For the first time in 16 years, Virginia Democrats are holding a presidential primary, which state party officials said they anticipate will have a meaningful impact on the race for the presidential nomination.
Last year, the General Assembly approved pushing up the primary from Feb. 24 to Feb. 10 in hopes of getting Virginia more embroiled in the increasingly accelerated nomination process.
This year's Democratic primary will be the second ever held in Virginia, and state Democrats said they hope it will inaugurate a new era of "party building" in the state.
According to Laura Bland, communication director for the Democratic Party of Virginia, 2004 represents "a unique crossroads in history in the process of selecting a nominee."
New relevance for Virginia
Virginia has been relegated to the Democratic backwaters since 1988, the last year the state held a primary. State Democrats held caucuses in 1992, 1996 and 2000.
"Because of the accelerated primary calendar, we knew to actually have a say we had to be involved early," Bland said.
Virginia and other Southern contests represent a real measuring stick of the national electability of candidates, she added.
"The South is more reflective of the reality of America than a state like New Hampshire or Iowa" because of the region's ethnic and economic diversity, Bland said. "If your message does not sell in the South, how is it going to sell anywhere else?"
The intensity surrounding the tight race -- phone-banking, endorsement-wrangling and campaign spending by candidates in the Commonwealth -
Read More
The ‘Batten Curve’ — what’s the big deal?
By Bennett Galper and Nina Broderick | 2 days agoBatten students are also involved in conversations about potential policy changes, with some taking an active role in advocacy efforts.
UJC sees “major influx” of cases with 38 adjudicated so far this term
By Ford McCracken | 3 days agoAlongside an increase in cases, the Committee saw increased interest during recruitment
Shots fired reported on 800 block of Hardy Drive
By Thomas Baxter | 4 days agoLongo said to avoid the area for the time being.
