Deeds Downpour Rains on Moran and McAuliffe's Gubernatorial Aspirations

Photo by John Arundel/Local Kicks When the music stopped and the wine had been consumed at the end of the 2009 Gubernatorial Primary campaign, State Senator Creigh Deeds emerged with a landslide win of 50 percent on Tuesday.

Mike Anderson of Mango Mike's on Duke Street remembers the lanky law student who worked at his bar on nights and weekends, back in the late 80's as a smart, loyal and fiercely determined employee.  "I saw Brian break up more than a few hooligans fighting at the bar," Anderson recalled recently, as his old friend Brian Moran stood next to him, grimacing at the memory.

"Yeah, those characters clearly should not have been there," Moran chimed in. "But I don't think they ever came back."

Moran, of Alexandria, ended one of the toughest fights of his nascent political career Tuesday night, when he and former DNC chair Terry McAuliffe of McLean were knocked off in the Democratic gubernatorial primary by State Senator Robert Creigh Deeds (D-Bath), who hails from the smallest town in the state.

Deeds, a political dark horse in this race who raised the least campaign funds and ran the most threadbare of campaigns, had tracked only 11 percent in most statewide polls a month ago -- barely a blip on the political Richter Scale next to the two powerful Northern Virginia politicians who mud-wrestled each other to the finish.

In the end, Deeds surprised nearly everyone in the state when he roared to victory Tuesday night with a landslide win with 50 percent share of the primary votes, ahead of McAullife's 26 percent and Moran's 24 percent.

"No one could have imagined what we accomplished tonight," Deeds said as he celebrated victory in Charlottesville. "Wow...You and I sure surprised a lot of people tonight. Tomorrow starts a new campaign with lots of work. It is going to be a tough fight with a tough opponent. But that's all for tomorrow. Tonight, let's celebrate an overwhelming victory. I couldn't have done it without your support. Some critics were writing us off, but you and I always knew better. Together, we refused to be counted out."

Photo by John Arundel/Local Kicks "I saw Brian break up more than a few hooligans fighting at the bar," Mike Anderson of Mango Mike's recalled recently, as his old friend Brian Moran stood next to him, grimacing at the memory. "Yeah, those characters clearly should not have been there," Moran chimed in. "But I don't think they ever came back."

In leading a late surge by Deeds, some political analysts were crediting a set of vigrorous and reinforcing editorials supporting the Bath County resident by the Washington Post  

"It came as no surprise that the Washington Post endorsement gave him huge momentum," Prof. Larry Sabato told WTOP. "It became an election about electability and who has the best chance of beating Bob McDonnell in November."

And while the Moran supporters gathered at Alexandria's Mark Center Hilton said they would get behind Deeds in what may become a brutish and costly campaign against McDonnell, the former State Attorney General, a few elected officials saved up some choice comments about the Washington Post, which was not on the ballot.

"Clearly the Washington Post endorsement made a big difference in Brian losing tonight," said Del. David Englin (D-45), of Del Ray. "And then they kept on foot-stomping their endorsement."

Former City Manager Vola Lawson, a staunch Moran supporter, said, "Shame on the Post for endorsing the most conservative Democrat in the race."

State Sen. Patsy Ticer (D-Alexandria), who is retiring this year, sniffed that she may not even renew her subscription to the Post, something that the bean-counters at the paper may actually sit up straight about, given the double-digit declines in circulation that The Post and other major metro dailies have suffered through in the past two years.

In its endorsement, the Post said that Deeds "would make the best Governor in the Warner-Kaine tradition."

"The endorsement was like, 'This here is our favorite son'," Ticer said. "Unbelievable."

As Deeds' momentum grew in the final weeks of the campaign, state elected officials piled on, perhaps sensing a winner in the room.  With just one day left before Virginia's hotly-contested Democratic gubernatorial primary, State Senator Toddy Puller (D-Mount Vernon) announced her support.

"I'm standing with Creigh because he's the Democrat most prepared to build on the progress we've made under Mark Warner and Tim Kaine," Puller said on Monday.  "As my colleague in the Senate, I know he's the Democrat who'll bring us together on the tough issues, and I know he'll put us in the strongest position to beat Bob McDonnell."

Deeds began his long political career in 1987 only three years after finishing law school, becoming elected Commonwealth's Attorney of Bath County after defeating the incumbent with by a 65 percent margin.

"Deeds is moderate and rural-based," Sabato said. "He sits well with the new moderate Virginia."

Deeds, 50, served as a member of the House of Delegates from 1992 to 2001. In the House of Delegates, he was known as a legislative workhorse, introducing Megan's Law to the General Assembly in 1998 and helping to put into place strong environmental protection and anti-drug laws.
 
"Of course tonight I'm disappointed by the outcome, but tomorrow we'll get behind Creigh Deeds and his progressive agenda," said Del.
Charniele Herring, who replaced Moran in his delegate seat when he stepped down back in January. "Bob McDonnell is a formidable opponent and we're up to it."
 
Deeds won election to the Virginia State in 2001 after the death of Sen. Emily Couric due to pancreatic cancer.  After winning the seat, he embarked on a spree of legislative accomplishments, including increasing the mandatory retirement age for judges from age 70 to 75 and permitting ABC agents to check the national criminal database when conducting background checks on prospective licensees. He was also a proponent of a Senate resolution to close a Virginia "gun show loophole."

Photo by John Arundel/Local Kicks Terry McAuliffe supporters, twins at UVA, show their allegiance at the Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner in Richmond.

Aside from the Post, Deeds also won the endorsements of Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, Senate President Pro Tempore Charles Colgan, Democratic Caucus Chair Mary Margaret Whipple and State Senators Janet Howell and Chap Peterson.

On election day, which was wet, windy and rainy throughout most of the state, Deeds carried Richmond and the southwest population centers of Norfolk and Virginia Beach, despite endorsements of Moran by the three mayors.  

The November election will be a re-match of sorts for McDonnell and Deeds, who in 2005 was the Democratic nominee for State Attorney General, losing to Republican McDonnell by 323 votes. To date, the 2005 race against McDonnell was the only election Deeds has ever lost.

Brian Moran had been widely encouraged to run for Attorney General in 2005, but decided not to run out of deference to his longtime friend, candidate Creigh Deeds, and because of concerns about  time spent away from his family.

In 2007, Moran formed an exploratory committee to campaign for Governor. Over the next two years, Moran crisscrossed the state hundreds of  times in an SUV driven by longtime aide Jesse Ferguson, and supported by his brother, Rep. Jim Moran (D-8). The team included state political legends like Mame Reiley, a DNC committeewoman who had also chaired Mark Warner's campaigns for Governor and Senator.  

At the Mark Center Hilton, Moran conceded to Deeds only an hour after the polls had closed, calling Deeds "invincible."

"This wasn't exactly the evening we had hoped for," said Moran, standing next to his brother, wife Karyn and two children. "But my father was a football coach who taught me to fight to the finish, which we all can be proud of that we did."

McAuliffe supporters gathered at the Westin Arlington Gateway Hotel, where the former DNC chair conceded around 8:15 pm. "This may have not have turned out the way we wanted, but it was quite a ride,'' McAuliffe said. "Over the past five months, I have crisscrossed Virginia and talked to people of all walks of life, and I've got to say, it's been one of the best experiences of my life."

For Brian Moran, the former State Delegate and Arlington County prosecutor who will turn 50 in September, it's back to his law practice on Duke Street, after a short breather from nearly non-stop campaigning over the past two years.

"If miles driven, phone calls made and hours away from family determined this election, Brian would have won it by a landslide," said Shawn McLaughlin of Alexandria, a longtime friend. "June 10th is the first day of the rest of Brian Moran's political life. He has immense talent and a beautiful family. No doubt he'll be governor one day because our Commonwealth needs more people like him."

Contact the writer at jarundel@localkicks.com.