The race to become the Commonwealth's attorney general is still close, in fact "freakishly close," according to Politics Prof. Larry J. Sabato.
The official results are scheduled to be announced Nov. 28, a date established by Commonwealth statute.
The unofficial results, available through the State Board of Elections, updated as of 5:02 p.m. yesterday, show that only 347 votes separate Republican Rob McDonnell and Democrat Creigh Deeds. McDonnell is in the lead with 970,857 votes.
"It's important that we wait for all the votes to be counted," Deeds spokesperson Peter Jackson said. "This is the closest state-wide election."
The closest parallel Sabato said he could think of was the 1966 election when a U.S. Senate seat was won by only 611 votes. But Sabato said citizens should not overemphasize the closeness of this race.
"It's dangerous to over-interpret a lower ballot office race," Sabato said. "The important race is the governor's contest, and that was decided by a decisive margin in the Democrats' direction."
Sabato said the implications of attorney general race will not be felt until the next gubernatorial election in four years.
"The main effect is actually on 2009 because we have another election for governor in 2009, and Tim Kaine will not be able to run for re-election, so it is possible if Deeds ends up winning, the governor's race will be [Lt. Gov. elect Bill] Bolling versus Deeds," Sabato said. "Whenever you have a lieutenant governor of one party and an attorney general of another party, they frequently end up being the nominees for governor for their parties."
Even with the results so close, the candidates' spokespersons said both candidates are moving forward in preparing to transition into office.
"[He has] been working with his transition director, John Daniel, to get that effort up and running," Jackson said, adding that Deeds also is working with his recount effort team.
Phillippe said McDonnell has been engaging in similar actions.
"The main thing [McDonnell is] doing is preparing to take office as attorney general," Philippe said. "He's been talking to people about the transition."
McDonnell spokesperson John Phillippe added that McDonnell also is keeping in touch with his campaign staff and legal team.
Regardless of which candidate takes office, the closeness of the election will put extra strain on the administration, Sabato said.
"Any time you win a squeaker, you are under a microscope in office because almost half of the people have voted against you," he said. "Now, having said that, majority rules, whether it is one or a million votes."
But the closeness of the race automatically affords the losing candidate an automatic recount, paid for by the Commonwealth, Sabato said.
In the case that the recount and the potential subsequent legal proceedings last into the new year, Sabato said he is not worried about who will take care of the position of attorney general.
"If the race is not decided [before the positions switch over], we'll survive," he said. "The office of the attorney general has many fine career professionals, and someone will serve as acting attorney general until the race is decided. On my list of 1,000 world worries, this isn't even on the list."
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