VA-10. Not a race you've heard a lot about. The Democratic candidate for Congress here is Jeff Barnett, and he has a tough race against Frank Wolf, a Republican's Republican who has been in office since 1980.
I'm not going to list the odds for Barnett, because frankly they're pretty bleak. Wolf seems to be very popular here in Northern Virginia, why I couldn't tell you.
I'll link you to the one other diary I could find about Jeff Barnett and VA-10, because it was a fine diary that didn't get a lot of attention, so hat's off to hccinVA and his diary titled:
Jeff Barnett, A Truly Kos Type Candidate for VA-10 (w/ Update!)
I haven't lived here in VA-10 very long, but I'm looking forward heading off to my polling place tomorrow and voting for Jeff Barnett. I have been here long enough to have lived through the humiliating defeat of Creigh Deeds, who admittedly ran a lackluster campaign and was handed his hat by none other than the dynamic duo of nut-job conservatives, Bob McDonnell and Ken Cuchinelli.
I have been noticing one small, unscientific sign around town that has been giving me some hope, however. During the last election, when I was very new here, I was surprised to see about a zillion (yes, this diary is that scientific; I'm using the term "about a zillion") signs for McDonnell and Cuchinelli all over town, we were completely blanketed. Everywhere I went I saw "Fairfax's Own Bob McDonnell".
I wondered how a highly educated suburban district could be so crazy about these guys. I saw a grand total of three signs for Creigh Deeds. There just seemed to be no enthusiasm whatsoever about this candidate.
Fast forward two years, in admittedly a different race, but Barnett seems to have significantly longer odds against Wolf. Again I'm not going to list them because they are a downer, and I'm trying to offer a morsel of hope here.
Every single sign I see out there with Frank Wolf's name on it has a matching sign for Jeff Barnett. Really, every one. His signs are everywhere, which says to me one of two things: either there is a very, very dedicated volunteer out there who works day and night to plant campaign signs in every neighborhood in the 10th District of Virginia, or there is real enthusiasm for Jeff Barnett.
In conclusion, I may be hoping against reason that Jeff Barnett can take the day tomorrow, but I'm willing to take that chance. If you'd like to learn more about Jeff Barnett, here's his website:
Jeff Barnett for Congress
And for those of us voting tomorrow (since there's no early voting in Virginia), here's helpful site from One Nation to find your polling place:
Find Your Polling Location
Well, there it is. Perhaps not the most inspiring diary ever written, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
Good luck to our hard working candidates and volunteers tomorrow!