Gilbert was a 2007 workhorse, introducing over 30 bills in 60 days and leading the fight to stop illegal immigration. Saxman went from semi-recognizable Valley figure to statewide sensation by teasing a possible run at the U.S. Senate.

Sen. Ken Cuccinelli
Cuccinelli won his district by running an efficient campaign and by sticking to his principles and pointing out his opponent's flaws in a precise manner. The Democrats threw everything but the kitchen sink into getting Janet Oleszek elected, and even the demographics in Fairfax had seemingly fallen out of Cuccinelli's favor. However, by sticking to his conservative principles and just "being Ken", Cuccinelli won reelection by a slim margin in a blue-trending region of Virginia.

Attorney General Bob McDonnell
McDonnell has announced a run at the Governor's mansion in 2009, and he also has been a standout figure all year long. From challenging the legality and authority of undercover agents from the City of New York (authorized by Mayor Michael Bloomberg) to his reaching out for bipartisan support of law enforcement and sound policy-making, Bob McDonnell has positioned himself well for a shot at becoming the next Governor of Virginia.

Losers...

State Senate RINOs
Russ Potts and John Chichester retired, but could not get anyone to succeed them ideologically and talked themselves into irrelevance, Potts especially. Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis was such a RINO that she was considered to be running to the left of her Democratic opponent Chap Petersen, and even gushed that she was proud of her RINO status.

The Davis Family in General
Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis was an example of how a time bomb can go off more than once, as she (along with her campaign) had several implosions and horrid missteps along the way. Tom Davis got so involved with saving his wife's campaign that it came at the cost of his own image, and now Rep. Davis suddenly does not a appear to be actively seeking re-election next year...which leaves an open seat, a few well-known Dem challengers, and nobody in particular to succeed Davis on the GOP side.

Dave Albo
Let's see...most ardent supporter of the abuser fees, ran unopposed and yet a whopping 12.35% (1,402 votes) went for a "write in" name instead of him. Now, he wants to introduce jail time for those who can't pay their abuser fees. He's one of those Republicans that will see a serious challenge in 2009 unless something drastic happens.