for the Democratic nomination for the 8th Congressional District in Virginia
In an editorial titled Don Beyer for Va.’s 8th District Democratic primary the Post editorial board calls the race for the Democratic nomination "strikingly lopsided" noting
Half a dozen candidates have scrambled to dislodge a smart, substantive, well-financed front-runner, former lieutenant governor Don Beyer. For the most part, they appear to have failed — not because they are all pygmies, but because Mr. Beyer is, simply, an excellent candidate. He would make a first-rate addition to this region’s unusually effective congressional delegation, and we endorse him in the June 10 primary.
The editorial notes the 2-time Lieutenant Governor's role in running and expanding the family auto dealership business, and goes on to say
Mr. Beyer has built a career in politics, public office and, most recently, diplomacy, which none of his opponents comes close to matching.
You can read about that in the editorial.
You can read more about Don Beyer at his campaign website.
I previously examined this race in this post in which I explained my support for Beyer, examined what polling data there was, and offered my prediction that Beyer would probably win. The Post endorsement still carries a fair amount of weight, particularly among Democrats and independents - and in Virginia, since we do not register by party, anyone can vote in a Democratic primary. i remember that in the 2009 Democratic primary for Governor, among now Governor Terry McAuliffe, Brian Moran (brother of retiring Congressman Jim Moran), and state senator Creigh Deeds, the Post endorsement of Deeds help blow open what had been a close 3-way race: Deeds won almost 50% and carried 10 of Virginia's 11 Congressional Districts. I will not be surprised to see this endorsement also have a serious impact upon the results.
The editorial notes that Beyer does not approach this contest with a sense of entitlement:
In candidate forums, where most of his opponents flounder when foreign affairs questions are posed, Mr. Beyer is at ease, with a deep and solid grasp of U.S. policy and events in Europe and the Middle East.
The editorial notes a similar command of climate-change issues, and goes on to say that
Mr. Beyer, alone in the field, has a credible chance of working across the aisle to enact legislation, even in Capitol Hill’s shambolic status quo.
The editorial notes Beyer's long absence from any ballot - since he lost the race for Governor to Republican Jim Gilmore in 1997 - but adds that
he’s stayed active on issues that have concerned him for years, including teen pregnancy and high school dropouts. Such problems are critical in the district, which includes Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church and parts of southern Fairfax County. As nearly as any freshman could, he’d be effective in Congress from day one.
Don is a friend going back to the Dean campaign, of which he was national Treasurer.
I now make him the heavy favorite to be my next Congressman.
And no, I don't plan to ask him for a job, in part because he is not going to seek to be on the committee relevant to education, but because I belong in a classroom and I can as a friend offer my insight on education and other topics and know that he will give my thoughts a fair hearing.
i am pleased with the endorsement.
I know Don and his campaign are delighted.
Peace.