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Governor gains and grievances

With the Virginia gubernatorial election results in, the presidents of two of the largest political groups at the University -- the University Democrats and College Republicans -- are beginning to think about what this means for the future of the Commonwealth.

University Democrats President Dave Wasserman sees Tim Kaine's victory in a positive light and said the courtesy the candidates displayed during the victory and concession speeches was a relief.

"In a rough and tumble campaign, it was nice to see that each candidate was gracious," Wasserman said. "Kaine worked hard to win the race and was on the campaign trail 24/7. Kilgore obviously appeared surprised, but I think he understood in his final days that things weren't going his way."

Wasserman said he believes Virginia will continue to grow and prosper under this continuation of Democratic leadership.

"I'm ecstatic that we'll have another four years of Democratic administration," Wasserman said. "I think that Virginians are not thinking in partisan terms but in ways that will benefit the future of the Commonwealth. [Gov.] Mark [R.] Warner has succeeded in earning the people's trust, and voters are willing to pass on the torch to someone who is like-minded."

On the other side of the political arena, College Republicans President Brain Gunn said Kaine's victory stems from the success of Gov. Warner.

"Tim Kaine won this election as a direct result of the popularity of Mark Warner, without which he would have lost the election," Gunn said. "I think that Tim Kaine is much more liberal than his predecessor and that he both tried and failed to hide this during the election."

While Gunn said he is disappointed with the results, he cited other Republican wins across the Commonwealth as evidence of continued conservative support in Virginia.

"While it is true that the votes did not go our way and that we will have a Democratic governor for the next couple of years, all is not lost," Gunn said, citing the election of Republican Bill Bolling as lieutenant governor and what he sees as the likely election of Republican Bob McDonnell as attorney general.

In terms of the future steps Kaine plans to take in his new role, Wasserman said Kaine already has begun to initiate part of his promises to Virginia by pushing forward important statewide policies.

"I'm thrilled that he's already embarked on [implementing policies] today," Wasserman said. "Less than 24 hours from the election, he set up leadership team to handle transportation issues in the state. He's wasting no time in putting together a forward-thinking administration, and the trust that Virginian voters have placed in him is well-earned."

According to Wasserman, one of Kaine's most important plans as governor is to focus on making education more affordable and available for everyone."It's very important for Kaine to pay attention to specific outcomes of the higher education restructuring act," Wasserman said.

Gunn said he hopes the policies Kaine plans to enact within the state are moderate and acceptable for all groups so as to avoid "the type of liberalism that has harmed states like New York and California."

"Because of his disjointed 'I believe but won't act on my beliefs' [attitude] on social issues, I believe it would be wise for him to avoid these and continue to focus of the economic development for all of Virginia," Gunn said. "We respect the electoral process, and you will not hear complaints or doomsday predictions that came out of the 2004 presidential election. I hope that Kaine does a good job, and the Republican Party will ensure that he doesn't go out of line."

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