2011.02.24
Does today’s vote to regulate abortion clincs affect Puckett’s chances for re-election?
Sen. Phil Puckett
Adam Light
A similar version of the legislation has been regularly introduced the last several years but routinely killed in the Senate Education and Health Committee.
This time the committee got bypassed when Del. Kathy Byron, R-Campbell, tacked the amendment onto a Senate bill that dealt with infection prevention and disaster preparedness at hospitals and nursing homes.
On the floor, two Democrats — Sens. Charles Colgan, D-Manassas, and Phillip Puckett, D-Russell County — voted with Republicans to create a 20-20 tie, allowing Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling to break the tie and send the legislation to Gov. Bob McDonnell, whose spokesman said he would sign the bill.
One question that immediately springs to mind: What does this do for the re-election prospects of Puckett, who already has an announced opponent for this fall?
Does Puckett’s vote on this hot-button issue help solidify his support among conservative voters?
Or will Republican Adam Light, whose candidacy grew out of the Tea Party movement, find other ways to woo supporters and differentiate himself from Puckett?
So far, at least, Light has focused his campaign largely on those Tea Party principles of limited government and fiscal conservatism.
Do you see today’s vote affecting how this race goes?
- Mason Adams
It does not matter. Pucket has a small, black & white photo but Light has a larger, color photo. That is all voters need to make their choice.
Comment by Pawtucket — February 24, 2011 @ 8:25 pm
An even better question might be how Puckett’s vote might affect his
chances for RENOMINATION, let alone reelection. There are many who fervently hope that the Democrats in his district will find a real Democrat to run representing them.
Comment by dave — February 25, 2011 @ 12:31 am
@Pawtucket –
You hit on a good point. As Dwayne Yancey has noted before, the Blue Ridge Caucus blog gives readers a rawer take on many of the issues and stories that eventually find their way into the paper. In campaign coverage, we make an effort to present things as fairly as possible, and that goes for the photos as well. Often photographers are assigned to snap fresh mugshots of the candidates.
For this post, I was able to grab a fresh shot of Adam Light from that post announcing his intention to run for office. For Puckett, though, it was a little more difficult, and I ended up pulling a mugshot from the Senate of Virginia website, where the headshots are in black and white.
As the campaign goes on I hope to get more equivalent photos.
@dave:
That may well be the case for a number of state candidates from both parties, and all the more so after redistricting.
Comment by Mason Adams — February 25, 2011 @ 7:18 am
Doesn’t matter – Democrats are going to disappear altogether from SWVA eventually – and if that happens, so be it. Most (not all! but most!) people down there (that vote) only focus on God (which nobody is forcing them to abandon), guns (which nobody is taking away from them) and gays (which nobody is forcing them to be). Never mind the fact that they can’t attract a single job to Marion or feed their families in Tazewell. Keeping the gays unmarried and making sure abortions are illegal and unsafe is more important.
Here is a sad fact: kids with education are fleeing SWVA in droves and nobody is moving in to replace those that are dying off. Keep the culture. In 20 years, the entire Shenandoah Valley, Southside Virginia and SWVA west of Blacksburg will be a single congressional district because NOBODY WILL LIVE HERE ANYMORE.
Comment by Josh — February 25, 2011 @ 3:49 pm
Good point Josh. It is frightening to people with good sense.
Comment by Sandi Saunders — February 25, 2011 @ 6:16 pm
Josh, Its not god, guns and gays that are running folks out of southwest virginia. Its N.O. J.O.B.S.
Comment by Cold n P — February 25, 2011 @ 7:59 pm